Historical February 1993 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Q: Do I need to bathe my dog or my cat?
If so, how often? Keeping your dog or cat clean and free of mats will contribute to their overall health and wellbeing. And, contrary to the fear of “drying out” their hair coat from too many baths, (i.e., more than twice yearly), regular bathing, with proper shampoos and conditioners will add lustre to the hair coats and decrease the amount of hair lost in the house from shedding. Pet owners who suffer from allergies to animal dander are often given some relief if their pets are bathed monthly. Many families are able to bathe their dogs at home. You know the picture: the dog, the hose, the galvanized wash tub, mounds of suds, and the kids. Owners are advised to use a hypoallergenic shampoo and a conditioner formulated for dogs.
We recommend using a good quality flea soap from May through October. Thorough brushing and removal of all matted hair at the time of bathing is critical. Hair mats trap soap and water, long term skin contact creates irritation, discomfort, and possible bacterial infection. Numerous breeds require special attention to grooming. Generally, any dog that does not shed will require trimming or thinning at six week intervals. Various style cuts are available to the owner in addition to the standard cuts recognized by breed clubs. Frequent brushing benefits dogs that grow long coats; they are more subject to matting. Also, some breeds have inherited tendencies toward seborrheic skin conditions and/or allergies. Appropriate medicated shampoos are used to decrease the excess oils and dead skin debris, thereby helping to decrease secondary bacterial infections; bathing may be required two or three times weekly. Surprisingly, all cats are not fastidious groomers. Brushing and bathing improves the condition of a cat’s coat. And, for the cat that accepts blow drying, excess hair and skin flakes are removed during the drying process. Because fleas hide in the fur around a cat’s face, owners may be frustrated by inadequate flea control when bathing their cats at home.
An effective flea bath or dip is best left in the hands of a professional groomer. Persian and Himalayan cats require frequent brushing to prevent matting; groomers are forced to shave large portions of matted hair from severely matted long haired cats. Working in combination with a veterinarian, a professional groomer contributes to the health maintenance of pets. Chronic skin conditions can be monitored and treated regularly, and any changes, growths, irritations, fleas, wounds, etc., are brought to the veterinarian’s attention. Additionally, nail trims, ear cleaning and, when indicated, anal sac expression are part of a routine grooming service.
The health benefits of maintaining a clean, parasite-free, unmatted hair -coat are clear. At the risk of speaking anthropomorphically, we’d say that animals “feel” better after a grooming visit to our hospital.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February 1993.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1993_02.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.
