Your Beautiful Dog
By Mariann Chew
An important part of keeping your dog healthy is regular grooming. Your dog’s skin will be healthier and he will be much more attractive physically after a good brushing. Each time you groom your dog you will also be sending him a subtle message that you are the leader of your pack. Different coat types require different grooming utensils, talk to your groomer or veterinarian about which ones are best for your dog. If your dog has a smooth coat, such as a boxer or Great Dane use a bristle brush, hand glove or chamois. Brush first against the lie of the coat and then with it. Once a week is all you need with a short, smooth, coated dog. if your dog is a Labrador Retriever, he has an undercoat that must be removed about once a month with a stripping comb. Long dense coats need a slicker brush and then use a pin brush, to brush through the densest parts of his coat. Regular brushing is also an excellent opportunity for you to check for any lumps or injuries that may need to be checked out by your veterinarian. If you brush your dog’s teeth, never use your toothpaste. Human toothpaste is ment to be spit out. Dogs swallow their toothpaste. Always use a toothpaste for dogs. Since we are on the subject of dog grooming I have exciting news for all of my readers. A very talented, local, pet groomer, Salie Beasworrick, has agreed to do an informational column for Dutra’s The Paper. Once a month, Salie will give you tips on grooming and other information. Her new column will be entitled- “Groomer’s Tips” By Salie Beasworrick. Her first tip for this month is: Please do not wash your dog if it’s coat is heavily matted. Washing the mats will only make them worse and harder for your groomer to remove. If wet, the mats take much longer to dry, can cause a skin fungus and skin problems. If your dog does develop mats in his coat, it is important that you take him to a groomer as soon as possible. Especially with all of the extreme hot weather we have been having, these mats are quite heavy and uncomfortable. They trap air, bugs, bacteria and fungus. FYI: Do not try to remove the mats on your dog’s coat with scissors. It is very easy to cut your dog’s skin and these cuts are extremely painful and usually require veterinary care.
If you have any questons for My Pet Corner, you can write to me at Dutra’s The Paper or call (209) 826-1939 I will try to answer all of your questions and if I don’t know the answer, I will contact someone who does. Remember to spay and neuter your pets.