Why Dog Grooming is Important in Montgomery, AL
Dog grooming is one of the responsibilities of owning a dog, and some dogs need more grooming than others. While there are differences in the amount of grooming that is needed for different dog breeds, all dogs will have at least some regular upkeep that needs to be done.
There are many reasons why regularly grooming your dog is important. Mainly, regular grooming keeps a dog healthy and comfortable. Believe it or not, there are some negative effects that not grooming your dog can have on the dog’s health.
In this article, we will be explaining why grooming is important. We will also be describing what grooming a dog entails, and how often you should do it. Let’s dive right into it!
What Does Grooming Your Dog Entail?
Dog grooming technically involves many different tasks, each of them important. Here are the different things that occur in dog grooming.
- Nail Trim
- Ear Cleaning
- Cleaning Around the Eyes
- Brushing
- Bathing
- Teeth Cleaning
- Haircut (Only for certain coat types)
This is a pretty long list, and the grooming needs vary from dog to dog. Primarily their coat type will make a difference in how often they need to be brushed and if they need to get their hair cut from time to time. Similarly, ear cleanings tend to be more important for dogs with floppy ears than dogs with erect ears.
We will be explaining how often you should be doing the above tasks a bit later on in this article.
5 Reasons to Groom Your Dog Regularly
There are five different reasons why you should regularly groom your dog. All of these benefits improve a dog’s health or comfort levels. Here are the five reasons why you should groom your dog on a regular basis.
Grooming Keeps Your Dog’s Coat and Skin Healthy
If you do not brush your dog’s coat the recommended amount, then their skin and coat can become damaged and uncomfortable. Skin conditions can occur due to a lack of brushing or bathing in some cases. Similarly, long-haired dogs will need to be brushed regularly to prevent tangles and matting.
Additionally, bathing and brushing dogs during their shedding season can help them with blowing their coat. While not brushing out their shedding hair doesn’t really have any serious health consequences, doing so will make your dog feel much more comfortable.
Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth Prevents Dental Disease
Yes, dogs can get dental disease. Luckily, brushing their teeth regularly can help prevent it. Small dogs are more at risk of developing dental disease than large dogs are, but it is still an important part of grooming no matter the dog’s size.
When cleaning your dog’s teeth, it is important that you only use toothpaste that is designed and made for dogs. This is because toothpaste made for humans is toxic to dogs. Additionally, using a toothbrush made for dogs can make the process of brushing their teeth easier.
Cleaning Your Dog’s Ears Helps Prevent Ear Infections
Checking your dog’s ears regularly for infection and debris is important. This will allow you to clean your dog’s ears when necessary, which will help prevent ear infections. Generally, dogs with floppy ears tend to need more ear cleanings than dogs with other ear shapes. You can clean your dog’s ears using an ear-cleaning solution that is made specifically for dogs.
Regularly Trimming Your Dog’s Nails Helps Prevent Issues With Your Dog’s Paws and Joints
Trimming your dog’s nails on a regular basis is extremely important. Keeping your dog’s nails trimmed will make walking much more comfortable, and it can also help prevent joint disorders as your dog ages. You can trim your dog’s nails using nail trimmers that are made for dogs.
Regular Grooming Keeps Your Dog Comfortable, Healthy, and Happy
To put it simply, regularly grooming your dog based on their breed requirements will keep them comfortable, healthy, and happy. Some things need to be done pretty much the same for every dog such as bathing, teeth cleaning, and nail trimming. However, brushing and ear cleanings are more likely to vary from dog breed to dog breed.
How Often Should You Groom Your Dog?
So, there are a lot of different aspects that go into grooming a dog. How do you know when you are supposed to do what? Here is a helpful table describing how often you should do each grooming task based on recommendations from veterinarians.
For many dogs the only thing that is needed once a day is a teeth brushing. Besides some long-haired dogs that need daily brushing, most of everything else needs to be done on a weekly or monthly basis. While these guidelines are a great place to start, it is always better to follow specific recommendations for your dog’s breed or coat type.
What Could Happen if You Don’t Groom Your Dog?
Negative health effects could occur if you do not groom your dog the recommended amount. Many longhaired or curly-haired dogs will become matted when not brushed daily, and this can cause painful skin conditions. Meanwhile, floppy-eared dogs could develop ear infections if their ears are not cleaned regularly.
Meanwhile, all dogs could develop painful conditions with their feet and joints if their nails are not kept trimmed. Dogs can also develop dental disease if their teeth are not cleaned.
Conclusion
Grooming your dog is important, especially if you have a dog with long fur or special conditions that require more frequent maintenance. If you are looking for someone to help groom your pet in Montgomery, AL, Montgomery Veterinary Associates is here for you. We have a wide variety of grooming services available to Montgomery area pets. Book an appointment with us online today!
