When it comes to your dog it can be hard to know when it's time and how to bathe them. Our vets at Wolfe Animal Hospital will provide you will all the information you need about bathing your dog and why you should bring them in to Jesup for a professional cleaning.
How to Bathe Your Dog
The following will help you make sure your dog is as clean as possible.
Start by brushing out your dog from head to tail. You’ll be removing excess fur and loosening dirt. Brushing also removes knots and matted fur from longer coats that may hold water and irritate their skin.
Use warm water when bathing your dog. Dog’s skin is quite sensitive to heat and using the same temperature water you use will likely be uncomfortably hot for your dog.
Shampoo your dog and use it sparingly, you don't want to overuse it. Massage it into their coats and focus on areas with thick fur or places that tend to be dirtiest. Avoid their eyes, nose, and mouth.
Make sure to rinse out all of the shampoos. Anything left behind will likely dry her skin. Be gentle when getting your dog wet and when rinsing. Most dogs don’t like being sprayed.
When drying, use a towel or let your dog air dry, don’t use a blow dryer. Most dogs don’t like it, and the risk of burning your dog’s skin is high. A nice pat down with a towel will do just fine. Then let them air dry in a comfortable place.
Why Do Dogs Need Bathing
The reasons to bathe your dog are unique to their breed, activity level, environmental exposures, and so on. The truth is that your dog would likely be just fine without a bath. As you may already know, most dogs don’t care for bath time. Many patiently wait for the experience to be over and others give their owners such a hard time they avoid bath time as much as the dog does.
There are several reasons to bathe your dog, however. If your dog has a habit of rolling around in the dirt or grass they’ll be, well, dirty. You may have an avid swimmer who likes to chase birds into the local pond or lake where the water may be less than pristine. To top it off, your dog may be one of the especially oily breeds that tend to smell a little too “doggy” after a while.
There are reasons beyond simply maintaining a clean, fresh-smelling pooch too. In warmer months fleas and ticks can be a big problem and bathing can help to kill parasites and alleviate the itching associated with their bites.
How Often Do They Need It
When it comes to bathing your dog at home there are several reasons why your dog would need a bath on any given day. It could be that it has been a while, or your dog has gotten into the garbage or your dog stinks after swimming in the lake, so there is not a set time to bathe your dog.
A good general rule is if your dog smells bad bathe them. It does not have to be a big professional cleaning but your dog should never smell bad. For grooming, it's recommended bathing and groom your dog once a month.
Breeds with curly or wavy hair need to be bathed more often so they won't have to be shaved bald if their coat is to get too matted.
You should take your dog in for a professional cleaning more regularly. It does not have to be every month but it should be every few months.
What Are the Benefits of Professional bathing & Grooming Services?
If you don't love bathing your dog and expecting them to quietly tolerate being lathered and rinsed then you may want to take your dog to someone who makes bathing dogs their business.
Groomers will not only bathe your dog, but they’ll clip their nails, express anal sacs upon request, trim near the eyes, and dry them off. Most are priced reasonably.
Professional dog groomers are a must for certain breeds, such as Poodles, Maltese, and others with hair that grows long. Unlike fur, hair doesn’t shed as much, and it will keep growing until it gets cut. The grooms at Jesup have lots of tried-and-true techniques for making even the most bath-averse canine behave.