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Groom your best friend year round and you’ll have one smart looking dog, but also a happy and healthy pet!
It is essential to take care of your dog and keep it fit and healthy all year round. A little bit of neglect from your side can leave you in a mountain of medical bills from the vet. If you do not have insurance for your pet, that adds to the pain, not to mention the pain it may inflict to your dog, too.
What most pet owners do not know is that grooming to-dos change with the season. What you do in summer is different for what the pet needs in winter. Below are some grooming tips to help you keep your dog clean and healthy throughout the year.
Summer Grooming Tips
The heat can really take a toll on your dog’s energy. Groom your dog to beat off the heat efficiently.
Summer Baths
You do not need to increase the number of baths per week during the summer. Brushing your pet’s hair before giving them a bath is always a good idea.
There are a variety of effective, pet-friendly grooming products you can use at home to help make cleaning your pet a breeze and keep them smelling fresh. Here are our top picks.
| Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
For Bathing
|
Hepper Oatmeal Pet Shampoo |
|
Check Price |
For In-Between Baths
|
Hepper No-Rinse Pet Shampoo |
|
Check Price |
For On-The-Go
|
Hepper Wash Wipes |
|
Check Price |
At PangoVet, we've admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Hair Cuts
Although you might think that a thick coat of hair might be hot for your dog, it’s not. The thick coats on dogs act like natural weather controllers and allow the dog to maintain their body temperature in harsh weather conditions.
Shaving off the hair can make your dog uncomfortable, as the heat will then directly hit the dog’s exposed skin and may cause burning and other skin problems. Instead, brush the coat more frequently to keep it clean and to prevent matting and excessive shedding. Matted fur can trap moisture and prevent proper airflow to the skin, increasing the risk of irritation or infection. Depending on your dog’s coat type, a professional trim may be necessary to keep the coat manageable and the skin healthy during the warm summer months.
Trim Nails
As dogs like to play outside in the summer, they may break their paw nails if they are not properly trimmed. Do not cut the nails more than required. Just cut from the tip where the nail begins and trim every week to keep the nails short.
Winter Grooming Tips
Winter presents unique challenges for dogs, including dry skin and a higher risk of matting in longer coats. Keeping your dog well-groomed during the colder months helps maintain healthy skin and coat, and supports overall comfort and well-being.
Blow Dry
When you don’t skip your baths in the winter, why should your pet? It is important to make hygiene a top priority and bathe your dog as needed, normally every couple of weeks. However, care should be taken that your dog does not walk off with a wet coat. Blow-dry your pet’s coat to prevent it from catching a cold or other winter illnesses. If bathing regularly is a problem, vet-approved dry shampoo can be a useful alternative.
Hair Cut
During winter, your dog’s coat provides essential insulation against the cold, so it is important not to shave or cut it too short. However, regular grooming and light trimming, especially around the paws, belly, and sanitary areas, can help prevent matting and the accumulation of snow, ice, or debris. Keeping the coat clean and manageable supports skin health and allows the natural fur barrier to function properly through the colder months.
Coat Brushing
Make sure to regularly brush their coat to promote proper blood circulation and distribution of oils throughout the coat. This will help remove dirt, dead hair, and tangles. Thick coats hide in them suspicious sores, bumps, and lumps. Brushing regularly can help you catch these problems, and you can tend to them immediately before they become worse.
Flea Situation
Many dog owners are in for a surprise if they believe that flea problems vanish with the arrival of winter. Unfortunately, they don’t. If your pet is staying indoors in the winter, in your warm and centrally heated home, the flea problem may still persist. Fleas can survive for months on warm surfaces like pet beds and cushions. Use flea repellants even in the winter to combat this problem.
With the help of these, you can now keep your cuddly mutt hale and hearty, all year round.
Conclusion
With the help of these you can now keep your cuddly mutt hale and hearty, all year round. Knowing that your furry friend has different grooming needs in summer and winter will make them happier all year round.
Featured Image Credit: Hayffield L, Unsplash