Proper hygiene of the dog is of great importance for its health and therefore it is the owner’s responsibility to keep his pet in the necessary conditions so that he can enjoy a good quality of life. In this article, we show you how to groom your dog so that you can always keep your pet in the best possible condition.
Read more: How often should you wash your dog?
Table of Contents
Clean your dog’s eyes
Soak gauze with serum. Soaking a gauze with physiological saline is a good way to start hygiene in the area, as it allows cleaning around the eyeball, as well as the eyelashes and eyelids. Slight pressure is made, with the eyes of the dog closed, to remove any traces of dirt.
Clean your dog’s ears
Before you start cleaning your dog’s ears, make sure you have the following:
- Damp cotton or cotton pads.
- Ear cleaner for dogs (never use products intended for human use).
- A clean towel.
- The second pair of hands (especially useful if your dog is not used to having his ears handled).
- Lots of goodies for after-ear cleaning.
- It is also important that you never use cotton buds (cotton swabs) to clean your dog’s ears, as they can be inserted too far into the ear canal and damage.
Clean your dog’s nose
Generally, your dog’s nasal congestion will not have major problems and will heal on its own. However, you can alleviate your dog’s discomfort by helping him decongest his nose:
- Make a soup and give it hot, without burning. The heat helps decongest your nose, and drinking fluids also helps clear mucus.
- Clean nasal secretions with a cloth dampened with warm water.
- Use a humidifier in the sleeping area.
- If you bathe, let the dog go into the bathroom and close the door. The steam from the shower will come in handy.
- If the congestion does not go away or the mucus is thick, bloody, he sneezes a lot, he is apathetic… take him to your vet.
Brush Your Dog’s Teeth
Learn how to clean your dog’s teeth with a simple cleaning routine:
How to get your dog used to toothpaste – put a small drop of toothpaste on the finger and let the dog lick it off. Pet toothpaste is specially designed for animals to like the taste. Your dog must want to eat the toothpaste.
- Insert the toothbrush – moisten the toothbrush with a little water and add the recommended amount of toothpaste and then push it well towards the bristles. Lightly brush your teeth; they are the longest teeth. Raise her lip and brush her canine teeth on this side. A good tip is not to start with the incisors at the front of the mouth. It is a more sensitive area, so the dog is likely to be more resistant to cleaning there.
- Brush the teeth towards the bottom – after brushing the front teeth move to the ones that are further back. To reach the molars, you will have to slide the brush past the corner of the lips, into the cheeks. If you struggle, use a smaller brush for this part. Brush your upper teeth first and then allow your mouth to open slightly so that you can brush along the gum line of your lower teeth. It is important to increase brushing gradually and monitor the dog’s mood at all times. If there is a negative reaction, you should stop immediately and try again later.
- Brush all teeth – When your dog is relatively comfortable with the procedure, you should brush the outside of all of his teeth. You can also brush for longer if you want to clean his mouth more thoroughly.
Brush Your Dog’s Coat
The main objective of brushing in dogs is to remove hair and dead cells that accumulate in the dermis. It is advisable to carry out this hygiene routine every day (about 5 minutes) in a light way, and a more complete one (20 minutes) per week or fortnight.
Read more: Why does my dog eat grass?
The secondary function when brushing a dog’s coat is aesthetics or grooming. But the good news is that in the same session you can achieve everything: that the furry looks beautiful and is free of dirt and knots.
Trim your dog’s hair
Hard hair: it is the one that, for example, the westy or the schnauzer has. It is characterized by exceeding 10 cm in length and having a harder and more rigid texture. In this case, we must work with electric razors and not use softeners or oils.
Curly hair: it is characteristic of poodles and water dogs, among others, and requires a special moisturizing type shampoo. The cut must be made with scissors in certain areas and with a razor in others.
Short hair: it is typical of breeds such as the boxer or the pit bull and does not need any cut, except for medium-long hair specimens, which are rare. To do this, we can go over some areas with the razor to equalize the hair. We will not use fabric softeners or oils.
Long hair: we can relate it to the Yorkshire or the Pomeranian. This does require a fabric softener and a cut with scissors.
Dog massage
- Start with a daily session of five to ten minutes and increase when your ocean gets used to it as it may seem a bit uncomfortable at first.
- DO NOT massage your dog when he has a fever, an open wound, a fracture, tumour, infection, or recent surgery.
- Observe the reaction of your dog when touching certain places, because if he cries or moans, he may have a health problem that you should consult with your veterinarian.
- DO NOT make sudden movements as you can hurt your pet. Leave the most intense movements to veterinarians who specialize in these therapies.
