Several Cats & Dogs have been injured, infected or scarred due to grooming attempts without proper expertise. It has happened at home as well as at reputed pet parlous, where animals are handled hurriedly and often carelessly. But don’t stress any further as we have come up with expert advice to all your “Nail Biting moments” of pet grooming.

A. BEFORE you start Grooming your pet:

1. Know Your Fur Baby’s Needs

Over grooming or Under grooming your pet can prove to have disastrous effect on your fur baby. Therefore, it is important that you understand when it is the time for a hair cut, when to give a bath and when to Just comb. While combing should be regular, baths should be limited and as per the need.

Long and double coated pets like Chow Chows and Shih tzus require frequent combing than Short and smooth coated breeds like Doberman Pinschers and Pugs. For quick guide on Brushing needs of your DOG & CAT depending on their Coat type continue reading.

2. Keep All The Equipment & Products ready to go.

Keep your Grooming products close by and ready to go. Here is a list of Item you will need:

a) Brush — Refer to “How to brush your pet section” for Brush types and needs based on the coat of your pet.

b) Nail Clippers for pets

c) Scissors or Grooming Shears for fine trimming & Styling

d) Small stool to keep under your dog’s belly between his legs, to keep him standing.

d) Cotton balls/hygienic Ear buds

e) Dog/cat friendly toiletries

f) Soft cotton towel to pat dry your pet.

g) Styptic Powder (If there is nail bleed due to chipping)

i) A helper to ensure that your pet does not make sudden movement.

3. Choose a well lit, quiet and safe space.

Make sure that your pet does not have any distractions and the floor has non slip mat (Yoga mat) laid out so that Tommy, Bella or Purry doesn’t slip. Also ensure that the room is well lit and has enough ventilation.

4. Make your pet comfortable with the process

When grooming your pet, patience is the key. Regularly gently brushing your pet at the same location makes them comfortable with the surrounding. Slowly introduce new steps to the regular brushing and give them treats for their good work and obedience. Sticking to a predictable system completes 90% of the work required for an effective grooming session. Remember, if you are nervous, your pet will know, so be gentle and confident in your approach.

B. Step by Step guide to Grooming your pet

1. How to Brush Your Pet:

Brushing is the key to keeping your pet clean. Experts don’t recommend a lot of bathing. In fact, a healthy cat maintains self hygiene by licking herself clean. Cats require regular combing and trimming depending on their coat type.

2. How to Cut Your Pet’s Hair:

Unlike humans, who get haircuts with wet hair, Dogs and cats should be groomed on well brushed dry hair. It is important to ensure that you only use the tips of sharp shears to trim your pet’s feet, face and tail, which will prevent you from cutting your pet if they moves suddenly. When trimming their ears, always have your other hand on the edges of the ears so that you are aware till where can you make the cut.

If your pet’s fur is matted, never try to cut it with scissors and use clippers instead. It is also a wise decision to keep a helper to gently restrain your pet and calm them down in order to prevent any sudden movement.

3. How to Safely Shave your Pet

Experts do not recommend shaving any pet without professional help. Furs act as insulation and aid in maintaining body temperature, they also keep moisture intact within the skin of your pet. Unnecessary shaving can result in dryness,loss of natural oil and hinder body temperature. However, if you are trained and confident to take this step, start with a dry, clean pet and find a quiet spot free of distractions. Using a sharp blade, start around your pet’s neck and work your way down their body, keeping the blade flat against the skin. Be careful around thin skin, underarms, thigh, hip, sensitive areas and joints. Experts suggest to use a no.10 blade for the face, underarms and private areas . The blades need to be checked often for heat, as they can burn the sensitive skin of your pet.

4. How to Trim your Pet’s Nails

Experts suggest that nail trimming is best done by a pro, but if you are confident enough to try then make sure that your pet is used to the noise of the equipment.

a) If your pet has white nails, clip until you see the pink (the quick)

b) If your pet has black nails, clip a little at a time until you see a solid black dot on the tip.

Be gentle while using a clipper and if there is an accidental bleed, use a styptic powder to stop the minor bleeding.

5. How to Bathe Your Pet:

When bathing your cat or dog, it is important to remember that their skin is different from Human Skin. While human skin has a ph 5 surface, pets have ph 7 skin surface, making them neutral in acidic scale. It is therefore necessary that you do not over bathe your pet since they will lose natural oils from their skin and use only cat or dog specific product.

If you have a healthy cat, chances are, you don’t need to bathe her at all during normal circumstances since they maintain self hygiene. Regular brushing with a fine comb is enough to remove the dirt particles. But should the need arrive to bathe, for older cats or the ones rolling in wet garden, brush first to get the heavy dirt out.

For dogs, bathing needs depend on a lot of factors like their Coat type, Health, Lifestyle etc. The easiest clue is, if your dog has a strong stink, it is time for a bath.

Key points to follow while giving a bath to your pet:

a) Temperature Matters — Lukewarm water is the best, dip your elbow to check. Keep water collected in a bucket/tub to avoid opening and closing the tap in front of your pet as this can cause a distraction.

b) Clean from Paws and Rinse from Head — Dogs & Cats tend to shake their body when water is poured over their head and as a result can drench you in their bath water. Therefore, it is always advised to start the process of gentle shampoo massage from their paws or tails, working all the way up to their face and rinse from their face with water first, working your way down. Ensure that you don’t get products in their eyes and ears, because no matter what the bottle says, it still has some sort of chemicals.

c) Dilute the Products before application — Pet specific products still have foreign chemicals and over application can lead to stripping of their natural oils, resulting in dryness and skin irritation in your little ball of fur. Therefore it is advised that you dilute the product in water before applying.

d) Use Pat & Dry method — It is always advised that you towel dry your pet by gentle dabbing their skin with soft cotton towel. You must resist the urge to rub their wet skin & hair as it might lead to matting, shedding and skin bruise.

e) Remember when to call Professional — Bathing pets is not as simple as it seems. There are so many different types of coats which each need to be addressed separately, because of varying textures, lengths and medical condition. If you don’t know the difference or simply don’t have the time, space or desire to wash your pet at home, there is no shame in calling in an expert. It is good to pamper your fur baby every once in a while!

6. Check Ears & Eyes Regularly:

a) Ears — Weekly ear checks are a good idea for pets. While cleaning the ear with cleanser and wiping with cotton ball, look for possible sign of trouble like discharge, bleed, foul smell or excessive head shaking by the pet. In case any of the signs persist, it is time to visit a veterinarian.

b) Eyes — Though cats are sufficiently well groomed, some species of dogs like Pugs, Bulldogs, Poodles, Cocker spaniels and Shih Tzus require special care as they are prone to eye infections. It is a good idea to check your pets eyes for any mucus build up or foreign object accumulation. If there is any sign of irritation, it is time to visit a doctor.

We hope our expert tips have helped you in grooming your fur baby more efficiently, economically and like a pro. For more updates, follow us :

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Note: Information stated above is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care. Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.

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