If you love tackling your dog into the bath tub, welcome the challenge of clipping toe nails while avoiding sharp teeth, enjoy cleaning stinky teeth and cruddy ears, and don’t mind inhaling clouds of dead dog hair, you can stop reading right now.

For the rest of us, this article is for you!

To Groom or Not To Groom?

Your friends may think professional grooming is a luxury you could do without, but the truth is that regular and proper grooming is essential for your pet’s overall health, comfort and cleanliness.

It’s the perfect opportunity to identify and address any potential health conditions or issues including:

• Skin issues (hot spots, dry patches, lumps or masses)
• Injuries
• Tangled or matted hair or burrs
• Infections or inflammation with:
  • Nails (or nails/dewclaws that are too long)
  • Eyes (or cloudiness)
  • Ears (or dirty or smelly)
  • Teeth (or broken teeth/bad breath)
• Parasites (like ticks and fleas)

If you’ve just brought a new puppy into your life, it’s even more important to implement regular dog grooming right away so it doesn’t become an unmanageable issue as they get larger and stronger (and more challenging to handle).

Grooming is Not Just for K9s

Regular grooming is just as important for your feline! But grooming cats can be difficult and challenging and in many cases, might be best left to a professional groomer.

Did you know that a cat’s skin is much thinner and more negatively affected by tangles and matting? In fact, matting can get so bad that it’s difficult for your cat to even rest or lie down in certain positions. Mats can also create pain and irritation causing a cat to over groom themselves potentially leading to excessive hairballs and even life-threatening blockages in the intestines.

Signs your cat may need professional grooming may include:

• Flaky, dry or excessively oily skin;
• Tangled or matted hair you can’t get a metal comb through; or
• Needing a good bath and de-shedding treatment.

Protect Your Pet with Regular Professional Grooming

Life gets busy and it’s often difficult to find the time, proper knowledge (or patience) to groom your dog or cat. But pet grooming isn’t something you can put off without future (and possibly costly) health or physical issues. By regularly using a professional to groom your pet, you are supporting your pet’s best health and comfort.

Why a professional? Professional groomers:

1. Have extensive knowledge and experience about handling different breeds and their specific coat requirements. They are also well-experienced in handling pets that are anxious, fearful or sensitive.
2. Are trained to spot potential issues during grooming and bring them to your attention so they can be addressed quickly and properly.
3. Already have all the professional equipment and products (including shampoos, conditioners, dog nail clippers and more) to effectively and safely groom your pet.
4. Can save you time and effort with regular grooming appointments that will help prevent potential issues like matting or parasites.
5. Are experienced in allfacets and techniques of grooming, including bathing, brushing and de-shedding, de-skunking, clipping and hand scissoring, cutting nails, cleaning ears and brushing teeth.

Additional Reading:

1. Pet Care: Why Grooming is Important pets.webmd.com/features/pet-care-why-grooming-important#1

2. The Importance of Grooming Your Puppy www.petmd.com/dog/puppycenter/grooming/evr_dg_the_importance_of_grooming_your_puppy

4. Is Grooming a Cat that Much Different than a Dog? kencarylpetspa.com/pet-health/grooming/is-grooming-a-cat-that-much-different-than-a-dog/
5. Why Grooming Your Dog is Great for His Healthwww.vetstreet.com/dr-marty-becker/why-grooming-your-dog-is-great-for-his-health
6. Why You Should Consider Going to a Professional Cat Groomer www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-health-licking-grooming-professional-cat-groomers

Source: Ken Caryl Pet Spa & Supplies