Coat Care Tips

Congratulations for taking good care of your pet’s coat! Not only will regular brushing and combing help keep your pet looking, smelling and feeling great, it will also reduce grooming costs by reducing the time needed to demat your pet.

For the care of your individual pet, I would recommend you purchase the following tools:

A slicker brush, a Teflon comb, and a bottle of coat spray.

Your dogs coat forms mats and tangles when the soft undercoat (hair that insulates your pet) sheds and becomes ensnared with the harsher outer coat, (the longer, glossy hair that covers your pet.) Tangles happen very quickly when the dog’s coat is exposed to moisture, dirt and friction. As normal, active pets, our dogs get wet and dirty, and friction mats begin at points where dog’s joints are, such as “armpits,” the area where rear legs join the body, and under the dog’s collar or harness. Regular brushing and combing prevents mats from forming. Once matting has begun, it is painful to the animal, pulling on its skin. Mats can trap moisture near the skin and cause skin problems. It is also important to know that a matted coat cannot properly insulate a dog from cold weather. Once a dogs coat is matted, the kindest thing to do is have your groomer shave the hair. If the dog is healthy, the hair will quickly grow back. Dematting a dog’s coat is difficult, time consuming and HURTS THE DOG. As pet care professionals, there is nothing we dislike more than causing a dog in our care discomfort.

We would be happy to give you complimentary, hands-on lesson on how to brush your pet at home. This is a skill that is often best learned after you can actually see the proper method. Meanwhile, following are some tips that we hope you will find helpful:

• Many dogs will struggle when you first begin to brush them. Be firm but gentle and you pet will learn to accept brushing.

• Placing dog on a sturdy, no-skid surface, elevated off the ground often helps them to realize that brushing is not playtime, and encourages good behavior. (For large dogs an outdoor picnic table is one possible choice, small dog’s do well on top of a washing machine or similar appliance that has a no skid mat on top of it.)

• Keep your first brushing sessions brief, and reward your pet with kind words, a pat and a treat when you are finished. Stretch sessions out a bit each time.

• The most common mistake pet owners make is to brush over just the top layer of coat. The pet looks fine at the surface, but tangles are forming close to the skin.

• “Line Brushing” is the method professionals use to make sure we are brushing effectively. What this means is brushing in sections, starting at the toes and brushing one thin layer of coat at a time, exposing a line of skin, removing any tangles, then moving up a tiny bit to do another layer. The entire body is covered using this method, one small section at a time.

• After brushing, use a good comb. You should be able to easily pull a comb through the entire hair coat after you have brushed the dog well. The comb will show you any areas that need further brushing.

• A good coat spray will help you smoothly brush through the coat. The spray we sell contains medical grade silicone, which smoothes the cuticle of the hair shaft, helps prevent tangling, and imparts shine to the hair coat. It smells nice, too, an added bonus!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How often can my dog be bathed?

A. Using high quality, gentle products, pets can be bathed weekly or even more often without any adverse effects. Rule of thumb, If your dog smells bad or feels sticky or greasy, it’s time for a bath!

Q. Why does my pet have to be clipped so short if it is matted?

A. The only way to clip under a matted hair coat is to slide the clipper blade into the very small space between the mats and the pet’s skin. Don’t worry though; the hair will grow back as long as your dog is healthy!

Q. How often should I have my pet professionally groomed?

A. Most dogs such as poodles, spaniels, clipped terriers and other pets that require professional dog grooming come in to our shop every 4 to 6 weeks. If you do a good job brushing, you may be able to stretch this to 8 weeks between grooming.

Q. How can I learn more about home care for my pet?

A. Ask! Pet grooming is more than my job, it’s my passion, and I am happy to help you learn the best way to care for your companion animal.

This sheet is written by Daryl Conner and reconditioned by Sandra Seaman

Sandy's Grooming Spa specializes in dog grooming and cat grooming

serving pet owners through out Rockingham County.

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