Beyond Beauty - Grooming for Good Health

From article "Good Grooming" by Eve Adamson

You already know that grooming makes your dog look lovely and smell sweet. But grooming is also one of the most important things you can do to maintain your dog's good health. Regular grooming is a bit like a "lite" version of a veterinary exam. That makes it extra important, not just for keeping your pup pretty but as the best possible way for you to establish what's physically "normal" for your dog. Every time you put comb to coat, you have the chance to assess your dog's ongoing health and detect any sudden changes in skin, coat, eyes, ears, nose, rear, paws, nails, joints, or generalized pain. If anything changes, you'll be the first to notice.

Veterinarians have often told me their clients were the first ones to spot the signs of serios health problems during a grooming session. Sometimes, the very first sign of the health problem is as subtle as dried-out coat and flaky skin. If your groomer tells you about a lump, a sore spot, a bare patch, or anything else unusual and new, let your veterinarian know. It may not be the most pleasant groomer's chore, but gazing into your dog's eyes - and ears, nose, mouth, and rear end - is also an important part of grooming health check. Problems aften show up in these sensitive areas. Yeasty ear infections, gum disease, tooth decay, dry eye, impacted anal glands, even worms, are just some of the conditions that can be spotted visually. During the grooming session your groomer not just brushs the top lair of hair, she does it down at the roots. Combing all the way down to the skin can reveal hot spots and skin infections hidden under mats and tangles - might find avidence of fleas and attached tick.
You are the expert on your dog because you see him every day.

Groom him regulary, so that if your dog does develop a health problem, you'll catch it and can have it treated-stat!

 

 

TOP TEN REASONS

why it costs more to get your pet groomed than your own haircut:

10. You don't go 8 weeks without washing or brushing your hair. 9. Your hairdresser doesn't wash and clean your rear end. 8. Your hairdresser doesn't give you a sanitary trim. 7. Your hairdersser doesn't clean your ears. 6. Your hairdresser doesn't remove the boogies from your eyes. 5. You sit still for your hairdresser. 4. Your haircut doesn't include a manicure or pedicure 3. Your hairdresser only washes and cuts the hair on your head. 2. You don't bite or sctatch your hairdresser. 1. The likelihood of you pooping on the hairdresser is pretty slim:)

Seriously, You could groom your own dogs and cats if you don’t mind getting soaking wet and having bathtub or sink clogged with hair. Of course, the walls and floors end up covered with wet hair too. Yes, it is possible to dry your own dog or cat with a human dryer as long as the motor doesn’t overheat and burn out. Even if you have a short haired breed, the way that dogs and cats are dried and brushed by a professional groomer removes a lot more hair that you can at home – and the mess is left at the grooming salon, of course. It’s a little like you eating out – you don’t have to do the dishes, or in this case, clean up the hair. So, don’t miss an opportunity to spoil yourself and your 4 legged family member.   It just makes sense to leave the grooming to me.

 

I was honored to be a personal dog groomer for wedding of Katie and Luke Miller