Animal Care Tip of the Month from Animal Behavior College http://animalbehaviorcollege.com/Grooming/tips.asp?id=4 Weekly tips about Animal Care. en-us Thu, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 The Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, & Havanese http://animalbehaviorcollege.com/Grooming/tips.asp?id=4 http://animalbehaviorcollege.com/Grooming/tips_details.asp?id=4&tipid=87 Dog Grooming Tips for Long Haired Dogs:
Many dog owners love lavishly long haired popular breeds like the Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, or the Havanese. Each breed has a specific coat style and everyone usually admires the “look”. What a lot of owners do not know is that there are basic grooming concerns related to these breeds that everyone should be aware of. Even though certain breeds get cuts and trims that look like the show dogs, certain steps have to be taken to keep their pets healthy and happy. Here are a few items you should look out for to prevent problems.

Summer Grooming – Caution, Dogs Can Get Sunburn


For all of the breeds listed above, unless you are purposely trying to keep the hair long like a show dog, you need to get it trimmed. A lot of people during the summer will request a summer trim. When requesting a summer trim for your dog, you need to take a couple of things into consideration. You do not want the hair too short. If the hair is trimmed too short and the dog is outside in the hot sun for a long period of time, he could get sunburned. The Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, and Havanese breeds will need some hair to protect their skin from the sun.

Winter Grooming – Think About Your Dog’s Hygiene


During the winter, owners may want to keep their dog’s fur a little longer but the dog’s hair should never be allowed to get too long. You want to avoid the hair from matting and if the hair grows to an excessive length, matting will occur. If you decide to have your Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, or Havanese sport longer hair in the winter, be sure the fur on and around the stomach and genital area is kept trimmed short and sanitary. The ears should be trimmed and cleaned up so that food or water does not cause matting in or on the ears. The owner should inspect the ears occasionally as well to avoid infections.

Trimming Your Dog’s Nails – Things To Consider


If your dog is an inside pet, you need to consider getting his nails trimmed a little more often than usual. If your dog can not go outside, he will not be able to wear down his claws the natural way by running around on the rocks or cement. You also do not want to forget the dewclaw. The dewclaw is the fifth nail on a dog’s paw, usually on the inside of the front legs and occasionally on the hind legs of the dog. Since the dewclaw does not touch the ground like regular nails, it is your responsibility to make sure the dewclaws do not grow into the dog’s skin. To avoid this, you need to make sure the dewclaws are kept trimmed just like the dog’s other nails.

Having a popular breed like a Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, or Havanese is a lot of fun. They bring a lot of joy into your life. To pay them back for their loyal companionship, make sure you do not overlook regular trimming to keep your pet healthy and happy.
]]> Tue, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Bathing Your Cat http://animalbehaviorcollege.com/Grooming/tips.asp?id=4 http://animalbehaviorcollege.com/Grooming/tips_details.asp?id=4&tipid=86
If your cat is excessively matted, you will have to take her to a groomer to be shaved. Mats are very uncomfortable and will have to be removed professionally. Mats will only tighten with bathing so do not try to bathe them out yourself.

If you have a kitten, it is a good idea to let her become familiar with water as soon as possible. When introduced early, your kitten will likely learn to love water as part of her grooming routine. Some cats even will climb into the tub with you if the “fear” of water is eliminated at an early age.

To bathe your cat at home, begin by collecting everything that you will need. You will need at least two absorbent towels, a washcloth, paper towels, a gentle cat shampoo or baby shampoo, a squirt bottle or cup, and a hand dryer. Depending on your cat’s temperament, you may need another person for additional help.

Use a sink that is large enough for your cat, hopefully in a room that can be closed off. The kitchen sink will be best, especially if you have a nozzle with a gentle flow. Have one towel folded in half lying nearby on the counter.

Fill the sink half full with warm (never hot) water. A rubber sink mat will help with scratching the sink and keeping your kitty in the tub. Be sure to keep your hands on your kitty at all times and look for signs that she is going to try to escape so you can prevent this. All movements should be smooth and you should remain calm at all times.

Carefully, put kitty in the water and gently wet her down. Be careful not to spray water directly in her eyes or ears. The squirt bottle or cup filled with water is a gentle way to rinse and add water. Apply the shampoo with a gentle but firm all over massage to help relax kitty. Use the washcloth to wash and rinse her face. Open the drain to remove the soapy water. Rinse all shampoo from your kitty’s coat and reapply shampoo only if excessively dirty.

Before drying, use your hands to smooth off as much water as you can. Take kitty from the sink and place her on the towel. Use the other towel to wrap kitty and absorb as much water as possible. Turn on the hand dryer on a low speed to help the cat become accustom to the sound. At first have the dryer away from the cat and then move it closer. If your cat is not tolerating the hand dryer, you may have to just let her air dry in a warm room.

After a few baths, your kitty will become accustomed to the baths and learn that the experience it not bad.

NOTE: When bathing a cat infested with fleas, you will need to wet around the cat’s neck before placing in the tub and apply a cat safe natural non-toxic flea shampoo, so the fleas will not migrate to the cat’s head and ears. Then place kitty in the sink of water. Let the water drain several times to wash the fleas down the drain. You may need assistance with this bath. ]]> Tue, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 The Puppy Boot Scoot Boogie (What You Need to Know About Canine Anal Glands) http://animalbehaviorcollege.com/Grooming/tips.asp?id=4 http://animalbehaviorcollege.com/Grooming/tips_details.asp?id=4&tipid=85
This is often an unpleasant topic, but it is a very important one. Many pet owners do not know about their dog’s physiology. Pet owners should be aware that dogs have small glands near the anus commonly called, “anal glands”. During a dog’s daily life, these glands perform their primary function, which is to scent the feces for marking territory. Often times, the anal glands become clogged (or full), which can be very bothersome and in most cases, cause irritation to the dog’s rear end. The unpleasant feeling encourages reactions, including the scooting behavior.

Why do the clogged anal glands cause a dog to scoot?


In addition to scooting, some clues indicating clogged anal glands may include the dog biting or chewing at his backside. The dog is trying to squeeze the anal gland and release the fluid clogged inside. This process is called “expressing” the gland. Fortunately, most dogs are able to “express” the gland themselves.

However, there are some dogs that just cannot unclog these glands no matter how much they try. A number of small breeds tend to have this problem. The glands become full and irritate the dog’s rear end. Dogs sometimes chew so bad that they may chew their hair off in the process. You can bathe your dog to hide the smell, but this will only be a temporary fix and it will not resolve the underlying problem.

Constant scooting could irritate the dog’s rear end and cause him pain and suffering.

Unless you are experienced, you do not want to try “expressing” your dog’s anal glands yourself. If you see the symptoms mentioned above, what can you do? Take the dog to your favorite dog groomer and be sure to inform the groomer of the symptoms you have noticed. You can request that they express the glands. There are some groomers who will do this for a small fee. In fact, many pet owners have this done as a routine part of the grooming experience. Your pet will come home looking and smelling great, in addition to having avoided a potential health problem!

Be aware that groomers are only able to express the glands externally by accessing the part of the gland outside of the dog’s body. If the groomer is not able to express the glands, they will inform you. You would then need to take your dog to a veterinarian where they are able to express the gland internally at the vet’s clinic.

]]> Sat, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Is Your Pet a Fashionista? http://animalbehaviorcollege.com/Grooming/tips.asp?id=4 http://animalbehaviorcollege.com/Grooming/tips_details.asp?id=4&tipid=84
However, what about doggie clothes? Is there really a good reason for these items to be on dogs? Dogs have gone “naked” since the beginning of time. Humans tend to think a dog’s hair is great protection from extreme weather conditions. So why bother with clothes? Believe it or not, there are times when your pet might be very appreciative of a doggie jacket. For example, if your pet is normally an “indoor” pet, his fur may not be thick enough at a cold outdoor campsite. Another example would be in the case of older arthritic dogs. They may need padded socks to gain traction on modern laminate flooring. This will ease stress on shaky legs and hips. Bows and ribbons on the head of your pooch not only create a cute puppy look on many dogs but they also keep the hair out of their eyes. We can think of numerous other examples of a practical need for some clothing item to make our pets comfortable.

Whatever the reason you have for dressing your pet up, you need to be concerned with two major issues: safety and comfort. Here are a few things to consider before you spend your money on the next canine outfit you see in the store.

Any rubber bands or ribbons that you have holding your pet’s hair up in a cute bow should be taken out every day and brushed. They may cause the hair on the head to get snarled and hurt the dog. This is especially true if the bow or ribbon gets wet. It is important for you to take it out and dry the hair. If you let a matted spot get too big, a dog groomer might not be able to brush it out. They may have to resort to scissors to remove a mat caused by this scenario.

Doggie shirts and sweaters will keep a dog warm, but make sure that the article of clothing is fitted properly. Even if the clothing item seems to fit, you need to see if it causes hair to rub and become uncomfortable. (By the way, this can even happen with a collar or harness on your dog.) If your dog is a longhaired breed make sure to take the item off everyday and brush the hair underneath. Main areas where hair will get matted are around the neck and chest, in the armpits of the dog, or on the stomach. A good idea is to keep your dog’s hair slightly shorter or be prepared to brush frequently.

Unfortunately, if you do not keep up with brushing, hair can become heavily matted and possibly cause friction. This can be very painful for your pooch. If your dog does get seriously matted spots, you will need to make a trip to your local dog groomer. The groomer will most likely try bathing and brushing first, but if the problem is serious, they may need to use clippers. Remember, if you ignore wet mats, the problem only gets worse and will probably be very uncomfortable for your dog.

Many pets, once they get use to wearing clothes, enjoy the attention. You can look to see if there are animal “fashion” shows in your neighborhood. There you can let Fifi and Fido can strut their stuff!

]]> Tue, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Brushing Cats http://animalbehaviorcollege.com/Grooming/tips.asp?id=4 http://animalbehaviorcollege.com/Grooming/tips_details.asp?id=4&tipid=83 grooming sessions because they think that cats groom themselves. This is true, but cats do need a little bit of help with the brushing procedure. Regular brushing of your feline will keep down the amount of hair that the cat swallows, which results in hairballs. Regular brushing will also help to keep the older cats from developing mats in their fur. Matted cats are one of the major reasons that cat owners take their cats to the groomer.

Taking a matted cat to the groomer is an ordeal in itself. You will need a cat carrier, and of course as soon as you pull out the cat carrier the cat will think she is going to the veterinarian and hide from you! Once you do get the cat to the groomer, they will most likely have a cat mask put on. Then the cat will go through the torture of being shaved to the skin. To avoid the torture of having to have your cat shaved at the groomer, you should develop a regular brushing routine.

Indoor cats constantly shed and have a fluffy undercoat that becomes heavy and packed several times of year. Regular brushing will cut down on the amount of hair dropped all over the house, left on cloth furniture, and scattered on your clothing as well as the hair seen on the back of people leaving your home! For short hair cats, you should use a soft bristle brush. Long hair cats will need a longer soft bristle brush and a metal comb to work out any mats.

The earlier you begin your brushing routine the better. If your cat is already ten years old, it may take you a few months to condition her into accepting the new activity. Try to do it when the cat is relaxing on your lap and be aware of the signals that she has had quite enough. If you push brushing for too long the first time, you will find that the next time she spots you with the brush she will be gone in a flash!

Keep the brush near the place you will brush her. Having a bag of treats nearby is also a good way to show kitty that this is a worthwhile activity.

In the end, you will have some wonderful one on one time with your happy mat-free kitty.
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