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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.

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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

Cat Brushing, Bathing & Teeth Cleaning

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:10:13 +0000

Many people don’t know you can prevent dental disease in cats by brushing their teeth and keeping a wary eye on their dental health. Sniff your cat’s breath – foul breath can indicate tummy problems or gum disease, which a vet needs to treat. Gently lift your cat’s lips – look at the gums, they should be firm and pinkish and the teeth clean without brown. . Gum swellings and/or red or white colours indicate gum problems, brownish or caked teeth indicate dental problems. Again, vet care is needed.

Other signs your cat needs vet care are dark red lines at the gum lines, or red, swollen gums; gum or tongue ulcers; pus; loose teeth; problems chewing; a lot of drooling or pawing at the mouth area. All of these signs are cues to visit the vet swiftly – gum swelling can be a sign of more serious conditions, or lead to dental disease.

How to Clean Cats Teeth

You can prevent many dental or gum diseases by simply cleaning their teeth regularly. Its worth checking with your vet beforehand to check for gingivitis – mild cases are common in cats and this might make tooth brushing painful for them. Yes, manufacturers have developed an enormous range of pet toothbrush and pet toothpaste products. You must use a species-specific dedicated cat tooth brush and toothpaste – ask your vet to recommend a brand for you, as human toothpaste can damage cat’s heath. Human toothbrushes are too big and harsh – again ask the vet for recommendations. You can get rubber cat toothbrushes and versions you can wear on your finger (think: like a kind of rubber sewing thimble!).

Introduce the idea with gently touching the gums with your fingers or a cotton bud (USA: ‘cotton swab’) a few tines. Then, to allow her or him to taste the cat toothpaste, pop a bit long the lips a few times. Then bring in your cat toothbrush, gently gently brush the teeth with the cat toothpaste.

Additionally, give chew toys which promote dental health, which you can ask your vet about. These are particularly useful if you only feed ‘wet food’ (cans, pouches or non-dried-meat or fish products), although still of value for cats on dry food diets. You can also buy specific diets for cats with more severe dental problems but get your vets advice before you spend you money. Some products are endorsed by the USA’s Vetinary Oral Health Council (accepted by the British Vetinary Dental Association and the European Vetinary Dental Association.

Problems to look out for include:

Dark red lines along the gum line – more prevalent in older cats, can be sore and even ulcerated (gingivitis)

Loose teeth and abscesses (periodontitis)

Inflamed mouth lining – inside of mouth looks red, tough to swallow properly (stomatitis)

Sores or swellings on the upper lip which slowly grow larger (rodent ulcers)

Swellings under the tongue (Salivary cysts)

Ulcers on mouth, ulcers on tongue (sometimes feature of respiratory or kidney problems)

All of the above = immediate trip to the vets

Unhand meh nao... or suffeh teh conseqwensez

Brushing & bathing

Mostly your kitten or cat can take care of themselves, but they do benefit from some input from you. If you brush their coat regularly, it removes dirt and helps distribute natural coat oils. You do need a special cat brush, you vet can recommend one for your particular cat – the needs vary by breed (or cross-breeds, in the case or our non-pedigree!). Short haired cats – brush once or twice weekly (or of course, as specially advised by your vet). Long haired cats particularly benefit from daily brushing, as their coat can otherwise become matted and irritate them. Don’t leave matted fur – gently work it out using a slicker brush – ask your vet to recommend one. NEVER pull the hair, as this is painful and distressing for the cat. If the matting won’t move, or is excessive, take your cat to the vets – they’re very very used to dealing with this problem and a good vet will be highly adept at sorting this feline indignity out. Long haired or short haired, older cats benefit tremendously, if you make it a gentle, stress-free regular time with lots of cat treats. Choose a quiet place in your home and start by stroking then using the brush, then back to stroking and give plenty of treats – build an association that this a nice time. NEVER punish cats that don’t take to grooming; gentle persistence is the key and check out the useful info below for further advice on introducing grooming.

Hairballs

Regular grooming for longhairs can prevent hairballs forming, where the cat ingests hair and then vomits it or passes uncomfortable or painful hairballs in their stools. If you cat has persistent hairball problems, take them to the vet as there are products they can recommend to stop this happening.

If you've got one of these or similar....

...You may want one of these in the battle against hairballs...

Bathing

Again, cats can largely take care of their own coats, but if they have been in contact with oily, greasy substances you may want to gently bathe them using special cat shampoo. Don’t use human shampoos as these may irritate the skin. See below for useful resources on safely bathing your kitten or cat.

Posted by Joe De Bloom – who gets to do all this regularly

Useful Resources:

ASPCA [online] Groom Your Cat

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/groom-your-cat.html

ASPCA [online] Cat Brushing & Skin Care

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/cat-care-brushing-skin-care-101.html

ASPCA [online] Ten Steps to Dental Health

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/ten-steps-to-dental-health.html

ASPCA [online] Bathing Your Cat

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/cat-care-bathing-your-cat.html

British Vetinary Dental Association. Association. [online]

http://www.bvda.co.uk/