Home Checkups for Your Dog!
From Head to Toe!
Good grooming means more than simply bathing and brushing your dog. It includes care of his nails, ears, eyes and teeth as well. Regular attention to these areas will keep you on top of any potential health problems that could arise. Early warning signs can save you a lot of money on veterinarian costs. So, now that your precious four-legged friend is bathed and dried, we need to take a look at the details of his good grooming.
Those Big Beautiful Eyes!
The first rule of good eye care is cleanliness and the best way to keep dogs' eyes clean is to keep the hair out of them. I can't tell you how many times a customer would say to me "Don't cut the hair around his eyes. I wouldn't want him to go blind!" Hogwash! This is an old wives tale. Dogs such as Old English sheep dogs need hair to protect them from burrs and sunburn when they are working in the fields. Our pets today are kept mostly for pleasure, not so much as working dogs and they are certainly not left out in sun with no shade to cause them to get sunburn. If you won't cut the longhaired breeds' hair away from their eyes, I would certainly recommend tying it back with an elastic bow. Make it a practice to wipe your dogs eyes with a warm wet face cloth each morning as you do your own and you will be surprised at the benefits the habit will return. Besides the obvious connection of love between you and your pet, tear staining (especially on those breeds like Lhasa Apso and Shih Tzu that have protruding eyes) can be controlled by keeping the hair out of their eyes and clean. Any dried material in the inside corner of their eyes can be removed gently with a comb. Some staining can be lessened with products from you local pet store. Eyes should be cleaned a least every two weeks.
Fred Astaire No More!
If your dog sounds like he is tap dancing across your floor, it has been way too long since his nails were trimmed. Some dogs maintain their nails themselves by the amount of time spent on concrete and other hard surfaces. Indoor pets require regular maintenance of their nails. It does not have to be a scary process. If you begin trimming their nails when they are just puppies, you should not have trouble as they grow older.
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