Even if you make it a regular habit to shave, bathe, and groom your pet at home, some services a pet groomer can help you with aren’t easy for an amateur. From checking for ear infections to maintaining their coat’s health, check out these reasons it helps to take your dog to the pet groomer on a regular basis.
Maintain a Healthy Coat
Depending on your dog’s coat you may find you need more or less frequent washings. Obviously unwashed fur can become dirty and, in some instances, can start to mat together. Matting is when the fur tangles and bunches together creating a thick, tight pelt over the skin. This unhealthy fur can cause extreme discomfort and prevent airflow to the skin, making it dry out and have additional issues.
To keep your dog’s coat healthy it really does help to have regular brushes, baths, and trims or shaves. Groomers know a lot about all kinds of dog breeds, take advantage of their knowledge to help keep your pup in tip-top shape.
Control Shedding
If you have a dog breed that’s known for shedding, you’d probably do anything to get rid of all the loose hairs, fur balls, and dust bunnies that seem to accumulate over night. The easiest and most effective way for limiting the shed is by brushing your dog regularly and keeping the coat conditioned and in the best shape possible.
A groomer will help you do all of that and more, they’re great at getting as many loose hairs as possible with various de-shedding tricks, tools, and techniques. A groomer knows how to properly handle different types of coats and can actually give you very specific advice for you to follow at home, too.
Clean Teeth
According to the VCA, most pet owners don’t realize that they should ideally be brushing their dog’s teeth twice a day and a minimum of three times a week. Otherwise, just like us, our pets can get infections and diseases in their teeth and gums.
Groomers will give your dog’s teeth an excellent cleaning that you should make into a routine. They can also give you a head’s up if there’s an oral issue because they do this for a lot of different dogs as part of their daily routine.
Check Overall Health
While they aren’t veterinarians, groomers are trained professionals that deal with dozens of pets a day. Part of bringing your dog in for grooming regularly means your groomer gets to know your little buddy, too, and they are an additional pair of friendly hands who can keep a check on your dog’s overall health.
Beyond teeth and mouth issues, a groomer can easily spot an ear infection as well as any cysts or growths on the skin, (as well as spot any changes to a growth if they’ve gotten to know your dog). They are a great line of defense for identifying any health issues that need a veterinarian’s attention.
Protect Your Floors
Just like a human’s, an animal’s nails never stop growing. If you go on regular walks on pavement, their nails will naturally file down some, but they can still be long enough to scratch your hardwoods. To prevent their claws from damaging your floors, you’ll need to trim them regularly and while some dogs are easier to manage nails than others, it’s definitely not the easiest of jobs. If you’re working to maintain your nice hardwood floors, there are a few other tidbits of advice for protecting your hardwood floors from dogs.
After considering these five reasons, it might make great sense to take your dog to a professional groomer regularly. If you’re grooming your dog at home, keep these things and mind, and be sure to invest in professional-grade dog grooming tools to make your life easier (here’s a nice list to get you started).
If it’s in your budget, consider exploring your local pup salons to see if you and your dog might gain a lot of advantages from having a good relationship with a local groomer. A healthier coat, cleaner ears and teeth, early warning signs of health issues, and regular nail trims all help ensure you and your pet are as happy as can be.
