Time For A Dog Bath? Dog Bathing Tips For You And Your Dog

Written by Teresa James, Dog-Supplies-Advisor.com


Continued from page 1

Coat Conditioners – There are many pet coat conditioners that will help manage and or improverepparttar appearance of your dog's coat like crème rinse, grooming spray, after bath dry skin treatment, and herbal mist conditioner that will soothe, re-moisturize and detangle your pet's coat.

Pet Drying Towels – If you want to get your dog dry faster check out a specialty pet-drying towel. Some are available that will absorb 10 times its own weight in water!

Eye Protective Gel – Are you concerned about shampoo making its way into your dog’s eyes? Just put a little protective eye gel in each eye just before bath time to prevent burning and redness.

Ear Drying Solution – If your dog is prone to ear infections make sure you have some ear-drying solution on hand. Using an ear drying solution will assure thatrepparttar 125817 ear canal is nice and dry after bathing.

Brushes/Combs – There are many different styles and sizes of traditional dog grooming brushes and combs that you can choose from. If your dog has very sensitive or irritated skin you may want to consider a higher quality brush that will not scratchrepparttar 125818 skin or aggravate existing skin irritations.

Pet Dryer – If your dog has a thick, long or double coat it’s best to use a pet dryer. Unlike “people” hair dryers, pet dryers are designed to use less heat and more air volume so they quickly and safely dry a dog without damagingrepparttar 125819 coat or burningrepparttar 125820 skin. If you use a "people" blow dryer be very careful since you can easily burn your pet!

Plastic Bucket – It’s very convenient to have a waterproof container that will keep your dog grooming supplies close at hand. Remember to get all your dog grooming supplies ready before hand and let your dog sniff everything.

Why you should brush your dog thoroughly before bathing.

Depending onrepparttar 125821 type of coat your dog has you may need an assortment of grooming brushes and combs to properly care for your dog's skin and coat. Before you bathe your dog it's always a good idea to brush your pet's coat thoroughly to remove any tangles or matted areas as well as any other foreign debris. Many dog owners know first hand that if they don't spend time removing old, established tangles and mats before bathing many times they just get worse. If your dog's coat tangles and mats easily make sure to look for shampoos and conditioners that are formulated to prevent and break up mats.

If your dog has gotten into any sticky or gooey substances like tar or gum never use commercial solvents or industrial cleaners on your dog’s coat. Many of these are toxic to your dog. Try dissolving these substances with mineral oil. If you’re unable to remove something from your dog’s coat carefully snip awayrepparttar 125822 affected area. It’s always best to sacrifice some hair or fur since it will grow back rather than risk damage torepparttar 125823 skin. Brush your dog thoroughly between baths, daily if you can, to distributerepparttar 125824 natural oils and remove tangles, mats and foreign matter.

Choosingrepparttar 125825 best pet shampoo/coat conditioner for your dog.

Always use a pet shampoo that is specially formulated forrepparttar 125826 pH of your pet's skin. Never use “people” shampoos since our skin pH level is much more acidic than our canine friends and could irritate your dog’s skin.

Start bathing your dog atrepparttar 125827 beginning: Your Dog's Head.

A popular bathing technique is to start at your dog’s head and work your way towardrepparttar 125828 tail. This is especiallyrepparttar 125829 case if it’s possible that fleas are present. If you know that your dog has fleas you may want to use a flea & tick shampoo. Starting at your dog's head forces any fleas to gather away from your dog’s face, eyes, and ears. It is much easier to dunkrepparttar 125830 rear of your dog intorepparttar 125831 tub than your dog’s face. As you may imagine, your dog is likely to be much more cooperative by following this simple bathing technique.

Let your dog get used torepparttar 125832 sound ofrepparttar 125833 running water. If you’re using a tub or basin fill it with a few inches of warm water. Then get your dog intorepparttar 125834 bath. If you’re using a raised dog bath just secure your dog intorepparttar 125835 dog bath. Starting fromrepparttar 125836 head thoroughly wet your dog with warm water. You can use a plastic pitcher or a spray nozzle for this task. If you’re using a spray nozzle make surerepparttar 125837 spray is not too strong. Never spray water directly onto your dog’s face or genitals.

Apply a pet shampoo/coat conditioner. Followrepparttar 125838 instructions onrepparttar 125839 package. Work it in fromrepparttar 125840 head torepparttar 125841 tail. Be sure to get all those nooks and crannies; likerepparttar 125842 rectum, betweenrepparttar 125843 toes, behindrepparttar 125844 ears and underrepparttar 125845 chin. Be careful notrepparttar 125846 get shampoo in your dog’s eyes. If this is a concern you can protect your dog’s eyes by putting some protective eye gel in each eye just before getting your dog intorepparttar 125847 bath.

Rinse your dog thoroughly with warm water. Shampoo residue can cause skin irritations so make sure you give your dog’s coat a thorough rinsing. Towel drying your pet’s coat inrepparttar 125848 dog bath will remove some ofrepparttar 125849 excess water before you take your dog out ofrepparttar 125850 tub. Some breeds should never be rubbed, only patted, since their coats easily tangle. Dog owners often prefer to use dedicated pet towels. There are pet drying towels available that will absorb 10 times their weight in water. These are very handy towels to use for a dog bath and can also be used any time your pet gets wet.

Although many dog owners think of bathing their dog as a challenge, withrepparttar 125851 right approach, supplies, and equipment, you can get through it relatively unscathed. And don’t forget to reward your dog’s good behavior inrepparttar 125852 bathing process with treats and plenty of loving kindness.

Article courtesy of: href="http://www.dog-supplies-advisor.com/" rel="nofollow">Dog-Supplies-Advisor.com a website dedicated to providing dog care advice on a broad range of dog-related topics. Includes informative articles, frequently asked questions, recommendations, and href="http://www.dog-supplies-advisor.com/free-dog-ezine.html" rel="nofollow">Free Ezine.

Copyright 2004 Dog-Supplies-Advisor.com, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.


Keep Your Dog Smiling With Preventative Dog Dental Care

Written by Teresa James, Dog-Supplies-Advisor.com


Continued from page 1

If this is your dog’s first toothbrush look for a pet dental care kit to get you started. These kits typically include a pet toothbrush, a tube of pet toothpaste and a pet finger toothbrush.

Pet dental wipes are great for use on dogs that resist brushing. These easy-to-use pet teeth cleaning pads help remove food debris and plaque, kill germs and help to control bad breath. If your dog will not allow you to userepparttar toothbrush method try using dental wipes regularly as part of your dog’s home dental care program.

You may also want to try to increaserepparttar 125816 amount of time your dog spends chewing on real bones, dental dog chew toys and edible dog chews.

This type of chewing helps remove food debris and prevents tartar build up. If your dog chews enough you may be able to reduce how often you need to manually brush your dog’s teeth.

How do dog's inrepparttar 125817 wild keep their teeth clean and healthy?

Dogs inrepparttar 125818 wild are generally much more active than our domesticated pets because they must hunt for their food. They also spend much more time chewing and gnawing on fresh bones, which helps to keep their teeth clean and healthy.

Our domesticated dogs can spend a lot of time sleeping with their mouths closed while passing long period of time alone. It is commonly believed thatrepparttar 125819 lack of fresh air circulating overrepparttar 125820 teeth and gums can encourage certain types of bacterial growth inrepparttar 125821 mouth. And since our pet dogs get their daily rations served to them in bowls it isn’t necessary for them to spend much time chewing. Although gnawing on bones is how dogs inrepparttar 125822 wild keep their teeth free from food debris, bacterial accumulation and tartar buildup, our domesticated friends rarely spend as much time at such pursuits.

Encouraging your dog to chew will make a big difference inrepparttar 125823 effectiveness of your dog dental care routine. Real bones are nature's edible dog chews. But if you prefer not to give your dog real bones there are plenty of wonderful dental dog chew toys and edible dog chews that will getrepparttar 125824 job done.

Will real bones help keep clean my dog's teeth?

Give your dog some real bones – Nature’s own edible dog chews. Most people don’t provide their dog with quantities of real bones, so as to avoidrepparttar 125825 mess and unsanitary residue. It’s great if you have an environment in which your dog can indulge in working on a fresh bone. But if not, you can buy some natural sterilized marrowbones. These hollow bones are also available pre-filled with tasty treats like beef, chicken, cheese, and granola.

If you get some unfilled bones you may want to try filling them with your dog’s favorite treats. Try peanut butter, cheese or one ofrepparttar 125826 yummy pre-made fillings available at pet shops and online stores.

If you would rather not give your dog real bones there are many enticing dental dog chew toys and edible dog chews available that will encourage your dog to chew.

Besides real bones what other types of dog chews will help keep my dog's teeth clean? Traditional chew toys are still available and are just as popular as ever. But there are also a variety of very good dental chew toys, rope bone chew toys and edible dog chews designed to keep your dog engaged, withrepparttar 125827 added benefit of cleaningrepparttar 125828 teeth. These toys will entice your dog into playfully attending torepparttar 125829 required dental hygiene. They can also keep your dog entertained and out of mischief during those times when you must leave your dog alone.

Rope Bone Chew Toys – Try a dental rope chew toy for great flossing action. As your dog happily chews on these toysrepparttar 125830 rope fibers clean betweenrepparttar 125831 teeth. Spray on some dog dental care spray or rub on a little flavored pet toothpaste to really enhancerepparttar 125832 cleaning action of this enticing dental chew toy. Check out a pet dental care spray & rope chew toy kit and get your dog dental care routine going today.

Dental Chew Toys – For long lasting chewing fun, and a great dental workout, get your dog a dental chew toy. Some brands are manufactured with grooves that make these dental toys real winners for cleaning your dog’s teeth. Some dental chew toys can also be stuffed with your dog’s favorite treats for hours of stimulating chewing. And for smaller dogs there are dental chew toys that not only have teeth cleaning grooves but also are combined with a rope chew. Just add some pet toothpaste torepparttar 125833 dental grooves and your dogs will eagerly participate in their daily dog dental care routine.

Edible Dog Chews – Are you concerned about giving your dog rawhide chews because they can "ribbon" and cause your dog to choke? Many pet hops and online stores now carry a variety of composite chews. These all natural rawhide dog chews can't ribbon, are easy to digest and dogs loverepparttar 125834 baked in flavor. There is even an edible dog chew treat available that contains no animal by-products.

Dogs, like people, have different tastes and preferences. Choose whichever dental dog toy or dog chew treat that will keep your dog happily chewing his or her way to clean and healthy teeth and gums.

And remember that there are many convenient dog dental care products available that will help you to keep your dog’s teeth and gums in great shape between regular visits torepparttar 125835 vet and grooming salon. Unattended dental health problems cannot only distress your beloved pet, but can lead to serious conditions and ailments. Many of these problems can be prevented by implementing a regular home dog dental care routine.

Article courtesy of: href="http://www.dog-supplies-advisor.com/" rel="nofollow">Dog-Supplies-Advisor.com a website dedicated to providing dog care advice on a broad range of dog-related topics. Includes informative articles, frequently asked questions, recommendations, and href="http://www.dog-supplies-advisor.com/free-dog-ezine.html" rel="nofollow">Free Ezine.

Copyright 2004 Dog-Supplies-Advisor.com, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.


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