Benefits
Grooming your dog regularly provides many health benefits for it and you. Just as you benefit from your regular hygiene practices, your dog can benefit from their's. Below is a list of ways grooming helps your dog to remain at its best.
Grooming your dog helps to keep the coat and skin healthy
Regular grooming aerates the coat ensuring healthy growth. Regularly brushing your dog also helps with this. Blocked pores and sebaceous cysts can be avoided by keeping grease levels low.
Grooming can prevent or identify possible health problems before they become too big.
It helps with the detection of abnormalities. By having a second set of eyes regularly checking your dog, health problems are at least twice as likely to be identified. You also have the added advantage of a Groomer's experience with a wide range of dogs. They are likely to spot something if it is out of the ordinary.
During the groom bald spots, growths, sores, or lumps may be spotted. Special attention during the groom is given to eyes, mouth, teeth, pads, lumps and bumps on or below the skin, and the perianal region. If anything unusual is noticed it will be pointed out to you when you collect your dog. You would then have the opportunity to ask our knowledgeable staff about it. They will be able to point you in the best direction for assistance.
For particular breeds ear health is protected by the removal excess hair that can allow bacteria to build up and can possibly lead to infections.
Excess hair is also removed from feet and paw pads and perianal area for similar preventative reasons.
Breeds that have hair that grows around their mouth and eyes will enjoy skilful, confident hands to trim them. This helps to stop items of food and saliva from accumulating around the dog's mouth and reduces the chance of eye infections.
Long nails are the most common cause of chiropractic problems in dogs and can lead to joint pain and stiffness. If a dog's nails are touching the ground, they are too long.
Grooming keeps you and those that come into contact with your dog safe
The dogs mental state may be improved by grooming. Much like yourself, a dog feels better after a wash and a cut. A happy dog is less likely to behave in an aggressive manor.
Reducing or eliminating the levels of potentially harmful bacteria, mites and parasites can avoid them from being passed to you, your children or your grandchildren.
Trimmed claws reduce the chance of the dog from inadvertently scratching someone.
Grooming improves the look and smell of your dog
Dog Groomers utilise special tools that will wash and massage a dog better than a hand wash. This usually speeds up the time it takes to bathe them. This reduces the impact on dogs that may find bathing stressful.
If required a dog's anal glands may be expressed during the grooming process. This will improve the dogs scent. As this incurs an additional fee its best to enquire about it when you drop your dog off. Some dogs don't require this service.
Grooming makes you feel better.
Bathing once a month or less is usually all that is required for most breeds of dogs. Just knowing you have taken care of a lot of your pets needs and are keeping them healthy and happy can in turn make yourself feel happy.