Pet grooming can be performed by the owner or from a professional who has gone to school to learn the craft. If you are a do-it-your-self type person, there are several safety tips you might want to keep in mind. The animal you are grooming is special to you and you will want to keep the animal safe and calm during the grooming process.
Any undue pain or injury caused by unsafe practices can cause emotional stress to your animal and damage the trust level the pet may have with you.The following tips for grooming your pet will ensure a safe and pleasurable pet grooming experience.
The Ears
Most pets do not like this but the excess hair that forms in the ears must be clipped. The problem with excess hair is how it can build moisture that will trap bacteria and cause ear infections or be a breeding ground for ear mites. These types of afflictions can cause your pet a great deal of discomfort.
Infections cause the animal to scratch and shake their head. Mites can actually cause the animal to do damage to their inner canal as they stick their nails inside trying to scratch.
Large-eared dogs already have a predisposition for ear problems and the shaking of their ears back in forth can rupture blood vessels. Professional groomers have specialized equipment to remove ear hair, but the novice may use nose hair trimmers to get the same effect. The noise of the clippers may scare the pet, so stroke him with the other hand and offer soothing words to calm them.
Shaving
Another novice mistake is to shave the animal all the way. Pet grooming experts will do this at the request of the owner, but it is ill advised if the animal is an outside pet. The coat protects the animal from the cold and also from the sun. Both elements can cause serious skin damage to your pet, which could lead to expensive veterinarian bills. The lack of hair on the body can cause rashes. The hair in some breeds secrete essential oils that protect and lubricate the skin, while others, such as Labradors, have two coats that serve different functions for the animals safety.
Try to shave mats as close as possible until you are able to work them out with a brush. Even shaving mat patches to the skin will leave your pet in danger of the sun and wind.
If you use a clipper, brush the hair backwards against the grain and then move your clippers with the grain. The animal grooming experts may use a variety of length of clipper combs that can be used in variance with the length and thickness of the coat. The novice pet groomer may use home hair clipper systems, but they should experiment first in one unnoticeable area before continuing the entire job.
When shaving the underbelly, beware of the nipples! Even on a male pet this can a painful experience if they are cut or cut off.
Home pet grooming is an inexpensive way to keep your pet healthy and happy, but it is also a way for your pet to be injured or messed up so bad that only a professional groomer can fix the owner's mistakes. We hope that these tips help get you started but it's best that you read up on this subject before getting "clipper happy"!
