Why Pet Grooming Is Important & How To Choose A Pet Grooming Professional
Why is pet grooming important?
Whether you have a cat of dog, pet grooming is an important part of the hygiene and emotional well being of your animal. Doesn’t it feel good when you get your hair cut or nails done? Imagine not having the luxury of choosing how and when you clean yourself. Your pets don’t have that advantage. Sure, they groom themselves with their tongue and paws, but without an opposing thumb, they cannot grab a scrub brush and wash their back or the ability to reach hard to get at places. They need the care and love of their caregivers and pet grooming lets them know that they are getting their needs met.
Even when you get a new puppy or kitten, pet grooming is important way to develop the bonding practices. As you brush or wash your pet, the constant touching and soothing gives the young animal a sense of well being. The relationship between caregiver and animal becomes stronger as more attention is given to the pet. The early interaction of pet grooming also prepares the animal for a professional pet groomer as hair or nails become to unmanageable for the untrained owner. The pet will have a more of a sense of security as they are left at a pet groomer for a day and will deal with less stress as they are touched and groomed by a stranger.
Pet grooming at a young age also allows the animal to get used to the tools and apparatus used in the pet grooming experience. Scissors and brushes can be scary things to a novice puppy or kitten. Initial reaction of the animal is to bite or claw at the brush. They have a strange tool pulling and brushing their hair and their natural reaction is to defend themselves. By going slow and using soothing sounds, the owner can slowly introduce the new animal to the process. As the grooming goes on and the animal feels more comfortable, stronger strokes can be applied. As confidence and bonding builds the entire pet grooming process can be utilized.
Another aspect of pet grooming is cutting or trimming the nails of your animal. Especially for inside pets, if the nails are not trimmed properly they will have a tendency to grow around within themselves and be painful for the animal to walk upon. Also the nails will split easier if left unattended leaving unsightly cracks and an irritating feeling in their paws. If proper pet grooming is initiated early enough, the pet will grow in emotional maturity and you will have a stable animal that will have the benefits of good hygiene and good health. Pet grooming will become a habit that both the pet and the owner will anticipate their time together on a daily basis. The importance of pet grooming will spread to be a family experience as spouses and siblings will pick up brush and spend time with the family pet. The emotional security will spread throughout the family and pet and family will become one.
Pet Grooming Professionals – How to Keep Your Pet Safe
Pet grooming is a necessity that any pet owner can testify to. You can have your pet groomed by a pet grooming professional or you can attempt to do it yourself. If you take your dog to a pet grooming expert, be careful who you take them to. There are plenty of horror stories out there that will make any responsible pet owner shutter. You must know and trust your pet groomer or disastrous results may occur. Here are some red flags to watch out for when you visit your local pet grooming expert whether you have used them for a long time or it is a first time visit.
If it is a first time visit, ask the groomer to look at the grooming area. Make sure the equipment used is right for your pet. Look in the kennel area to see if there is fresh water and the cages are clean. If your pet is put into a soiled kennel, they have a high chance of catching a transmittable disease. Make sure there is a soft area for the animal to lie on like a blanket or towel. A red flag should go up if you see multiple colours of hair on the floor. This means that the pet grooming professional is not sanitising between animals. Look at the clippers. Be assured that they are sanitised. If the clippers have dried blood or hair on them, you need to find another groomer.
The personal appearance of the pet grooming expert is also important. Look for stains or blood on their clothing. If the groomer is not clean, you can be assured that your pet will not be handled in a sanitary manner. Also watch how the groomer interacts with your animal. If they are abrasive in either manner or speech, you might want to redirect your business. If they are not conscious of their negative approach to your pet while you are there, think about how more negative are harmful the pet grooming professional will be if you are not there.
The first thing a pet owner should look for is the animal’s attitude when returning from a groomer. Of course most pets will be shaken, but if an animal acts extremely shy or skittish after the appointment a further look in the pet groomer’s practices may need to be explored. Look for cuts or abrasions on your animal, especially in hard to find places like under the neck or beneath legs. The pet groomer should talk to you about concerns they find on your pet and detail any wounds or scratches your pet received during the session.
Any unprofessional pet grooming behaviour that you witness or discover should be reported to the either the state board that issued the certification or a veterinarian who can contact the proper authorities. Your pet’s welfare is important and the proper pet grooming professional needs to be obtained to ensure the physical and emotional safety. Watch closely, and pay attention to both your pet and the groomer.
All the best! Happy grooming!
