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Essential Dog Grooming – the Basics

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:30:45 +0000

If you’re not familiar with the things you need to do as part of your regular dog care routine, read on.

And the Worlds' Most Beautiful Dog Winner is - meeeeeeeee! Again? Shucks.

Routine daily check

This is arguably the corner stone of every pet grooming routine – for any type of pet. For dogs, stroke them daily and while you’re at it, use your hands to check all parts of his or her body. This is important so you can notice any changes you might want to see the vet about, such as lumps, or skin irritation. You can also discover areas that the dog clearly finds painful to have touched that you might not notice just by looking.

Keeping your dogs teeth clean

Although many people think of brushing and bathing when it comes to grooming, one essential task is teeth cleaning. Dog’s teeth are fairly prone to periodontal disease and gum disease – an estimated 85% of dogs over 5 years old develop dental disease. All of which is preventable by simply brushing your dogs teeth regularly.

Why is it so important?

As the years go by, food particles accumulate around the gum line, attracting bacteria. This mix forms into harder deposits called plaque, which in turn develops into a much harder type of deposit (tartar). Tartar in time leads to inflammation of the gums, which gradually migrate away from the teeth. The migration leads to spaces for even more bacteria to flourish in – which in turn makes dental diseases worse.

The result can be acute toothache, abscesses, tooth loss and worse still, bacterial infections that can spread throughout the body to vital organs. Once underway, periodontal diseases are sadly unstoppable. Including dental health in your grooming routine is therefore vital for prevention – and its never too late to start.

How to brush your dog’s teeth

The ASPCA (1) suggests cleaning dogs teeth daily, but acknowledge this isn’t always possible and give several cleanings per week as an alternative goal if you can’t manage it daily. Even so, smaller dogs, particularly those breeds with wider, flat snouts (think of pugs as an example) might need more frequent brushing. This is due to them having more ‘tooth-dense’ dental cavities – the teeth are simply more crowded in their little mouths.

Do I need a special toothbrush & toothpaste?

Dogs like me have more teeth in a smaller space. So we're more handsome, right? You wanna ride someplace? Huh? Huh?

Yes -you can now easily buy a special pet toothbrush and meaty-flavoured pet toothpaste. You cannot get away with using human toothbrushes or toothpaste for dogs – the designs are totally unsuitable comfort-wise and they simply won’t do the job properly anyway to remove plaque. Plus, you may end up with a dog with an upset stomach due to swallowing a lot of human toothpaste during cleaning – they tend to swallow a fair bit of paste. These days you can buy special rubber dog toothbrushes, some have designs you can slide onto your fingers (think giant rubber thimble-style). If that doesn’t work, a piece of clean gauze around your fingers will do – but be careful in case your fingers are injured whilst cleaning the teeth, as not all dogs readily take to it at first. Dog toothpaste comes in many different flavours; it might be a case of trying a few to see which one your pooch takes to.

Teeth cleaning time. Best attempted with tasy toothpaste...

Start by doing the cleaning in small steps – you’re aiming to make it an everyday, ok experience for your dog, so don’t be overly concerned with scrubbing every last crevice when you first start, it could simply frighten your dog instead. You could try by smearing something delicious for him onto the toothbrush or your finger moving it gently over his teeth and gums. Dog treats after brushing are good, to associate teeth cleaning as a fun activity, rather than stressful time of it. Graduate onto using your dog toothbrush/gauze and paste, using very gentle movements – never force, or punish your dog if he doesn’t like it. Persistence wins the day and when you think of the health benefits, it’s worth spending the time.

Example of dog toothbrush

IMPORTANT: This article is written for general educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional vetinary advice on any animals’ health or living needs – if you have any concerns about these, please consult a qualified vet. Thank you.

Posted by Norma De Bloom – comments welcome

Useful Resources:

ASPCA. Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth [online]

http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/48/Brushing-Your-Dogs-Teeth-.aspx

Photo Credits -

Boxer dog http://www.sxc.hu/profile/clix Bulldog type dog http://www.sxc.hu/profile/oOlemon

Dog’s mouth http://www.sxc.hu/profile/oOlemon

Rabbit & Small Animal Grooming

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:49 +0000

Rabbits

Strictly high-maintenance types...

Rabbits need special care when handling – if they are in pain or distressed, they may bite. Rabbits should NEVER be left unsupervised with children for this reason – they do need gently handling, from both the rabbit and child’s point of view. There are cases where rabbits have suffered broken limbs due to suddenly being dropped – and some of these will be after a sudden bite. As smaller pets go, they are among the more demanding to properly care for.

They need to be picked up by supporting their front end in one hand their rear end in the other – rabbits who have not been picked up like this have suffered spinal injuries. NEVER pick a rabbit up by his or ears – this is known to lead to serious injuries.

Rabbits need regular brushing. You’ll need a special soft rabbit brush, brush gently from the back of the head to the tail. Look out for bald patches, lumps, sore patches, fur with diarrhoea on it especially at the feet and rear end. These need vetinary attention. Be especially aware to check their rear end daily for flystrike. This happens when flies lay eggs around the bunny’s bottom, which hatch within hours into maggots. The maggots then eat into the rabbit’s skin. Apart from the unpleasantness for rabbits and their owners, this causes illness, as the maggots release toxins and encourage unhealthy bacteria. Any rabbit with flystrike, or any unusual sore patches, must be taken to the vet immediately. Hang fly strips near their home, clean the home regularly using special rabbit-safe disinfectants and ask your vet to recommend special anti flystrike preventative products. Also keep an eye out for overgrown nails, which your vet will show you how to trim.

Rear end sadly affected by flystrike

Guinea Pigs

I do my own hair-do but ok, you can help

A little bit like cats, guinea pigs are very image conscious – they generally take good care of their own coats. Regular brushing can help to keep the hairs clean and remove any old, loose hair. This is especially important for longhaired varieties, who may need daily gently brushing to stop their coats becoming tangled and matted. If you cannot gently work out the matted hair, your pet needs to go to the vet – they’re very used to dealing with these problems. You can encourage your guinea pig to let you groom her or him if they’re not used to being handled by feeding small guinea pig treats for a while. The gently pick them up, with one hand supporting their rear end and the other supporting their back. You need a special guinea pig brush from a pet store; your vet will be able to recommend one as their needs obviously vary by coat length. If your guinea pig scratches a lot, it could be caused by mites or lice and this needs vetinary treatment. You need to be especially aware for longhaired guinea pigs as they can suffer from a condition called flystrike – where flies lay eggs onto the skin, which hatch within hours into maggots and then literally eat into the skin, causing ill health. Check their fur all over daily, especially under the tail and keep their homes very very clean – clean it every day and change the bedding frequently. If you see sore patches or maggots in your pet’s skin, you must take it immediately to the vet – the condition can become very serious.

Look out with all guinea pigs for bald patches on the face – this can indicate ringworm (actually a fungal rather than helminth – worm – disease). Again, they need a trip to the vets immediately. Check also for overgrown claws and teeth, which a vet can safely deal with for you. For dental health, make sure they have something wooden to gnaw on – their teeth constantly grow, and gnawing helps keep them in check – make sure the wood is ’untreated’ (no chemicals used).

Hamsters

Dude, I'm tiny, so brush me very gently

Need to be gently brushed very day. If your hamster is not used to being handled, encourage them by giving them tasty hamster treats for a while, then gently picking them up – NEVER by the tail, support them gently. Hold your hamster for just a few moments at first, and then he or she will become more used to you and allow you to pick him up for longer. You will need a special hamster brush – your vet can recommend, as this will vary by breed as to what type of brush is needed. Look out for skin sores – bathe sores in warm water with a mild, hamster-safe antiseptic. Ongoing sores need a vet to examine them. If you notice multiple sores, or bald patches, take your hamster to the vet – it could have parasites or ringworm (this is a fungal, rather than ‘true’ worm disease). Check for sore eyes – this could be due to dust in bedding, simply aging or sometimes breathing problems – again, this needs a vet to examine the hamster. Check for overgrown claws and teeth, which the vet can trim – their teeth constantly grow Provide them with wood to gnaw on – it must not have been treated with any chemicals, as this could be harmful. Be aware that your hamster’s cheek ‘pouches’ where it stores it food can easily be hurt by rough splinters or sharp-edged food. If anything becomes embedded in the pouches, take the hamster to the vet immediately.

Gerbils

Hey! Mind my tail!

These aren’t generally brushed but when you’re handling or observing them, do look out for sore noses and eyes. This can be caused by chewing wire or dust in their home. Also check for overgrown teeth – they grow constantly, and you can prevent overgrowth by providing wood to gnaw on. It must be untreated, as chemicals used for wood could be dangerous to your gerbil. Your vet can also check for and trim overgrown teeth if necessary. Be especially careful when handling the gerbil, as the thin end of their tails is delicate and easily injured.

Posted byNorma De Bloom – former guinea pig, mice and gerbil -mom!

Useful Resources

ASPCA [online] Gerbil Care

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/gerbil-care.html

ASPCA [online] Guinea Pig Care

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/guinea-pig-care.html

ASPCA [online] Hamster Care

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/hamster-care.html

ASPCA [online] General Rabbit Care

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/general-rabbit-care.html

RSPCA [online] Handle with Care – Hamsters

http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?blobcol=urlblob&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=RSPCABlob&blobwhere=1099596633295&ssbinary=true&Content-Type=application/pdf