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Grooming Your Pets
By peace | May 31, 2007
Regular grooming improves the health of your pet’s coat. At the same time, inspect for fleas (tiny reddish-brown insects that jump) or the tiny black specks that are their droppings. If you find lice (blue-gray or light brown insects that cling to the hairs and don’t jump), call your veterinarian.
A puppy accustomed to grooming when it’s young will endure it patiently always. Feel your puppy all over, inspect its teeth and ears, pick up its feet, talking constantly. When it can sit still for a while, start brushing with a soft brush.
Most dog’s nails need clipping. Start this early too. Use dog nail clippers from a pet store. Avoid cutting back to the quick — visible as a thin pink line if the dog’s nails are light in colour. If they’re dark, clip off just to where the nail begins to curve downward.
Brushed daily, long-haired cats (some dogs too) are less prone to hair balls forming in the stomach, causing the animal to retch. If a cat has this problem, try giving it half teaspoon of petroleum jelly in its food once a week.
For brushing a cat, a woman’s hairbrush with round-tipped plastic or rubber bristles is better than the brushes sold for cats. The latter are usually too soft to do the job — and they’re expensive.
Some dogs and cats don’t mind being vacuumed; others find the noise frightening. It’s an easy way to get rid of loose hair. Use an upholstery attachment and avoid the face and ears.
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