How Proper Grooming Can Prevent a Trip to the Vet
Keeping your dog properly groomed has lots of benefits. Not only will Fido look (and smell!) great, you may even prevent a trip to the emergency room. When you work in a veterinary emergency hospital, nothing signals summertime like maggots. Maggots are basically baby flies. Flies are attracted to decaying, infected, or inflamed tissue and lay their eggs, which hatch within 24 hours. The maggots then feed off of the skin around them, usually forming holes and creating an appearance that many clients compare to “Swiss cheese.” Larva infestation, known as myiasis (from the Greek myia, meaning fly) can lead to both bacterial infection and septicemia. So, what can you do to prevent this? Because flies are especially attracted to damp tissue, such as that soiled by urine and feces, it is critical to keep dogs bathed and groomed properly. Bathing will wash away any urine and feces on the skin and coat of an animal, giving less incentive for flies to land. Brushing or shaving your pet regularly prevents matts from forming in their coat. Almost every case of maggots I’ve seen has been in a pet with matts in its coat. Matts create the perfect storm for maggot infestation. Because the mat pulls on the skin it causes local inflammation, it also traps moisture near the skin, creating a perfect place for maggots to grow and feed. Most times, the main reason people give for not getting their pet to the groomer is a tight budget. Getting your pet groomed can cost over $50.00 a trip, for about the same amount as this one visit, you can buy clippers from Walmart to use over and over again throughout this season and the next.
This Wahl Pro-Series Pet Clipper Kit from WalMart costs just $45.00 and will help keep you pet free of matts and maggots.
Overgrown nails can also land your pet in the vet office. Frequently, long nails will get caught in carpet or between planks on a dock, for example, and become torn. This is extremely painful for your pet, and you will most likely notice them limping, crying, or even bleeding. Your veterinarian will remove what is remaining of the nail, bandage the foot, and often prescribe both antibiotics and pain medication.
If you are nervous about clipping your dogs nails, try keeping Styptic powder at home.
Cleaning your pet’s ears occasionally is a great idea as well. Dirty ears can lead to conditions like Otitis…serious problems for your pet. Also ear mites can be very irritating to your dog. If you see that your pet is shaking their head a lot or constantly scratching their ears, you probably need to take a look inside. If your pet’s ears are dirty get an ear cleaning solution from your vet or from a pet store. Squeeze the liquid inside the ears and then squish the ears in your hands to loosen debris. Let your dog shake his or her head to fling out some of the debris, and clean up what’s left with a cotton swab. Repeat this process a couple times. For really dirty ears, start by cleaning every other day, then once a week, then every other week. When you see no more dirt, you can stop. Note, however, that if your dog’s ears appear thick and scaly, you may be beyond the point where simple cleaning is enough. See your vet to help clear up the infection with prescription drugs. Ear mites can be controlled in some common flea, tick and heartworm medications. Revolution, in particular, will resolve ear mites in dogs and cats while controlling fleas and heartworm. It’s a great product that is easy to apply.
Revolution will help get rid of those pesky ear mites.
Hopefully, this information will help you find affordable ways to keep your pet groomed. Following this advice may help keep your pooch away from the emergency room, and in doing so, keep more dollars in your pocket!
