BathsBaths are important in cleansing the pet of dirt, debris and scale. Clean skin will help the pet feel better and many pets will "prance around" after a bath to show off how happy they are. Bathing the animal before grooming will also help keep your tools clean and in better condition. Many shampoos are available, therefore it is important to know the difference between them and the toxicity levels of their ingredients. Mild dish-washing soaps are safe, effective and inexpensive. A balanced pH soap can be used for pets with more sensitive skin since it is more mild, such as a baby shampoo. Vegetable oil or coconut oil based shampoos are even more gentle and work quite nicely to leave the skin feeling refreshed.
All products need to be thoroughly rinsed off. |
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Be careful not to get water inside your dogs ears or nose as this and be harmful to them and also scary, making it a negative experience.
Cotton balls can be gently in the ears to help keep the water from getting inside. Moisten the dog all over the body, hands over the ears and nose when you pass water over these areas. Apply shampoo to the back first, then down the legs and across the chest. Massage the shampoo into the coat with a good lather. Make sure to get in the pads of the feet, some breeds have webbed toes and the dirt can stick inside fairly well. Be very careful to not get any shampoo in the eyes when washing the face. If you have a pet nozzle on your water, hold it close to the body, the water pressure can do the "hard work" to loosen/wash out the deep dirt and rinse very thoroughly. Shampoo left on the body will feel greasy when the pet is dry and can cause a number of skin irritations and conditions.
Cotton balls can be gently in the ears to help keep the water from getting inside. Moisten the dog all over the body, hands over the ears and nose when you pass water over these areas. Apply shampoo to the back first, then down the legs and across the chest. Massage the shampoo into the coat with a good lather. Make sure to get in the pads of the feet, some breeds have webbed toes and the dirt can stick inside fairly well. Be very careful to not get any shampoo in the eyes when washing the face. If you have a pet nozzle on your water, hold it close to the body, the water pressure can do the "hard work" to loosen/wash out the deep dirt and rinse very thoroughly. Shampoo left on the body will feel greasy when the pet is dry and can cause a number of skin irritations and conditions.
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Start your pup young, even if they don't "need grooming" yet, you should get them used to the sights, smells and sounds so they are less scared when they do need grooming. You know the expression "you can't teach an old dog new tricks"? Will this is somewhat true with grooming. If they have never had someone look into their eyes directly, they may think its a dominance challenge, as this is how another dog would see it. If they have never had their feet lifted up and inspected they may feel unstable and become guarded. The sound, temperature, feeling and pressure of the water could be unsettling. And don't forget the teeth, oh my goodness, imagine just sitting there on your couch and all of a sudden someone walks up and sticks their fingers in your mouth and starts picking around your teeth! Of course if you are used to all this, it all seems normal and is just another day. You don't want to overdo this either as it could cause them to become irritable or tired.
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The main point is to make it a positive experience that they and hoping you will grow to enjoy.
Maybe try setting a schedule so they know when and what to expect.
Bathing senior dogs or dogs with medical issues have different considerations. They may be stiff or have a hard time standing for long periods of time. They may have lumps or other conditions to be careful of. Be aware of their limitations and try to be extra gentle, as to not cause excessive pain.
If your pet requires a medicated bath, this can be done instead of the regular bath or can be added on after the regular bath. Medicated baths enhance the cleansing effects and should be left on the pet for 10 - 15 minutes to be fully absorbed and work the most effectively.
Types of animal shampoos can include
Before use of any medical shampoo or topical treatment, it should be discussed with a vet to ensure it's safety for the pet and their house mates.
Maybe try setting a schedule so they know when and what to expect.
Bathing senior dogs or dogs with medical issues have different considerations. They may be stiff or have a hard time standing for long periods of time. They may have lumps or other conditions to be careful of. Be aware of their limitations and try to be extra gentle, as to not cause excessive pain.
If your pet requires a medicated bath, this can be done instead of the regular bath or can be added on after the regular bath. Medicated baths enhance the cleansing effects and should be left on the pet for 10 - 15 minutes to be fully absorbed and work the most effectively.
Types of animal shampoos can include
- colloidal oatmeal (Soothing shampoos with antipruritic properties for sensitive skin conditions)
- tar-sulfur (oily, flaky seborrheic conditions)
- sulfur-salicylic (dry, flaky seborrheic conditions)
- benzoyl peroxide (treatment in bacterial infected skin, excessive crusting and debris problems as well as oily seborrheic conditions)
Before use of any medical shampoo or topical treatment, it should be discussed with a vet to ensure it's safety for the pet and their house mates.
- Antifungal or Antiparasitic dips and rinses are applied to the skin but can sometimes cause systemic toxicities.
- For excessive crusted skin or pets with lots of scale, you many need to cut the fur close to the skin for better results.
Nervous dogs and puppies!
Go slow, and make sure the temperature is not too hot or too cold. Let the water run near their feet first to not startle them. Allow them to get used to the water before adding shampoo. If they get too stressed you can stop and try again another day. If you have already added shampoo, you need to ensure it is completely rinsed out before allowing them out of the tub. Shampoos left on the body can cause irritation later.
Simple ways to make it less scary,
Go slow, and make sure the temperature is not too hot or too cold. Let the water run near their feet first to not startle them. Allow them to get used to the water before adding shampoo. If they get too stressed you can stop and try again another day. If you have already added shampoo, you need to ensure it is completely rinsed out before allowing them out of the tub. Shampoos left on the body can cause irritation later.
Simple ways to make it less scary,
- Make it a game :) or have toys in the tub
- Let the dog play in water during your walk or have a kiddie pool in your yard.
- Give them a "sponge bath" with a wet cloth or soft sponge
- Use a calming, soft and soothing voice or sing a little song
- Slow movements as to not startle them
- Give treats while around or in water
- Gently hold their face up and away from the water
Cat Baths
It is widely known, most cats to NOT like water and will fear a bath. If the feline is not cleaning them self at a satisfactory level you may need to give them a spa or even a grooming treatment, or maybe they need a medicated treatment which requires a bath. Most of the time a "dry bath" is good enough, but not always. Since baths are so stressful for cats, they will try to escape in anyway they can, which can include trying to climb up the persons arms or the surrounding surface. To minimize their stress and yours, you should have the stuff needed for the bath ready and close by to make it as speedy as possible. A screen over the water is a great way to hold the cat in place. Any sturdy screen works great, as most cats will grab the screen with all feet and stand still, as long as you only use a light spray of warm water for the bath and are a gentle, clam and soothing. Cotton balls work great in the cats ears as well, to protect the ears from water and to help block the sound of the water.
Before applying water to any feline, you should have them secured in the tub and have a hand on them. If they are nervous or this is a first time, scruff them. once they are calm you can lessen your grip. If they start to get upset, you need to scruff them before they freak out, as this can injury them and once they start to freak out they can amp themselves up and get more stressed out.
Before applying water to any feline, you should have them secured in the tub and have a hand on them. If they are nervous or this is a first time, scruff them. once they are calm you can lessen your grip. If they start to get upset, you need to scruff them before they freak out, as this can injury them and once they start to freak out they can amp themselves up and get more stressed out.
If a muzzle is needed, special cat muzzles (Air muzzle) can be purchased or you can use gauze or any sturdy, clean ribbon that won't cause rope burn.
As a last result, a sedative can be purchased from the vet and given before the bath, extra care to ensure they do not swallow any water most be taken. Ketamine anesthetic drugs reduce the cats rate of blinking and can cause dry eye, therefore a ophthalmic ointment should be used at the same time.
Specific shampoos and products are bought and used for cats as they have thin, sensitive skin and other products can be toxic to them.
DryingTo dry or not to dry! That is the question.
Or rather, the best way to dry an animal |
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This depends on the animals stress level as well as equipment at hand. Professionals have hand dryers or drying kennels which can be expensive and not cost effective for the home. Dryers can be the quickest and most effective way to dry a pet however these tools can be noisy and scary for some animals. If using a drying kennel, please ensure you use a non heat dryer and watch they do not over heat or panic and try to escape which can cause extra stress and possible lesions.
Towel drying is inexpensive and can contribute to the bonding experience, and some groomers believe towel drying can give your pet a slightly better shine to their coat. Towels may not get them as dry or as fast as wanted and sometimes they think the towel is a toy to try a take away or rip. Try not to encourage this as it may lead to behavior issues such as chewing of bedding or other house hold items.
Air drying (just letting them dry naturally as they run around) is the least expensive and possibly the least stressful although it is the most time consuming and they also run the risk of getting dirty again before any grooming can be done.
While drying, if using a hand dryer, you can start the brushing step, this will help remove a lot of the excess fur.
Towel drying is inexpensive and can contribute to the bonding experience, and some groomers believe towel drying can give your pet a slightly better shine to their coat. Towels may not get them as dry or as fast as wanted and sometimes they think the towel is a toy to try a take away or rip. Try not to encourage this as it may lead to behavior issues such as chewing of bedding or other house hold items.
Air drying (just letting them dry naturally as they run around) is the least expensive and possibly the least stressful although it is the most time consuming and they also run the risk of getting dirty again before any grooming can be done.
While drying, if using a hand dryer, you can start the brushing step, this will help remove a lot of the excess fur.
Brushing
If you have the pet on a raised surface, make sure they are secure (not going to fall or jump), always keep one hand on the pet to get a better sense of what they may do.
Brushing frequently helps maintain a healthy coat and makes it easier when the actual grooming time comes.
Brushing gives the pet a nice shine and smooth looking coat. Most brushes only get the top coat for a superficial result when people without training brush the fur and don't use the proper techniques. Knowing what brush to use comes from experience and trying different brushes until you know/feel which it the best one for the pet you are working with, however we will give you some guideline to start with.
Brushing frequently helps maintain a healthy coat and makes it easier when the actual grooming time comes.
Brushing gives the pet a nice shine and smooth looking coat. Most brushes only get the top coat for a superficial result when people without training brush the fur and don't use the proper techniques. Knowing what brush to use comes from experience and trying different brushes until you know/feel which it the best one for the pet you are working with, however we will give you some guideline to start with.
Slicker brushes come in hard/firm bristles or soft bristles and they can have a curved back (recommended) or a flat back. Use the full brush and hold it gently. Do not pull hard on the brush, as this can hurt your pet. A patting and pulling motion with a straight wrist is a better technique. This helps prevent the poking and stabbing that can happen when some people tentatively try to brush with only part of the brush or when the wrist is not straight, which again can cause the brush to be held in a way that only some of the bristles go through the coat. For longer coats or thicker coats, you can use a method called line brushing. Similar to when a hair dresser ties up part of your hair before cutting or dyeing, you want to hold up the pets fur and do smaller sections of fur at a time, and work your way up the body.
Smooth coated animals (example, Doberman pinscher of a beagle) do not have the protection of a thick coat to prevent scratches from the firm slicker brush, and instead a soft brush or a rubber curry brush should be used for them. Short haired coat can really shed and weave themselves into fabrics such as clothing and furniture. You can actually use a fair amount of pressure with the rubber curry brush without causes any distress on these pets. It also works great for animals with lumps and cysts that you want to be careful to not catch with a wire bristle brush.
Pin brushes are mostly used on full long coated dogs (show dogs) such as a Shih Tzu or an Lhasa Apso, as they are more gentle on the individual hairs and won't damage or break them.
When brushing, if you feel resistance or you can hear the brush, pull the brush out of the fur. Do NOT power through the fur as this will hurt the animal.
Combing can take a little bit longer but gives a more thorough run through the hair and is a great tool to help with medium matting (tiny knots or tangles in the hair. Once the comb goes through the matted area, you can switch back to a brush and smooth out the coat.
Larger matting spots need to be carefully pulled a part. Sometimes you can get the outer portion brushed out and apply 1 small vertical slit (some direction as the fur growth) to the mat to release the tension and then brush out the rest. If the matting is too tight or too close to the skin they may need to be cut out. Depending on where they are, you may have to shave down all the fur to even out the cut. If they are under the arm on in the groin area, the cutting may be hidden from view.
When brushing, if you feel resistance or you can hear the brush, pull the brush out of the fur. Do NOT power through the fur as this will hurt the animal.
Combing can take a little bit longer but gives a more thorough run through the hair and is a great tool to help with medium matting (tiny knots or tangles in the hair. Once the comb goes through the matted area, you can switch back to a brush and smooth out the coat.
Larger matting spots need to be carefully pulled a part. Sometimes you can get the outer portion brushed out and apply 1 small vertical slit (some direction as the fur growth) to the mat to release the tension and then brush out the rest. If the matting is too tight or too close to the skin they may need to be cut out. Depending on where they are, you may have to shave down all the fur to even out the cut. If they are under the arm on in the groin area, the cutting may be hidden from view.
Rakes are used to help pull out the undercoat. This can be done after brushing or if the dog has a very dense undercoat, some raking can be done while in the tub to remove a bunch of the extra fur. There are a few different rakes, depending on the amount of fur needs to be removed and how thick the coat is. Start with a wide rake, if nothing is coming out and smaller rake can be used.
Pets need to be completely tangle/mat free before trying any grooming (hair cutting). If your comb won't easily glide through the pets coat, neither will your clippers and this can injure your pet.