How to take care of your pet's health: our 5 tips

Our four-legged friends often lead a life of adventurers. Rain, mud, snow, dust… Nothing scares them and they sometimes come home in a filthy state. In this case, there is no way around it, you have to go through the grooming stage. 

What are the best practices and what products should you use?

Why groom your dog?

For hygiene

Like humans, dogs sweat and their skin and hair are subject to environmental aggressions (wind, dust, rain, pollution, etc.). It is true that a dog does not need daily cleaning, however, the accumulation of impurities in the hair ends up causing a bad smell and a dirty appearance. Grooming then becomes necessary to clean the animal and rid it of bad odors by airing its coat.

To identify health concerns

A dog does not need to be washed every day (we will see a little later that it is even not recommended). However, a poorly maintained coat can cause health problems at the skin level. Parasites can lodge in the hair without us necessarily paying attention to it. Grooming your dog is therefore an opportunity to check that your pet is doing well.

To prevent injuries and illnesses

Just like us, dogs have nails (or claws) that grow regularly. When they are too long, there is a risk that the animal will injure itself by scratching. In extreme cases, poorly maintained claws can become embedded in the pads and cause an ingrown toenail.

Other parts of the dog are also sensitive and require special attention. These are:

• Ears: to remove hairs that obstruct the ear canal and whose obstruction can cause otitis;
• Eyes: to treat micro-injuries sometimes caused by the flow of acidic tears;
• Teeth: to prevent tartar and limit bad odors.

To offer hair beauty care

Giving a dog a bath is also an opportunity to take care of its coat and make it soft and shiny.

How to Groom a Dog at Home: Best Practices

Act from the dog's youngest age

In order to get your dog used to the grooming ritual, we advise you to start as early as possible. This way, he will be able to get used to the different accessories and soapy water more quickly.

How to take care of your pet's health: our 5 tips

In addition, dogs can be quickly frightened by unfamiliar noises. When using clippers or other electrical devices, we recommend proceeding in stages. First, show the animal how the tool works, without approaching it, and then proceed gently in small areas.

Adopt the right grooming frequency

While it is true that dogs need to be washed for hygiene and health reasons, it is not necessary to groom them too frequently. On the contrary, veterinary professionals advise against bathing them too regularly, because animals' skin is more fragile than that of humans.

The recommended frequency is therefore one grooming per month or even every 2 months. This rule varies of course depending on the breed of the dog and especially depending on the speed of growth of its hair. 

Long-haired dogs such as bichons or Yorkshire terriers benefit from rapid hair growth. Depending on the length of the fur you want to leave your faithful companion, you will have to adapt the grooming frequency.

Avoiding knots (brushing)

On long furs, the hairs can quickly become tangled. 2 cm in length can sometimes be enough to form knots. Regular brushing helps prevent this phenomenon. In addition, it helps to eliminate hairs at the end of their life that come loose and can stagnate on the coat.

Use suitable products

Just like us, each dog breed has a specific type of skin and hair. Some pets have long, fine, and silky hair while others will have rather short and very dry hair. Similarly, the color of the coat also differs from one dog to another.

To optimize your pet's grooming, it is best to choose a washing product adapted to the characteristics of its hair and skin.

Find a wide selection of the best dog shampoos and hygiene products (deodorants, toothpaste, etc.) on the Cocooncenter website.

Washing your dog at home: the right steps

Prepare for the grooming session

Now it's time to get down to business and prepare to groom your faithful companion. Indeed, even if your dog is used to being groomed, he may not be in the mood to let himself be done obediently on the big day.

To keep control over your dog during his shampooing session, we advise you to prepare all your equipment well, so that you have everything at hand. Shampoo, scissors, clippers, towel, eye and ear cleaner, brush… Make a checklist before the session to be sure you haven't forgotten anything.

Cleaning eyes and ears: an essential step

To prevent disease, it is essential to ensure the health of certain parts of the body. Here's how to take care of your pet's eyes and ears.