How to do Pet Grooming at Home
According to us, a well-groomed dog has every part of his/her body taken care of. This includes fur, ears, eyes, and nails. Groom your dog well, and you will see a reduction in ticks, fleas, and potential germs and infections. It will be easier to allow your dog to sit in their favourite places like the sofa, or your bed as well!
It is important to prioritize your dog’s grooming as a pet parent. A responsible owner always checks the dog and notices if its nails are too long, if there’s an accumulation of dirt in the dog’s ears, or if the dog has foul breath and unhealthy teeth or gums. A clean and healthy dog is a happy dog.
Pet grooming as a profession can be quite rewarding – you get to spend time with pets, you get to groom their appearance and the most important of all, you get to make sure that they are healthy and happy at regular intervals. When pet parents bring their dogs to you, they show an immense amount of trust in your abilities as a dog groomer. It becomes your responsibility to ensure that the dog is taken care of in the best way and the parents get the results they are looking for. It also becomes important to know how to gauge what kind of grooming the dog might need. As much as pet parents are aware about their own dog and its breed requirements, there can be a lot of cases where misjudgements can be made. In these cases, it becomes vital that the groomer knows their job and recommends the best kind of grooming for the dog’s continued health and well-being. It is always more fun and relaxed when the it is dog grooming at home. This actually enables the dog to be relaxed beforehand thereby making the process of grooming much simpler for everyone involved. There are many other ways that a dog grooming session can be made much easier in some situations –
Compassion – As a dog groomer, the first and foremost requirement is compassion. Since you will be dealing with a lot of dogs on a daily basis, it might end up being routine job for you. However, it is important to remember that for the dog (and the pet parent), this is a relatively periodic experience (and for some this might be their first time) and you have got to be compassionate about the dog’s preferences and triggers.
Alleviating anxiety – As a dog groomer, it is always good if you research on the things that might trigger the dog. It is also best if you can remove the source of their anxiety so they can have a seamless and happy grooming experience. These can be even small things like making sure that the possible sudden sources of noise (loud baby toys, pressure cooker etc) are kept away, or taking away the other dogs barking around.
Not seeing each other – If you are grooming multiple dogs at a time, ensure that they cannot see each other. Often times, seeing each other might cause them more agitation than necessary. They might also end up mistaking the grooming session for a playtime and make your job harder for you.
Muzzles – Although this idea is constantly debatable, it sometimes becomes the easiest way to control an animal’s natural urges. They might mistake you for someone who there to play with them or in the worst case scenarios they might mistake you for someone who is here to hurt them. This might naturally make them want to ward you off by biting you. However, they might end up in an weird dilemma of not udnertanding if it is okay to hurt you, this especially happens if you are dealing with well-trained dogs. To avoid all this confusion, putting a muzzle on them can solve the problem by sending them a clear message on what is a no-no in these sessions. It is however important for you to make sure that the pet parent(s) are onboard with this idea especially when it dog grooming at home.
Encourage the right feelings – Make sure that you do not make the dog think that grooming sessions are something they have to dread. Let them play around, be friendly with them and make them understand eventually that the purpose of this their own cleanliness and well-being. Eventually, they might even start looking forward to the sessions and making the most of the dog grooming at home!
At-home pet grooming can be done with relatively little effort and usually does not require veterinary assistance. However, pet owners should ensure that the pet is healthy enough for bathing or clipping before beginning any pet grooming session at home. Also, remember to always brush your pet’s fur in the direction of hair growth; this will prevent breakage and matting.
When to Do It
Pet owners can opt to groom their pets themselves whenever they want to save money on professional pet grooming services like the ones offered by veterinarians or animal salons. Also, some pet owners may find it therapeutic for them to wash and brush their pets by themselves; doing it yourself allows one a lot more time with their pet and results in a much deeper pet-human connection.
In addition, pet owners who have time constraints can opt to groom their pets at home. For pet owners who are busy with other things like work or school, pet grooming help from others may not be very accessible. In this case, pet owners should take the opportunity to get familiar with their pet’s grooming needs by bathing, trimming nails, cleaning ears and eyes, brushing teeth, and more on their own. However, pet owners should keep in mind that professional veterinary assistance is still required when clipping a pet’s nails and ensuring the pet’s safety during baths.
What to Use
Pet shampoo – one that doesn’t dry out fur should suffice [natural shampoo], pet conditioner [none that interfere with pet’s natural pH], and pet grooming tools like pet combs and pet brushes.
How to Do It
Bathing:
Step One: Fill a tub or pot halfway with lukewarm water. Add pet shampoo and mix well; the warmth of the water will open up pet coat cuticles, allowing for easy penetration by soap molecules. The pet owner should test the mixture’s temperature on their wrist before applying it on the pet as some pets may be sensitive to different kinds of products compared to other species. Pet owners should make sure they avoid using full-strength dishwashing detergent as it can cause skin irritation and itching problems for some pets.
Step Two: Once ready, apply pet shampoo mixture on the pet by stroking the pet in the direction of hair growth. Make sure the pet is completely wet before doing so. Also, pet owners should be aware that brushing a pet’s fur when dry can cause breakage and matting of pet coats.
Step Three: Rinse pet thoroughly, making sure no soap residue remains on pet skin or fur when done. A clean sponge along with running water should suffice when rinsing off all shampoo and conditioner left behind by the pet owner.
Step Four: Pet dry or let it air dry – use a blow drier made for pet grooming only if necessary [and never overheat]. Blow drying may not be recommended for pets with allergies, respiratory problems, and open wounds due to the pet’s susceptibility to heat and possible injury.
Step Five: Use a pet comb or brush to prevent pet coat tangles and mats from forming after bathing. Vibrating pet combs/brushes made for pet grooming can also be used if the pet owner allows.
Nail Trimming:
Step One: Hold the pet comfortably on a tabletop or any hard surface that can support the pet’s weight. Use one hand to hold down front legs while using another hand to handle nail clippers, files, or grinder with a steady, firm grip. Be careful not to cut through nerves and blood vessels that run through nails near quick.
This will cause pain and bleeding problems in pets – leading them to fight pet owners for control.
Step Two: Locate pet’s quick on pet nails – this is the pink area where the pet’s blood vessels and nerves are located.
Using a pet nail clipper or pet nail file, cut off pet nails right before the pet’s quick. Be very careful when doing so, as it requires patience and practice to avoid having an accident with pet claws or paws. Suppose a pet owner isn’t confident about trimming pet nails themselves. In that case, they should find professional help from veterinarians and animal salons instead of cutting them at home without extensive experience in pet grooming first.
Step Three: File down any rough edges on pet claws with a finer sandpaper grinder made specifically for pets. This will prevent a pet from scratching the pet owner, other pets, pet owners, and pet’s own skin during pet scratching/grooming sessions.
Ear Cleaning:
Step One: Place pet’s head downwards on a table or other hard surface that can support pet weight for ear cleaning.
Using a cotton ball or gauze pad saturated with either rubbing alcohol or mineral oil, clean inside of pet’s ears by applying gentle pressure against ear folds.
The gentleness required during this step is key to preventing excessive irritation from rubbing alcohol on sensitive dog eardrums. Also, avoid using cotton swabs as these can cause puncture wounds in delicate pet eardrums and trauma problems for sensitive pets.
Step Two: Rinse off pet’s ear folds using pet-safe pet ear cleaning solution. Pour a small amount of pet ear cleaning solution on cotton balls or gauze pads and apply it to pet ears.
Gentle pet head massages can be performed while waiting for pet ear cleaner to dry up – this will help release air from the pet’s eardrums, relieving any pressure problems that may cause discomfort, possible bleeding, and pain.
Step Three: Repeat step two but instead use a combination of distilled water, white vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide. They are applied to pet ears using the same method described in step one. This is done to rule out different types of mites or bacteria growth problems in pets’ ears, which may require medical attention from veterinarian clinics.
Nail Trimming:
Step One: Allow the pet to rest on the pet owner’s lap or any comfortable surface with which the pet feels at ease. Using one hand, the pet owner should hold the pet down by the scruff of its neck when doing nail trimming. Use another hand to handle pet clippers, and be sure not to cut too close near pet claws to prevent pain problems for pets – this will cause fear and trauma, which can lead to severe injuries.
Pet Bathing:
Step One: Fill up the pet sink with lukewarm water – never use boiling water as this can seriously injure the pet’s skin and coat. Do not fill it up to allow a place for pet soapy pet shampoo solution to be added.
Step Two: Add pet shampoo pet cleaning solution on pet sink. Suppose a pet owner uses pet bar soap on pet fur wet pet’s furs thoroughly with lukewarm water before adding a soapy pet shampoo solution on its coat. Massage pet shampoo against pet skin for several minutes before rinsing off with lukewarm water, which should be replaced with clean water whenever dirty. Repeat until the pet is perfectly clean and dry – this can take up to 20-30 minutes, depending on the type of pet fur being washed.
Nail Grinding:
Step One: Allow the pet to rest comfortably on a table or other hard surface that can support it while doing nail griding. Use a pet nail grinder meant for pet nails only, and be sure to wear pet nail protective coverings so as not to contact the pet’s nails directly . Do not press too hard against pet claws as this can cut pet-owner bonds and cause fear problems resulting in trauma.
Ear Cleaning at Home:
Step One: Place pet’s head downwards on a table or other hard surface that can support pet weight for ear cleaning. Using a cotton ball or gauze pad saturated with either rubbing alcohol or mineral oil, clean inside of pet’s ears by applying gentle pressure against ear folds . The gentleness required during this step is key to preventing excessive irritation from rubbing alcohol to sensitive dog eardrums. Also, avoid using cotton swabs as these can cause puncture wounds in delicate pet eardrums and trauma problems for sensitive pets.
Step Two: Rinse pet’s ears using a pet-safe pet ear cleaning solution. Pour a small amount of pet ear cleaning solution on cotton balls or gauze pads and apply it on pet ears . Gentle pet head massages can be performed while waiting for pet ear cleaner to dry up – this will help release air from the pet’s eardrums, relieving any pressure problems that may cause discomfort, possible bleeding, and pain.
Step Three: Repeat step two but instead use a combination of distilled water, white vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide applied on pet ears using the same method described in step one. This is done to rule out different types of mites or bacteria growth problems in pets’ ears, which may require medical attention from veterinarian clinics.
Dog Nail Grinding:
Step One: Allow the pet to rest on the pet owner’s lap or any comfortable surface that the pet feels at ease with – this will make the pet be still for the nail grinding process. Using a pet nail grinder meant for pet nails only, start grinding away pet nails by turning the hero clockwise against pet claws.Be sure not to grind too hard against pet claws to prevent pain problems for pets – excessive pressure can cause fear and trauma, leading to serious injury.
Pet Bathing:
Step One: Fill up the pet sink with lukewarm water – never use boiling water as this can seriously injure the pet’s skin and coat. Do not fill it up to allow a place for pet soapy pet shampoo solution to be added.
Step Two: Add pet shampoo pet cleaning solution on pet sink. Suppose a pet owner uses pet bar soap on pet’s fur wet pet’s furs thoroughly with lukewarm water before adding soapy pet shampoo solution on its coat. Massage pet shampoo against pet skin for several minutes before rinsing off with lukewarm water, which should be replaced with clean water whenever dirty. Repeat until the pet is perfectly clean and dry – this will take up to 20-30 minutes, depending on pet fur type.
Anal Sacs:
Step One: Place the pet in a comfortable position to express anal sacs without any discomfort. Restrain the pet by firmly holding the pet’s bottom downwards towards the floor and its front legs upwards and close together – this will allow the pet owner easy access to the pet rear end area.
Step Two: Gently squeeze dog anal glands using inverted action of pet fingers or pet hand against the skin above pet anus or scrotum area, just before anal gland opening, which can be easily identified as a dark-skinned area where hair growth is sparse. Do not squeeze pet anal glands too hard, or pet anus may get injured.
Dog Nail Trimming:
Step One: Slant pet nail clippers blade against pet nails at 45° angle just before nail quick to avoid cutting pet claws too short, which can cause bleeding problems
Step Two: Cut about 1/8 inch off pet’s nails by squeezing pet nail clipper tightly with hand – this will ensure safe and even cuts without over-trimming pet claws, which may take up to several trimmings.
Pet Hair Removing Tools:
Comb, Brush, Rubber Gloves, Pet Combs, TowelsSuggested pet grooming products for purchase online at affordable prices include but are not limited to dog shampoos & conditioners, pet shampoo, pet grooming clippers & pet nail clippers pet grooming at home.
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
