Benefits of Having your Dog Groomed Professionally

Taking your canine companion to the doggie barber for regular grooming can extend their lives as well as  help them live more comfortably with you in your local climate. Professional grooming also addresses areas of canine hygiene that is as important to their health as cleaning our teeth is to ours.

Important Health Benefits from Professional Dog Cleaning Services

Dogs need regular grooming for many of the same reasons humans do, it not only keeps us fresh and attractive, which is important to confidence and self worth, but also helps to prevent serious diseases and health conditions that can result from poor grooming habits.

Unlike humans, dogs are covered from ears and tails to toes with hair, with a few exceptions. There are many different types of hairs on many different dogs and keeping the skin and hair healthy and properly groomed is very important to keeping your dog healthy.

Brushing is the most basic and most important part of keeping your dog's coat healthy and well maintained. The bristles of the brush help to distribute important oils across the coat which keeps it shiny and healthy and also promotes healthier skin.

Dogs don’t require baths as often as humans, one a month or less is usually fine, but dogs with longer more luxurious coats require brushing weekly or more often to keep their skin and hair healthy. It is essential that the task is performed routinely and properly.

Another important reason to regularly have your dog's coat brushed out professionally, is to perform a check for any skin abnormalities that can be indicative of health conditions. A thick coat of hair can hide all kinds of lumps, bumps and sores and you might not even know your Chow chow, for example, is having a problem until it gets too big to remain hidden. Poor guy!

A professional groomer (http://primepooch.com/) will be sensitive to the very smallest conditions developing in the coat and the canine can then be taken to a vet who can make a proper diagnosis. These conditions can sneak up on dogs from nowhere and only by being on the lookout can serious consequences be avoided.

The Professional Grooming Process

It's not just water shampoo and towel dry with these guys. The dog’s coat covers his whole body and performing a proper cleaning does require a bit of expertise. Especially when addressing the grooming needs of certain breeds which require extra care and attention.

Throughout the professional cleaning process the qualified dog groomer will investigate your dog’s feet pads, eyes, ears, mouth, teeth and gums as well as perianal regions, basically, an in depth look at the things we don’t pay much attention to as we appreciate our dog’s company from day to day.

Dog Hair Considerations

Many breeds with longer hair feature some bountiful tufts of fur growing between their pads on their paws and on their perianal regions — the anus. This excessive hair growing in these regions tends to attract a lot of hygiene problems as they get entangled with dirt, feces, stickers, thorns and other objects that they come in contact with.

Such long hair can successfully conceal the presence of a festering knot of clumped hair and filth until the dog begins developing problems in these highly sensitive areas — the paws and perianal area.  The groomer will keep these areas trimmed and manicured to keep any such problem from beginning.

Other dogs grow hair on their face which can become matted with bits of food, saliva, eye-mucus and anything else the dogs puts near their faces, which is everything. Maltese, Shih Tzu and Bichon Frise are some perfect examples of dogs that need to get their facial hair trimmed down, not just for aesthetic reasons, but to prevent health problems.

Studies have found that poor grooming of the facial hair in these breeds can lead to eye conditions including infection, cataracts and glaucoma.

Dog’s Nails need trimming too!

Most dogs won’t be getting enough wear on their nails to naturally keep them worn down, as a result it is an important aspect of dog grooming to trim their nails down to a height suitable for proper walking gait.

Dogs were not meant to walk on their nails, they are supposed to rest their weight on their soft pads. A dog walking on its nails will be uncomfortable and contort their body to compensate for the discomfort, leading to stiff joints and chiropractic conditions— a problem that is more serious with larger breeds.

If you hear your dog's nails tapping on the floor when they move about, their nails have gotten too long. But don’t reach for the clippers yet! A dog's nail is very different from a human nail or even a cat claw.  There is a very tender portion inside and it can be severely damaged if the nail is not trimmed back properly.

Ok, it's not brain surgery, but if care is not taken when trimming back the nail, the dog can be hurt. For this reason, your dog groomer will address the nails with the utmost care and precision to be sure the dog is walking properly and not developing any conditions of the joints or nails. They can even use a dremel so those freshly cut nails don’t scratch up the wood work.

… and Don’t Forget the Bath!

In addition to the other health considerations, nothing contributes to charming and hygienic companions like the essential bath. While you can provide your dog with this service in the comfort of your home, you should consider the bathing systems that professional groomers use to properly groom a canine.

These innovative devices feature special nozzles and brushes to work the soap and water evenly through the dog's coat, even the thickest coats are penetrated and cleansed deeply. Other nozzles work to massage the shampoo through the coat and reaching the deeper levels where odor causing bacteria tend to congregate.

Having this done quickly is very important especially in dogs that have thicker heavier coats. First, shampoos and soaps, even special dog shampoos, are still chemicals that can dry out the coat and fur. “Faster in and faster out” does less damage to these natural oils.

Furthermore, if the deepest layers of a thick coat, even a short coat like a Labrador’s, are not thoroughly cleaned and dried fast, the odor causing bacterias are presented with a new warm and moist home to set up shop — which means that the pooch will begin to smell like wet dog much faster.

Another fine feature of caning grooming is the beauticians advice that can significantly improve your dog’s appearance. Your groomer may recommend a coat conditioner that can be used to perfect the bathing allowing your dogs hair to be easier to control and even smell better for longer.

Final Thoughts

Having your dog professionally groomed can prevent many health conditions that come from poor hygiene, it can also work as a safeguard, keeping you constantly aware of health conditions as they present themselves.

The frequency with which you choose to take your pal to the groomers will depend primarily on the grooming needs of your dog as well as their local environment. A St. Bernard sweating it out in a hot climate would need considerably more grooming than a Boxer in a cooler region, for example.

Be sure to consult your groomer about the grooming needs of your canine companion to keep them looking great and in best of health for a longer time.