Dr. Mark Stickney, a clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, was recently mentioned in the article, \u201cExtreme Groomers Give Dogs Dazzle,\u201d regarding creative and eccentric grooming for dogs. Everything from Mohawks, flower designs and temporary paint tattoos are created on the animal for \u201cbonding\u201d between a person and their pooch. Harmless yet extravagant, this extreme grooming fad is becoming increasingly popular among dog owners. While Dr. Stickney admits in the article that this type of grooming is not for him, he does agree that you should always be sure to keep up with your pets\u2019 basic grooming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust bathe them whenever they need a bath,\u201d said Stickney. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to give them a bath more than once a week unless told to do so by your veterinarian for some sort of skin condition, any more frequently than that will only serve to dry out their skin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have an unruly pooch that doesn\u2019t enjoy getting wet, then some positive reinforcement should usually do the trick. \u201cOne way to encourage them is to use a positive reinforcement, such as a treat, whenever you put them in a situation where they\u2019re going to get their face or paws wet,\u201d said Stickney. \u201cAlso, don\u2019t go overboard the first couple of times you bathe them. Easing them into the routine by only putting them in toe deep in the tub is a great way to start.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Giving your cat a bath can provide a whole new meaning to the word unpleasant. Lucky for us feline lovers, cats do a good enough job of grooming themselves without our intervention. \u201cUnless your cat is just filthy, it\u2019s best not to struggle with routinely cleaning them,\u201d said Stickney. \u201cIf they do need to be cleaned, the easiest way to do so would be to buy a waterless shampoo that you can simply rub into their skin and then rub out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As far as which shampoo to use, any type that is formulated especially for animals should work just fine. \u201cAssuming that your pet has healthy skin, you\u2019ll want to use a shampoo specifically formulated for dogs or cats, \u201csaid Stickney. \u201cHuman shampoos and conditioners have pH levels that can harm your pets\u2019 skin and cause irritation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If, however, your pet has a certain skin condition or irregularity, then consulting your veterinarian about which shampoo to use would be your safest bet. \u201cOne thing that you see commonly with animals that have a lot of loose skin and skin folds is that they will get yeast or bacterial infections in those folds,\u201d said Stickney. \u201cIn that case, you\u2019ll want to consult with your veterinarian, as they will probably recommend bathing them more frequently and with some type of medicated shampoo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While it may not be necessary to sculpt your dog\u2019s fur into exotic jungle scenes, as mentioned in the \u201cExtreme Groomers\u201d article, basic grooming and upkeep is vital to your pet\u2019s health and happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the Web at vetmed.tamu.edu\/news\/pet-talk<\/a>. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to editor@cvm.tamu.edu<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Mark Stickney, a clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, was recently mentioned in the article, \u201cExtreme Groomers Give Dogs Dazzle,\u201d regarding creative and eccentric grooming for dogs. Everything from Mohawks, flower designs and temporary paint tattoos are created on the animal for \u201cbonding\u201d between a person and their pooch. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"9735,5144,4488,5022,4564,12199","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[90,13794],"class_list":["post-4892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pet-talk","tag-mark-stickney","tag-pet-talk"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n