Dog Grooming: Everything You Need To Know

Dog Grooming: Everything You Need To Know

As a pet parent, we keep hearing different opinions about grooming our dog. And with so much information around, it is definitely a difficult task to understand which is the right one. To give us a clear insight on the do’s and don’ts of grooming a dog, we had Nishita from Papa Pawsome for an episode of Better Pet Parenting on our instagram. 

Let us now understand the grooming essentials from an expert in the field who has been researching pets and their needs.

Taking care of the coat

Grooming varies according to the coat that a breed has. For example the grooming needs of a Shih Tzu and a Golden Retriever will be similar because of their long coat. It is similar to having curly or straight or wavy hair in humans. Here are a few things that you can do to keep your dog’s fur healthy.

Brush their hair everyday

Whether your dog has a long coat or a short one, brush it everyday. This helps in aeration and removes any hair which has come off. When you are brushing you will also notice if there is anything abnormal on the skin.

Do NOT shave them!

Dogs have a coat  which is designed in a way that it can regulate temperature in any season. Be rest assured that your dog will not feel hot because of its coat in the summers. 

If you think that the matting is more, you can use the serum in large quantities on the matted area, let it sit for some time, give them a bath, and detangle the mats.

Note: Do not use a human serum since it has silicone which if deposited on the skin, can cause scabbing. 

Tackle the shedding

Dogs shed once a year which is usually in summer. On one hand, brushing them everyday helps but on the other, if you notice that every time you brush them there is a huge fur ball, or if the coat is becoming excessively thin, and the quality of the hair is reducing- it is a matter of concern. It could be because of food or stress as well. 

Address the itching and dandruff

Dandruff happens when the coat is rough, or if there is any deficiency in food, or because of the chemicals in a shampoo.

Be it dandruff or itching, it is advisable to use 4 to 5 drops of oil on your dog’s fur. Leave it for 45 minutes and then shampoo them.

Note: Do not give a champi to your dog.

You can check out the ranges of oil from Papa Pawsome. The good news is that you can shop them through the sploot store at 10% off using the code SPLOOT10*

The Do’s and Don’ts of bathing your dog

  • Make sure you do not bathe your dog more than two to three times a month. It can be four to the max but not more than that.
  • Another thing to keep in mind is that excess foaming does not mean that your dog will be cleaner. It is advisable to use less shampoo and then use a loofah or a bathing glove to generate foam. Because removing the excess shampoo will also be a task. And more than bathing, drying is the important part.
  • If at any point you feel that your dog is smelling or is not clean, you can use waterless shampoo. Just put it on a wet wipe and clean your dog with it.
  • Don’t use artificial odour on your dog. Smell is how they identify each other, and hampering with that is not a good idea. Observing how they react to different products i.e. whether they look forward to the bathing time or run away from it will give you an idea on whether they like the aroma or not.

What to do if your dog is scratching his ears?

You should clean their ears regularly. Take him to a groomer or a vet if you haven’t done it in a while. Also, if the ears are stinking, you will definitely need to see a vet as it could be an infection.

How to maintain your dog’s oral hygiene? 

Maintaining your dog’s oral hygiene is very important for plaque removal. Again, don’t use artificial odour if you think your dog’s mouth is stinking. It could be just how they smell. What instead you should keep in mind is that you brush their teeth once every day. 

Should I also take care of my dog’s paws?

Imagine walking on a marble floor wearing shoes with a hard sole vs walking on the floor with sports shoes. Same as we’d prefer sports shoes, dogs can also have a good grip with soft paws. Having hard paws can make them skid, which will in turn, affect their joints.

Another thing to keep in mind is to not send them walking when the pavement is hot. And after every walk, wipe their paws with water, and then apply a paw cream. 

Now here are a couple of grooming essentials you might want to check out for your dog- waterless shampoo, paw cream, oil, healing balm. Papa Pawsome has a range of them all, which is available on the sploot store. And you can use the code SPLOOT10 to get a 10% off .