Besides looking good and huggable, every dog owner knows that dog grooming should also be able to make their best friends feel comfortable and clean. Dog grooming doesn’t necessarily mean giving a dog a bath, in fact, dog experts and veterinarians recommend that dogs need to be taken for a bath every 4 to 6 months. Some veterinarians are even against bathing dogs once every year.
Why is it so important to groom your dog? As mentioned earlier, not only does dog grooming make your dog look clean, there are also health benefits involved. An example would be a dog and its nails. As time passes, its nails grow long enough that it affects the way it walks, thus causing deformity on its feet. That’s why it’s important to clip a dog’s nails.
With the right dog grooming supplies and tools, you’ll be sure to make your dog feel clean and look clean. Here are a few dog grooming tools you can use to make your best friend spic and span and looking good in no time.
- Wire Pin brushes remove light tangles for dogs with woolly and curly coats. Brushing is good for a dog because it stimulates skin cells which get rid of dead hair. Brushing is also a way to massage a dog, thus improving blood circulation. It’s one way to bond with your dog because it doesn’t hurt him/her and it makes her feel special with every touch and stroke. It’s also a great way to prepare your dog for a bath.
- Bristle brushes are good for dogs with sensitive skin and are commonly used to finish the grooming process.
- Slicker brushes are the best tools to use against matted hair. However, fur that is too thickly matted should be cut out instead.
- Flea combs can remove fleas, eggs and debris from your dog’s coat of fur with its tightly-spaced pins with narrow gaps in between each tooth. It’s best to just use water to drown out the fleas rather than dipping the captured fleas in pesticide. This should prevent your dog’s skin from the harmful effects of pesticides as it may irritate it, or worse.
- Curved shears are a must in keeping your dog’s fur under control, particularly for top-knots and tails. They are generally used for rounded areas.
- Shedding blades are used to remove dead hair from certain types of harsh coats.
Keep in mind that dog grooming tools should be kept clean, and if the necessity calls for it, sterilized to prevent causing irritations or infections against the dog’s skin or nails.
It’s also important to use pet-friendly dog grooming supplies that do not harm the dog in anyway. Harsh and/or toxic materials can either irritate a dog’s skin, or poison it if it accidentally takes it in. Dog owners should also consider dog grooming supplies that clean the dog’s ears and eyes. There are different dog ear and eye care kits available in the market, but one should take note that these items must be carefully handled so as to not to harm the dog.
