A dog’s skin and coat are a reflection of their overall health. A clean, shiny, and healthy coat is key to preventing hair coat and skin diseases.

Dogs are curious creatures. They love exploring their surroundings. When your furry friend plays in a puddle or rolls on the ground, dirt and dust particles get stuck between their skin and fur. To prevent your dog from stinking, brush its coat or bath it regularly.

Here are some easy tips for grooming your pooch at home from our team of dog boarding professionals.

 Regularly Brush Their Coat 

There are several benefits of periodically brushing your dog’s coat. Regular brushing removes dead and dry skin, dead hair, distributes the natural oils in its skin for a healthy and clean coat, and prevents matting.

The amount of brushing required per week will depend on your dog’s breed. Long-haired breeds such as golden retrievers and collies require frequent brushing (once a week), whereas shorthaired breeds such as greyhounds and Labradors need brushing every other week.

A dog that is washed but not thoroughly brushed can develop matting. Mats can cause irritation and sores. Your dog might try to lick or bite at the site of irritation that might result in skin infections.

Foreign bodies such as grass seeds can hide inside a matted coat and even burrow into the skin. Grass seed can eventually become infected and lead to an abscess. Regularly brushing your dog’s coat is an effective way to avoid these problems.

 Regularly Check and Clean Their Ears 

Ear infections are common in dogs. Dogs with ear infections often scratch their ears to relieve discomfort. Excessive scratching can cause severe damage to blood vessels in the ear. Here are some signs your furry friend may have an ear infection.

➢They continuously scratches their ears or shake their head.

➢Their ears smell odds.

➢The inside of their ears are inflamed or moist.

➢ The ears contain more discharge than usual.

To prevent ear infections, periodically clean your pooch’s ears. Dip a cotton ball in a solution of one-part vinegar and one-part water and wipe out your dog’s ears with it. Use different cotton balls to clean the ears. This will prevent infection from spreading from the infected ear to the healthy ear.

 Clip Their Nails 

Overgrown nails can cause a dog to lose traction and slip or fall. Overgrown nails can damage the tendons in your dog’s foot leading to deformities. Clip their nails regularly with a clipper. Keep styptic powder handy just in case you cut too deep on accident.

Bridewell Hilltop Boarding Kennels is a top-rated pet boarding facility in San Rafael. We have a full pet grooming salon where we take care of your furry friend’s health. To schedule a visit, call (415) 897-5471.