Fluffy's Beauty Needs

Anne K. G. Bazilwich, DVM
Member of the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association, www.vtvets.org.

An animal's skin and hair coat should be kept clean and groomed to ensure attractiveness and healthy hygiene. Some pets require more attention and may even need the services of a professional groomer. Of course, an animal needs to be healthy, free of parasites, and on a high-quality, nutritious diet to have a shiny, attractive hair coat.

Frequent combing of the hair coat aids in the removal of loose hair, helps to prevent matting, and stimulates skin glands to release healthy oils to keep the coat shiny and prevent dryness. Most pets enjoy the attention you give when you comb out the hair coat. You may need to bathe your pet with a mild, pesticide-free shampoo to help remove dirt and odors. Be sure to protect the eyes from the shampoo and rinse your pet thoroughly before you towel dry.

It is not only necessary to take care of the skin and hair, but also very important to keep an eye on your pet's ears and nails. Ask your veterinarian or groomer to show you the proper way to clean ears with a safe pet ear cleaner, cotton balls, gauze, and/or tissues. It is pertinent to use a good ear cleaner to get out debris that is lodged deep inside the ear canal that you would not be able to get out simply with the use of your finger. A proper ear cleaner will also help in keeping the ear canal dry to help prevent bacteria and yeast from growing out of control. If you notice a discharge, odor, or redness in the ears, often signs of an infection, you should bring your pet to your veterinarian for an ear exam. Occasionally, ears may grow lots of hair inside them. Some recommend plucking out this hair, especially if there is a large amount blocking the ear canal and holding debris inside the ear. Others recommend leaving it alone, since plucking can cause inflammation. Nails should be trimmed routinely; again, a veterinarian or qualified groomer can show you how to do this at home.

Jessica Ahearn, a professional groomer, offers these following tips:

Comb, not brush, the entire coat at least once weekly for short to medium length dog hair, two to four times a week for undercoated and long coated dogs, and daily for long hair terriers that tend to mat easily. Comb all cats once weekly.
It is better to use a comb or shedding blade rather than a slicker brush.
If your pet is dirty, or if recommended by your veterinarian, you can bathe your pet at home, but comb out hair coat BEFORE and AFTER the bath.
All dogs and cats can mat, but especially those that have long coats. Mats can include individual "tangles," undercoat mats, and full felt mats.
Nail trims can be done at home, with training, approximately every four weeks. Some nails may need to be trimmed more frequently depending on rate of growth and activity level.
Groom every eight to twelve weeks on average with a professional groomer. Long coated dogs may need to be professionally groomed every four to six weeks and longhaired cats may need to be professionally combed out every four weeks.
It is better to have longhaired dogs and cats professionally combed out to keep them mat free rather than stripping (shaving) them down to their undercoat after mats have formed. The long hair coat acts like insulation to both cold AND hot temperatures.