Top 5 Items You Need

to Groom Your Dog

Good care for your dog includes regular grooming to keep his coat clean and healthy.

These grooming sessions can alert you to fur and skin problems that can affect your dog’s general health and need immediate attention.

A few items should be standard in your dog-grooming routine:

1 – Shampoo

Dog owners are faced with a wide array of products for their pet’s grooming needs.

As in many areas of life, keeping it simple can often be the best advice when choosing one of these products. Of course, some dogs require specific products.

Your canine buddy may require a whitening shampoo to remove yellowing on white fur.

If your dog has sensitive skin, a shampoo containing oatmeal can help to soothe irritated areas.

A dog with dry, flaking skin can benefit from a shampoo with that contains wheat germ or other natural oil.

Similarly, you may want to reduce shedding by using a shampoo that contains vitamins A, D and E or omega-3 fatty acids.

Some dogs have a strong coat odor and may need a shampoo with vegetable protein extract. If you have a puppy, ensure that you use a shampoo formulated for puppies’ sensitive skin.

Keep a close eye on the condition of your dog’s coat and skin in order to make appropriate changes to grooming products, as needed.

2 – Brush

The choice of a suitable brush is a critical measure for keeping your dog’s coat and skin healthy.

Choose the right one for your dog’s type of coat. Wire-pin brushes are good for curly-haired canines or dogs with wooly type coats.

Bristle brushes with various lengths of bristles can be used for a number of different coat types.

Slicker brushes have fine wires that can help to smooth mats and tangles on longhaired dogs.

Rubber currycombs are good for shorthaired dogs.

3 – Scissors

If your dog is longhaired or requires regular professional grooming, you will need to keep scissors on hand to do between-appointment tidying and remove occasional matting.

You can also trim ear fur and tail feathering for a neater, more hygienic look.

4 – Electric Hair Clippers

An electric hair clipper can be used to do at-home grooming or can also be used to trim down areas of hair to help clear up skin infections or minor injuries.

A variety of clippers and trimmers are available. Choose the one that best suits your dog’s coat type.

5 – Nail Clippers or Grinder

Keeping your dog’s nail trimmed is important to his comfort and health. Overgrown nails can split and cause limping and pain.

Because every dog’s nails grow at a different rate, you should check your dog’s nails during every grooming session to see if they need trimming.

Different types of nail clippers are available. Follow the instructions on the package for each type.

If you get your dog accustomed to nail trimming at an early age, he will not fuss during the procedure.

Hold the dog securely on your lap and cut each nail a small amount at a time, ensuring that you do not cut the nail too short and hit the “quick,” the blood vessels that feed the nail.

You can then file down the sharp edges, if necessary. Some dogs prefer using a grinder to grind the nail down to the proper length.

Using a grinder can avoid cutting into the quick, causing bleeding.

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