Bathing your dog isn’t always the most fun chore because of the difficulty of getting your dog to sit still long enough and the battle of preventing a massive shake down. Team up and bathe your pup using these bathing tips.
How Often
The answer to how often you should bathe your dog is really up to the owner, with keeping any skin or health problems in mind. Obviously it is best to bathe your dog when they are dirty or have been running in a field or in water all day to cleanse it of bacteria and other things. If your dog is more of an indoor dog, bathing them once a month is a good amount.
Products
To bathe your pooch, the best shampoos are the gentle ones for your dog’s skin. Most dog shampoos are safe for any dog breed and are gentle enough to get the job done. Oatmeal based dog shampoos tend to be easier on the dog’s skin and also smell better. You can also try using baby shampoo for humans. Avoid any shampoos with harsh chemicals and stick with the natural and organic blends. As far as conditioning, dogs do not need to be conditioned, only in rare instances and for long haired dogs.
Ears and Paws
Cleaning your dog’s ears is a good habit to do about every 6 weeks. Treat cleaning their ears like you clean your ears, gentle and not too deep. Soak a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide and squeeze out any excess liquid, and gently clean the visible part of the ear. Ask your vet or a vet tech how to properly and safely clean your dog’s ears. Nails should be clipped after each bath with the proper tools from your vet or pet store. Never trim too short, stop cutting at the quick which is the color portion of the nail that changes colors. It is best and easiest to clip your dog’s nails after a bath when the nails are a little softer from the water. Again ask your vet or vet tech for help.
Skin Problems
When bathing look for any skin problems like bumps, bugs, red spots, lumps or rashes. Once you spot one of these, notify your vet for help. If you spot these skin problems before bathing speak to your vet so that they can give you the shampoo that is best for that skin problem.
Bathe your dog when needed with the right products and always consult your vet if you have questions or need help. Here’s to a clean pup …. for at least an hour before he rolls in the mud.
About the Author:
Alissa Zucker is a copywriter, working for the professional writing company Mcessay.com. She is interested in reading classic and psychological books which give her inspiration to write her own articles and short stories.
