Tips for bathing your pet
Many veterinary experts agree that it is not convenient to bathe animals, since smell is their means of communication and identity. However, in the case of domestic pets, this process is essential to maintain hygiene at home and prevent people from getting certain infections. Furthermore, when dogs are at home, it is more enjoyable if they are clean and smell good. However, you should take into account a series of tips so as not to harm their health.
Dogs should be bathed regularly, but not too often as this may reduce their natural defenses, as well as the saprophytic microorganism and hair grease that provides lubrication and smoothness and prevents skin from drying and, therefore, getting dandruff. Bathing a dog too often may be harmful as humidity remains in the animal for two or three days, which increases the chances of breathing difficulties in the future, even though it may have been dried carefully.
The type of mantle of the animal is also a factor that should be considered when determining the bath frequency, as it always causes hair changes, which is more important to dogs with double hair. Animal odors aren’t removed with a bath, you may come to realization, which is why bathing them more frequently is not a solution to eradicate the smell as it is only possible to make it disappear through medical treatment. If the dog is very dirty due to their activity, it is recommended to use some kind of dry shampoo or powder and brush them more regularly.
Steps to follow
Bathing a dog is not as simple as it seems since it is necessary to follow some guidelines to avoid harming the animal – for example, by introducing water in their ears. The first step is to control water temperature and make sure it is warm. Then, you have to rub the hair carefully with a special shampoo purchased at a veterinary center. You may also use coconut soap.
First step is shampooing the back of the animal and extending it all the way to their legs, the head goes at the end. When washing their head, you have to be careful and avoid soap from entering their ears or eyes.
The next step is to wash out, which is necessary to grab the dog’s snout and pour water back and forth with a suitable container. It’s one of the most important steps of bathing, which should be done thoroughly, as many dogs suffer from skin disorders as a result of the remains of shampoo or soap left on their skin when bathing them.
After the bath
The dog’s hygiene process does not end with the bath, as drying comes next. Getting the animal used to the hairdryer from an early age is advisable, as it is the most effective and fastest way of drying its fur and it prevents humidity from remaining for too long. However, be careful because the hot air should not enter their ears.
Before using hairdryer, the animal should be dried first with a towel as it pets the animal without rubbing it, and it should always be done downward to prevent their fur from curling. Nowadays, there are even special dryers for dogs which control noise that scares most of these animals pretty much.
To complete the whole process, it is necessary to comb and brush the dog. Depending on the animal’s fur, the brushing stage will be more or less lasting and thorough.
