Jack, a handsome standard poodle, and Jasmine, a beautiful Persian cat, share a home together. They recently had grooming sessions with our expert pet stylist at Groves Veterinary Clinic. We walk you through their sessions to take the mystery out of grooming, and show you the many benefits of a professional grooming session for your pet’s comfort and health.
Trimming your pet’s nails
Long nails on your pet can curl into the paw pads and cause infection, get caught or torn off, or impair walking. Cats with long nails tend to scratch furniture more often, and may inadvertently scratch their owner.
Jack and Jasmine: Our Groves Veterinary Clinic pet stylist carefully checked Jack and Jasmine’s paws during their nail trimming procedure, looking for any foreign material, abnormal swelling, or infection signs. Jack had some weed pieces caught in the hair between his toes, and one red, swollen area. Jasmine’s owner told us she would not cooperate for nail trimming at home, but she was well-behaved at our salon.
Checking your pet’s eyes and ears
Some pets accumulate eye discharge, and cleaning that area can prevent an underlying skin infection. Regular ear cleaning is also important to help keep pets’ ears healthy.
Jack and Jasmine: Jack grows excessive amounts of hair in his ears, and his owner requested the hair be removed, to allow more thorough cleaning and good air circulation. Our pet stylist noticed that Jasmine’s right ear was red, and she had excessive discharge from her right eye, suggesting possible infection.
Toothbrushing and your pet’s dental health
Regular at-home toothbrushing, along with regular professional dental cleanings, is the best way to prevent dental disease. But, including this service during a grooming session allows our Groves Veterinary Clinic pet stylist to look for signs of infected teeth or tartar accumulation and to recommend when a professional cleaning is needed.
Jack and Jasmine: Jack had bad breath with early tartar development, and would need monitoring. Jasmine’s teeth had been cleaned professionally under anesthesia only a few months ago, and her teeth looked beautiful.
Checking your pet’s anal glands
Anal glands are small sacs inside the rectum that secrete a strong-smelling liquid substance when your pet defecates, but they can become clogged and impacted, resulting in a painful abscess.
Jack and Jasmine: Jack’s grooming session included gentle anal gland expression to keep them from becoming overly full. Cats have fewer problems with their anal glands, and Jasmine’s rectal area looked normal, so she didn’t need the procedure.
Bathing your pet for a healthy coat and skin
Dogs need regular bathing to remove dirt and odor, reduce shedding, and maintain a healthy coat and skin, and most enjoy the experience. Most cats, however, stay clean by constantly grooming themselves, so they do not require regular bathing.
Jack and Jasmine: Jack, like most dogs, loved being bathed, and almost fell asleep in the tub. Our stylist noted a tick under his neck, some dead fleas in the water, and a small lump near his tail. After Jack’s hair was blown dry and combed out, he was a big fluffball. Jasmine kept herself clean, but would not let her owner brush her, so she needed her long tangled and matted hair shaved, as well as a bath, to relieve her discomfort.
Styling your pet’s hair
Some pets have short hair that doesn’t need clipping or styling, but some breeds, such as standard poodles like Jack, have hair that becomes unruly without professional attention. Cats seldom need clipping unless they are long-haired, like Jasmine, and the hair is not groomed enough and becomes matted.
Jack and Jasmine: Jack stood patiently on the grooming table as he received a beautiful poodle cut. The groomer also carefully shaved the hair between his toes to prevent him from slipping on smooth surfaces, and to keep his feet healthy. Jasmine received a “lion cut” for the summer—the main part of her body was clipped to remove the uncomfortable, matted hair, and the hair on her neck, head, and the tip of her tail was combed, and she looked like a miniature lion.
Post-grooming follow-up with your pet
When their owner picked up Jack and Jasmine, they were both clean and rejuvenated, with a new strut in Jack’s step, and a calm, comfortable Jasmine lying in her carrier. Their owner set up Jack’s next full grooming session, and made appointments for Jasmine’s regular combing and nail trims. Our pet stylist pointed out Jack’s bad breath and dental tartar, the lump near his tail, and the swelling between his toes, and recommended that their owner make an appointment for our veterinarian check him over. She also discussed the need for regular flea and tick prevention for both pets. For Jasmine, she recommended that our veterinarian examine and further evaluate her possible eye and ear infection.
Our expert pet stylist at the Groves Veterinary Clinic grooming salon is here to improve your pet’s health and comfort. A well-groomed pet is a happy pet. Don’t hesitate to contact us for all your pet’s grooming needs.
