Keeping a dog clean is no easy business. Dogs like being dirty and they let you know it by putting up a fight every cleaning session. However, grooming and cleaning dogs regularly are important for both their health and ours.
How to Clean Your Dog’s Fur
Some benefits of regular grooming include reduced allergies for humans, and reduced infections, scratching, and itching for our canine friends.
Here then are some simple tips on how to keep your dog’s fur clean and healthy at all times.
Start grooming early
If you own a dog, it is recommended that you start grooming and cleaning your pet as soon as you get them. Starting early is a simple way to help your dog get used to the cleaning process. One other advantage of starting at a young age is you get to know early what positions and cleaning products your pet is comfortable with.
Regular baths
Avoid bathing your dog all the time. Ideally, you shouldn’t wash your dog unless he smells bad or has a skin infection. Bathing a dog too often may lead to irritation and cause the dog to scratch. If your pooch has skin problems, visit your vet doctor to know the right way to care for your dog’s skin. The following are steps for how to bathe your dog:
- Prepare a warm water bath, and get all your cleaning products at hand.
- Get your dog in the tub. Use a sprayer to wet him down. Avoid getting water in his ears, eyes, or nostrils.
- Apply shampoo once your dog is wet. Work from the neck down to the foot.
- Rinse out the shampoo, and look your dog over to be sure there isn’t dirt left anywhere.
- Squeeze out excessive water and towel-dry fur gently.
Use the right dog shampoo
Do not use shampoo designed for humans (even baby shampoo) on your dog. Dog shampoo has a different pH from the ones humans use. The right kind of shampoo is mild and gets rid of dirt and unwanted odors quickly without removing oils from the dog’s fur.
In getting the right shampoo, avoid picking artificial colors and fragrances, as this may cause some irritation for your dog. Also, stick to shampoos with a neutral pH, or a pH of around 7.
To avoid getting shampoo that makes your dog itchy and uncomfortable, visit your vet for recommendations. If your pet has some skin problems, you will likely have to go for a therapeutic shampoo.
For dry cleaning a dog’s fur, a good homemade shampoo recipe is cornstarch and baking soda. Commercial dry shampoos are also available.
Brush up fur regularly
Keep a regular schedule for grooming your dog. Brush your dog regularly and thoroughly to keep out dirt and allergens, and also to rid their fur of tangles. Ensure you use the right kind of brush for your dog’s fur. Do your research on which brush and bristle type are appropriate for your dog’s fur or coat.
Clean your dog’s things
Thoroughly clean your dog’s toys, blankets, bed and other stuff. Cleaning your dog’s fur without cleaning their things will be a waste of time; since their coats are likely to get dirty again when they sleep on that dirty bed or play with that dirty toy.
Use freshening foams or sprays
While brushing up your dog’s fur, apply doggy sprays to freshen up their smells and remove tangles. Ensure that your dog is comfortable with a spray’s fragrance before you apply it.
Use cleaning oils
Use cleaning oils to keep your pet’s fur clean. Coconut oil is commonly used to fight infections and moisturize the skin. An added advantage is that your pet’s fur comes off shiny. You can apply coconut oil a few minutes after a bath, or you can simply add in a few drops to your dog’s shampoo.
Fur trimming
Some trimming may be necessary to keep your dog’s fur clean. Excessive hair, if left untrimmed, may become matted and also trap dirt. Try also to trim the hair around the anus of your dog, especially if it is a breed with a long coat. This is to prevent stools from getting trapped in their fur.