Your Furry Friend Deserves the Best - Trust 4 Hounds Gear & Grooming Pet Grooming!

Grooming is an important part of your dog’s overall health and well-being, not just to make your dog look good, which is a benefit. The frequency of grooming depends on their coat type, but adequate grooming is important for all dogs even short-coated dogs. Whether you take your pet to the groomer or tackle the task yourself, remember why grooming is so important.

FLEAS AND TICKS

 The dreaded flea and tick season causes most pet owners to fret. Grooming helps reduce that issue and allows you or your groomer to safely remove and take action to eliminate the pests. Although bathing alone is sometimes not enough to get rid of these nasty pests, it will help you spot them and will kill the ones on your dog. At 4 Hounds Gear and Grooming, we use an all-natural citrus based flea and tick shampoo to kill the fleas, ticks, and their eggs on your dog or cat. This will not prevent future infestations, but you can contact your veterinarian for prevention treatment options. 

PREVENT DISCOMFORT

Your dog’s comfort and health are your priority. Grooming eliminates discomfort in many ways. Brushing is something that feels very good to most dogs. With the right brush, your pup will feel like they’re getting a nice massage while you remove dead hair, stimulate new growth, and bring your pup’s natural oils to their skin. It helps prevent matting on longer coats. If your dog’s coat does matt easily, removing those matts will help your dog feel better. Matting pulls on the skin and coat and is not only painful but often the cause of sores. Removing dirt and debris out of your dog’s coat will also make them more comfortable, prevent further matting, and replenish their skin and coat.

NAIL TRIMMING

Another simple yet effective thing to do is trim your dog or cat’s nails, but is often the most overlooked until you hear the dreaded “tapping” or get a nasty scratch on your leg. Long nails aren’t just an eyesore, they are unhealthy and uncomfortable for your dog as well. Your dog will change their gait when their nails are too long. Long nails make your dog start walking on sides of their feet. This is not only painful, but it causes bone deformations and arthritis if left untreated. Some dogs even have nails that grow all the way into their footpads, which is extremely painful. No matter how difficult it is to trim your dog’s nails, it must be done. It is so important to keep them at a correct, natural length to prevent long-term damage.

PREVENT EAR ISSUES

Clean ears are a part of your dog’s overall health, especially dogs prone to ear infections. Cleaning their ears regularly, prevents ear infections, ear mites and other ailments. Dogs have hair in their ears that often needs to be removed or trimmed, although this is more common in long-coated dogs than others. Plus, it’ll help your pooch feel more comfortable.

CHECK FOR HEALTH ISSUES

One of the great benefits of grooming is that you or your regular groomer will become more familiar with the marks on your dog’s skin. You’ll soon be able to quickly feel any underlying lumps and bumps and spot any changes on your dog’s skin, should something go awry. Early detection is important for all diseases, so using regular grooming to help go over your dog’s body will improve your chances of finding anything abnormal.