Tag Archives: grooming

Mar21

6 Tips For Improving Your Pet’s Life

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6 Tips For Improving Your Pet’s Life

How healthy is your pet? Does your dog or cat have a shiny coat and sparkling eyes? Do they have boundless energy to run in the park or do they seem a little lethargic? If you want to improve the health and well being of your companion, check out some of the top tips below:

High Quality Food:

Many people with pets feed them using the most convenient pet food options in the supermarket. As with their own food, they choose pet food that offers the best value for money, but that isn’t necessarily the best way to buy pet food. Like you, your pet needs quality food.

Much of the pet food on conventional supermarket shelves contain additives and low quality ingredients. This has an effect on your pet’s health and well being. When you switch their food source, you will notice an improvement in their coat, their eyes, and energy levels.

Stimulation:

Animals are similar to humans, some are lazy, others are active, and some are more intelligent than others. If you have a very intelligent pet, such as a Border Collie, you will need to make sure they have plenty of stimulation to keep their minds active and not destructive.

Stimulation can include walking your dog regularly but it can also mean creating small games for them to play, such as hiding biscuits in cogs for your smart cats to find. Stimulation is important because, without it, your pet becomes stressed, unhappy, and destructive.

Regular Vet Appointments:

Having an excellent vet and seeing them as often as needed is so crucial for your pet’s health. Regardless of if you think your pet is feeling fine, your vet will be able to verify that or see indicators that they are unwell that you might not be aware of. With their findings, your vet will be able to recommend the best course of action. This could be a change in diet, treatments for canine osteoarthritis, vaccines, or even physical therapy. Keeping up with your vet is the best way to ensure your pet is living the highest quality of life.

Regular Grooming:

Your pet might not enjoy a trip to the groomer as much as you when visiting the spa but it’s just as important. Some pets require more grooming than others but it’s still recommended to groom your pets regularly to check for any lumps, parasites, or skin irritation.

If you have a dog or a cat that sheds every season, it’s a good idea to help them with their grooming, especially in the spring and especially if they are cats. Cats love to lick their fur and if they are shedding, the hair will become jammed in their throat and cause some discomfort. Some cats shed so much fur that you may feel you need to open a whole Pet Grooming Franchise to cope with it all, but luckily, you can simply visit an established pet groomer with the experience to know how to deal with your never-ending-shedding feline friend.

Vitamin Supplements:

As with humans, your pets need their fill of multivitamins. Multivitamins help to top up the essential vitamins and minerals your pets need to stay healthy and happy. Of course, they will get many of their vitamins from quality pet food, but supplements can improve their well being.

Remember to choose high quality vitamins as well as high quality pet food. High quality vitamins usually contain the most essential elements for your particular pets to make their coat and eyes shine. The vitamins can be added to their food semi-regularly, like once a week. Before making any changes, it is always a good idea to consult with your vet. They will be able to direct you to the best food and vitamin options to maximize pet health.

Socializing:

Ask any professional vet such as Cynthia Maro, and they will tell you that pets love to socialize and need to be around other animals and humans to be happy in their lives. The good news is, no one needs an excuse to spend more quality time with their favorite animals! Try going to the dog park once a week or scheduling a pet play date with your friends to help keep the pep in your pet’s step.

Taking good care of your pet is a lot of work and responsibility but it is always worth it for a beloved member of your family!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Dec10

3 Tips To Get Your Horse Show Ready

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3 Tips To Get Your Horse Show Ready

 

Showing your horse can be an extremely exciting and fulfilling act. Whether you have shown before or if this is your first time, there are a lot of preparations that you need to make. It is crucial that you don’t wait until the last minute. Here are some tips to ready you and your horse for the next show:

Exercise Your Horse:

Leading up to the show, you will have to practice and train with your horse. Not only does your horse need to be ready for the show, but so do you. Make sure that your animal can tackle all of the different horse show jumps before you arrive on the big day.

Groom Your Horse:

Grooming can serve as a preventative medicine for animals. It increases blood to the surface of the skin and massages the different muscle groups. In addition, when you groom your horse, you are solidifying your bond. It is a great way for you and your animal to be close, leading up to the horse show.

Gather Your Equipment:

You do not want to forget any of your necessary equipment before the show. You should start to prepare to leave two to three days in advance. The longer that you give yourself to prepare, the less likely you are to forget anything. To make sure that you forget nothing, you can also make a list in advance to ensure that you don’t forget your equipment at home.

If you show your horse, then you already know that it can be an exciting experience. If you are new or if you are looking for tips to create a better experience, then these can help prepare you for the next show.

Jun17

Miniature Schnauzer Love

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Miniature Schnauzer Love

If you are tempted to welcome a puppy into your home, the miniature schnauzer is an outstanding canine companion to have in your household. With an exceptional temperament, a fun and friendly attitude, and nothing worse than a bark in terms of aggression, these terrier like dogs are perfect for the family. If you want to welcome a new four legged friend into your brood, chances are that you’ve already done tons of research, but have you considered these lesser thought about aspects of dog ownership?

Intelligence:

The miniature schnauzer is a highly intelligent breed. Forget not knowing his name, being unable to fetch a toy, or having no clue what toilet training is, your mini schnauzer will aim to please. He is loyal, obedient, and highly intelligent. At only ten weeks of age, your mini schnauzer should be able to sit and stay on command and will enjoy taking part in training sessions with you. It’s a good idea at the puppy nipping stage to teach bite inhibition to try and ward off the need for a dog bite lawyer. You want to train your mutt to be calm, measured and alert to your voice. They need to be focused on you even in a park full of people and other hounds. Your miniature schnauzer will do just that.

dogg1

Life is ruff!

Food:

A miniature schnauzer is very food motivated. This can be helpful when trying to get your little buddy to listen to you. Waft his favorite treat under his nose and you’ll have him under your little finger. But it can also be a hindrance. Miniature schnauzers are well known to have delicate tummies, so high fat snacks and unhealthy scraps from the dining room table are a no. This is a good thing, as it means your dog won’t grow up chubby or having to watch his weight. A miniature schnauzer is energetic, bouncy, and fun to have around. So as long as you have the time to take them on two walks a day, they’ll be a happy mutt.

dogg2

SO. Cute!

Appearance:

All miniature schnauzers look male – it’s the beard that does it! However, whatever gender your mini is, you will need to groom him regularly. He’ll need regular brushing and clipping to ensure that his hair doesn’t get matted or too bedraggled. Feed a top quality grain free kibble with the right nutrients and his coat should look shiny and healthy for his entire life. There are many cuts to choose from including the breed standard beard and short coat to the more flamboyant Asian fusion cuts. The choice is yours, but make sure that you go to a groomer who knows what they are doing. Sensitive shampoos and conditioners are a must for this delicate little breed.

Getting a dog is daunting, but it will be the best decision you have ever made. Miniature schnauzers are fun, will keep you on your toes, and will make the perfect family pet for your household.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Apr26

Pavlovian Conditioner: Grooming Hacks For Pet Owners

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Pavlovian Conditioner: Grooming Hacks For Pet Owners

Ivan Pavlov is a famous Russian physiologist best known for his work with dogs. As good as he was at training their behavior, he never took a shot at their personal hygiene. Why, oh why, Ivan? It would have been your best work to date! As much as we love our furry pooches, there grooming can leave a bit to be desired at times. From their breath to their coat, they sure can smell! Admitting they smell from time to time is the first step, and now is the moment to move onto number two, three, and four.

These are grooming hacks for dogs that need a little extra TLC in the personal hygiene department:

#1: Brush

Throwing a canine into a bath and rinsing him or her with a shower head is easy because it’s quick and simple. The thing is, that it doesn’t work one-hundred percent due to the volume of fur. As the ladies know, a long mane gets tangled and mangy when wet and needs a good brushing. The same goes for dogs. So, before applying shampoo try and massage out the knots. There may be some resistance, but it’s for their own good!

#2: Doggy Shampoo

Shampoo and conditioner are essential, but the human-made stuff won’t suffice. Men and women have hair, while pooches have fur. There’s a big distinction, and it means regular treatments won’t work. Instead, they need a proper dog shampoo and conditioner combo to get down and dirty in the fur follicles. Before applying, these dogs guides by Nina Lyman recommend trimming or cutting their coat if it is too long. For one thing, it helps to reduce the overall volume. Secondly, it reduces the smell as there is less chance of grime getting stuck. You don’t have to be a hairdresser to do it, either, as long as you’re confident with clippers.

#3: Learn To Love

Hopefully, your pet will take to the bath like a duck to water. However, there are enough horror stories to suggest that it’s a 50-50 chance. Good luck, then! All jokes aside, canines that aren’t water babies may learn to love it in the long-term. This is where you have to channel your inner Pavlov and manipulate their conditioning. For instance, remove the obstacles first and foremost. A non-slip mat is a smart idea so that they aren’t scurrying around, as are cotton balls in their ears. Don’t forget to play and give them words of encouragement, too.

#4: Outsource

Learning to love the process goes for the owner, as well. Anyone who hates the process should think twice beforehand because it affects the animal. They can feel negative energy and will respond accordingly. The good news, is that there are professionals who will do it for an affordable fee. Plus, they will clean the dog’s teeth and clip their nails. Sometimes, outsourcing is the best option for pet owners.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jan12

Keeping Your Canine Clean

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Keeping Your Canine Clean

Despite regular washes, careful consideration when choosing places to play, and deliberate avoidance of bad weather, most dogs will find themselves filthy at the end of the week. The life of an animal like this is a dynamic one, and there isn’t time for thoughts of keeping clean. Instead, you have to be there to consider this for them, handling all of the dirty work. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the areas you’ll have to consider when you’re trying to keep your canine clean:

Regular Washes:

To begin, it’s always a good idea to get your dog used to the idea of being washed. Most mutts will love this treatment, lapping up the chance to get wet. Others, though, may be scared of water, making it hard to clean them up. A weekly routine of small showers will be much easier to maintain than one with a wider gap, as your dog will be much cleaner at the start of each session. If you need help in this area, there are loads of companies out there that can clean your dog for you.

Grooming & Maintenance:

Like any good doggy salon, these places aren’t just dedicated to cleaning, and they will be able to give your dog a brand new haircut. While also giving your dog a new style, this sort of approach will limit their chances of knotted and dirty fur. It can be a lot easier to keep a dog clean when they have short fur, just like humans find it, too. Along with trimming their fur, grooming companies will be able to keep their claws trimmed and their teeth clean, too. In some cases, they may even have a vet on hand to give your friend a short checkup while they have their makeover.

Pest Control:

Finally, as the last element to consider, it’s time to think about pest control, and how you can achieve it with your dog. As dogs have to be able to go outside, they are constantly at risk of taking on parasites, like fleas and worms. Using a product like Comfortis on a regular basis will make it significantly easier to avoid the issues that often come with these nasty creatures. Of course, though, you should also think about their health during this stage, and taking them to the vet is a great way to have their potential parasites treated and removed.

Keeping a dog is often a delicate balance. On one side, you want to keep them happy, giving them the entertainment and exercise that they need. On the other, though, most dog owners will struggle to keep them clean in the process, as most of a dog’s needs have to be handled outside. There are loads of resources around the web which can help you through this process!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Oct5

Top 3 Dog Grooming Essentials For A Beautiful And Healthy Coat

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Top 3 Dog Grooming Essentials For A Beautiful And Healthy Coat

Hi everyone and welcome to a very special guest post written by the amazing founder of NolongerWild, Cindy. Cindy is here to give the 411 on all of the top tips to keeping your four legged friend’s coat healthy and sleek. And remember, these pieces of advice aren’t suitable for human hair! 😉

Top 3 Dog Grooming Essentials For A Beautiful And Healthy Coat

There are 3 dog grooming essentials to ensure that your pet’s coat is healthy and beautiful. Bear in mind that some breeds are more high maintenance than others. If you are thinking of adopting a pet, definitely look into the dog grooming requirements that are needed first.

  1. Bubbles At Bath Time:
  • Nobody likes a smelly dog and that is when you know your friend-legged friend needs a bath. Additionally, bathing will be necessary if your pooch has been rollicking in the mud, too.
  • If your dog is neither stinky nor dirty, take a rain check. Bathing should be kept to a minimum as too much makes their skin dry out because the natural oils are stripped away.
  • Be sure to use shampoos specifically formulated for canines. There are great products available for those that have extra sensitive skin or allergies, too.
  • Using products designed for humans on your pet may cause inflammation and other skin problems because the pH levels of our skin are not the same.
  • My favorite is a homemade oatmeal bath. Not only does it relieve my dog’s dry and itchy skin, but it also conditions her coat making it silky and soft!

bathy

  1. Brushing Basics:
  • Regular brushing keeps the coat healthy by spreading out the natural oils.
  • How often your dog will need to be brushed depends on the length of his/her coat:
  • Dogs with very short hair and smooth coats will only require brushing every few weeks. I use a dog grooming glove to remove excess hair.
  • Short haired dogs with denser fur can be brushed every one to two weeks.
  • If your pooch has a long thick coat that tangles easily, brush at least weekly and before bath time, especially if their coats are matted. Bathing will only make the knotting of the mats more taut and difficult to remove.
  • To remove mats, detangling sprays and specialized tools such as mat breakers are available. This dog grooming tool should not be used like a regular brush. The razor blades are specifically designed to cut mats away as close to the skin as possible and can nick your dog if done incorrectly.

bathy1

  1. Trimming & Shaving Tips:
  • Certain breeds may need their fur to be trimmed occasionally. This could be to prevent tangling or be required seasonally.
  • Dog clippers can easily be used on the canine’s body.
  • To prevent hair pulling, keep the blades of the clipper sharp.
  • Except for the tummy area, the clippers should be slowly worked in the direction that the fur is growing. This will eliminate lines and give a smoother appearance.
  • Other areas on a dog’s body that commonly require trimming are around the lower jaw and tushie. Hair around the eyes that could obscure vision should also be cut.

Dog grooming can be a wonderful opportunity to bond with your pet. It is best to start as early as possible when your dog is still a puppy so that he/she can become accustomed to the 3 dog grooming essentials for a healthy and beautiful coat.

Thanks so much again to Cindy for sharing her grooming tips with us! For more facts on all of your favorite pets, be sure to visit NolongerWild. Much love. -Sarah