Pet Bathing as Part of the PET GROOMING Experience

A house without a pet just isn't complete.  Whether the ideal animal companion is a cat or dog, proper pet grooming is essential.  Purebred or mutt, exotic or domestic, eventually that same constant sidekick will need to be bathed.  The responsible pet owner will now need to determine if it is time to bring in the pet grooming professionals or to attempt this project under their own discretion.

Photo by Patti's Pet Perfection

If the house pet happens to be a cat, many individuals feel that bathing is an unnecessary undertaking.  True, a cat will commonly clean themselves to the best of their ability, however environmental and household conditions can determine the need for a full bath.  Store-brand cat litter can often hold odor more discerningly than that of premium quality.  This litter box odor eventually begins to permeate the general smell of the family pet.  Upon noticing this condition, the cat owner will need to "freshen" the feline.

This can be best achieved by pouring baking soda under lukewarm running water into a large sink or washtub.  Once the baking soda has dissolved, carefully grasp two of the cat's paws in one hand, while doing the same with the other paws.  Slowly lower the feline into the waiting water.  The owner must take care in their own demeanor and remain calm and soothing during this process.

Most cats will not take kindly to this treatment, especially if it is a new pet grooming experience, and some may holler about the indignity of the situation.  Contrary to the cat's belief, the experience should not be too upsetting and fortunately, upon becoming dry, most cats will eventually forgive their offending owner.  If, however, the cat has been exposed to other items such as grease, or tree sap, the owner will need to perform a full bath complete with mild shampoo.  If kitty has not had the experience of the "freshening" or other assisted bathing, this may be the time to contact a pet grooming expert as their facilities are better equipped to accommodate the angry and easily antagonized feline.

The family dog will also need bathing, although on a more regular basis than the feline family members.  A small dog may be cleaned easily in the kitchen sink as the spray attachment is a perfect tool for rinsing.  Thoroughly wet the animal's coat, and apply a liberal amount of mild pet shampoo.  Quality shampoos are available in many discount stores and a full-line pet store can provide additional choices for specific problems such as fleas, ticks, or dry skin problems.   After lathering the coat, it is essential to remove all residue of the shampoo.

The animal must be rinsed with clean water numerous times to ensure that no soap is left on the skin.  A longer haired animal might now benefit from the use of a conditioner.  The use of this product will leave the coat silky, shiny, and smelling pleasant, in addition, conditioner provides another avenue for insuring that all shampoo residues has been removed.  After bathing, the pet owner will find that brushing will be must easier when facilitated with this product.

If the pet is of the short or wire-haired variety, the owner will find that a final rinse with a mixture of one-half gallon of water with two tablespoons of cider vinegar will effectively remove any residual soap and give the coat a healthy glow.  If bathing is part of your pet grooming regime, be confident with your skills or call a pet grooming expert.

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Grooming Your GOLDEN RETRIEVER

Grooming your Golden Retriever is a never ending process.  The entire process should be down once or twice a week, and will take you around a ½ an hour of time.  Brushing your dog while he is shedding will help to control shedding quite a bit.  While outside, if your Golden Retriever manages to get burs or other defects in his hair, you should instantly take a few moments of your time and get the burs or other matter out of his coat.

Golden Retrievers being groomed before a dog show.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When you groom your pet, you should always start with a good brushing.  Brush his entire body, then once you have finished brushing you can switch to a comb to get out any loose hair that remains in the coat.  While you are getting out the hair, you can also inspect your pet for ticks, fleas, and other types of skin ailments.  If you wish, you can also check his ears and trim his nails as well.

Bathing your Golden is essential to grooming, and can be somewhat complicated.  Before you attempt to give him a bath, you should always brush him first, to get rid of tangles.  During shampooing, you should always use shampoos that are specifically for dogs, since human shampoo can dry a dog’s skin out.  You don’t need to bathe your dog often, once every other week is good enough.  If you properly maintain your Golden’s coat, you’ll find it’s much easier to clean.

To prevent matting, which is very common with Golden Retrievers, you should always make sure that you brush your pet on a daily basis.  Metal combs and brushes work extremely well, and will help you to get a great deal of the hair out.  Although some people choose to use scissors and cut the mats, you can easily injure your Golden if he happens to move or jerk.  Scissors aren’t recommended, as brushing and proper bathing will help to prevent matting of the hair better than anything else.

When you cut your dogs nails, you should trim them a great deal, all the while avoiding going down into the quick.  You should never let your Golden’s nails get too long, as long nails can easily take the shape of the dog’s foot, resulting in a splay.  Therefore, you should always check your Golden Retriever’s nails and trim them every few weeks.  If you trim them just right, you’ll have at least 2 weeks before they need to be trimmed again.  If you do happen to trim the nails past the quick, bleeding will occur.  To stop the bleeding, always keep some styptic powder on hand to make sure that you are prepared if you do make a mistake.

With other types of grooming, you should also make sure that you clean your Golden’s ears as well.  They can get ear infections quite easily, if you don’t clean their ears on a regular basis.  To get the best results and protect your pet from ear infections, you should clean his ears once a week using a quality cleansing solution.  This way, you can rest assured that your Golden has healthy ears.

Grooming is an essential aspect to the health of every Golden Retriever.  All it takes is a little bit of time from your day to groom your pet and keep him healthy.  If you don’t have the time to groom your Golden, you can always take him to a professional.  Whether you do it yourself or take your Golden to a pro - grooming is something that simply must be done.

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DOG INSOMNIA - The What and Why of Dog Sleeping Problems

Just like humans, dogs can have trouble sleeping. And also similar to humans, dog sleeping problems can be caused by a number of different factors. Here, we'll explore the common canine sleeping problems, possible causes of those problems, and ways to address the problems to help your pet sleep better. Whether it means treating an underlying medical problem or buying a waterproof dog bed, taking action to address your dog sleeping problem can be good for both you and for your dog.

The sleeping dog (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Common Types of Dog Sleeping Problems

Almost any dog sleeping problem can be classified into one of two general types of struggle: snoring and sleeplessness. (Just like humans!) Let us look at each of these two problems, and then explore some of the common causes that can prevent a dog from sleeping well for that reason.

• Dog Insomnia is characterized by the dog pacing at night, most often. It may also whine, try to get attention from its owners, or display an excess of energy (not unlike a child who is 'wound up' because she is actually tired!) Even if you try everything to keep your dog comfortable (Think dog bed: memory foam style), he or she may still have trouble sleeping for a number of reasons.
• Dog snoring is a bit more straightforward (or at least easier to identify) as sleeping problems go. This one will certainly not be solved with a nice foam dog bed, so read on to learn what you can do.

What Can Cause A Dog Sleep Problems ?

Of course, when you first get your pet, sleeping through the night may be out of the question. To use another kid metaphor, this is the same with puppies as with infants. But if the dog, as an adult, develops sleeping problems or seems to get worse, there could be an underlying issue.

For snoring, there is almost always a health problem causing the snore. See a veterinarian, who should probably check for allergies as well as assess the dog's weight. Obesity can cause snoring in pets.

For insomnia, however, the situation is more complex. One thing you could consider is whether the dog gets enough exercise. Like a child without recess, the dog may be "wound for sound" come bedtime. Try daytime exercise to see if this helps.

If not, the insomnia could be caused by discomfort. However, even discomfort has many different possible causes:

• Improper Bedding. If your dog is sensitive or has joint problems, he or she may really benefit from a better dog bed. Memory foam or orthopedic beds are a great place to start. A waterproof dog bed is also a good idea for older dogs; it keeps things cleaner and more sanitary.
• Health problems. Things that could make your canine uncomfortable include fleas, internal injury, allergies, or a major illness or sickness.
• Mental/psychological issues. If your dog's living situation has recently changed, stress or emotional trauma may cause the sleeping problem you're experiencing. Also, as dogs age, their hearing and vision deteriorate. They may feel disoriented, which is why they wander around.

What To Do About Dog Sleeping Troubles?

First and foremost, see a veterinarian. He or she can check for allergies, parasites, joint problems, injuries, illnesses, and other health problems. This is very important. If the dog is deemed healthy, get a comfortable bed (such as a foam dog bed, etc.) that is big enough for the dog's size.

Finally, for older dogs, consider installing night lights around the house, in case its vision is causing it to become scared in the dark.

By Rob Zygelman Learn more about pet care and insurance at [http://www.petinsurance101.net] Pet insurance101 is an educational resource providing information about pet insurance and helping consumers make a choice. Robin Zygelman is thoroughly committed to saving animals one at a time. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Beyond Washing The DOG

Keeping your dog clean is an important responsibility for every dog owner. Fido depends on you for general hygiene. Clean ears, teeth and a coat free from fleas and ticks are all the conditions you check for a healthy pet. Bath time is a great time to bond with your dog as well as check his well-being.

Photo by moria

A healthy dogs actually don’t need to be washed all that often, but humans prefer to bathe them so that they smell fresh and clean and not like...well…dog. Although most dogs don’t like to be washed, they will appreciate the contact and attention that they receive from their owners during a bath. It is also a good time to perform some other necessary “dog maintenance” such as cleaning the ears, checking for ticks and fleas, and brushing the teeth. Since many dogs do not like to sit still for any of these activities, it can be a good idea to do them all at once.

Brushing your Dogs’ Teeth

Brushing your dogs’ teeth is just good dental hygiene. Most vets recommend that it be done at least twice a week to ensure your dog maintains healthy teeth and gums. If you’ve have been doing this, it’s never too late to start. The dog should have its own toothbrush and special toothpaste designed for dogs. You pick up everything you need at your favorite pet supply store. Make sure you brush the back teeth in small circles, the same way you would your own, and brush up and down the length of the “pointy” canine teeth. Dog toothpaste is made to have a pleasing taste, to dogs that is, and this should help make your dog willing to let you perform this activity. If you cannot brush his teeth, the next best thing would be to give him teeth cleaning dog biscuits but brushing is definitely preferred.

Checking for Ticks & Fleas

Ticks are nasty little arachnids (they’re eight-legged creatures like spiders, and therefore are not insects) that will latch onto your dog’s skin and feed on his blood supply. They are most common in wooded areas, but your dog should be checked for them regularly because they can carry a number of diseases. The best place to look for these bugs in under the collar or on the dog’s underbelly, buried in the fur. If you find a tick, be sure to use tweezers and remove the tick by its head.

Fleas can be found in the same places, under the fur. The presence of fleas can be betrayed by the sight of their droppings on the dog’s coat. They look like flecks of pepper. The fleas themselves can vary in size, from tiny infants to larger adults, which are about an eighth of an inch long. They can’t simply be picked off the dog like ticks can, they will jump before you can catch them. If you do find a flea or their droppings, you know it’s time to start the dog on a program to control and eliminate these pests.

Cleaning his Ears

Pet supply stores sell special solutions for cleansing a dog’s ears. Dogs can easily get ear mites. These small insects live in the ears and feed of the waxy secretions there. Over time, the bodies of these short-lived creatures build up and form a black, dirty substance. Using a cotton swab dipped in a bit of this solution, gently clean the inner ear. It may be difficult to hold the dog still for this procedure, but it doesn’t take long. The result will be clean ears and the avoidance of potential infection and earaches for your dog.

So you see, the quality time you spend bathing your dog will not only make him smell great to you but it will make him FEEL great.

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