Pet Grooming Orange County

Is your Cat Over-Grooming Itself?

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Is your Cat Over-Grooming Itself?11_07_07

Cats groom themselves for several different reasons. The most common reasons are to remove dirt and debris from their coat, to regulate their body heat and to remove themselves from a stressful situation. However, sometimes the grooming becomes excessive. If your cat is over-grooming one particular area or if it is beginning to remove its fur, your cat could be suffering from something more serious such as fleas, allergies or too much stress. The best way to determine why your cat is over-grooming itself is to consult with your veterinarian. Let’s take a closer look at the most common reasons that cats over-groom.

Fleas

Both outdoor and indoor cats can come into contact with fleas. Fleas attach themselves to a cat’s skin and suck their blood. When a flea’s saliva comes into contact with the cat’s skin, it can cause an allergic reaction. The cat will over-groom itself, sometimes removing its fur, to relieve the itching. Eliminating fleas on your cat and in your home is the only way to stop this type of over-grooming.

Pregnancy

Female cats that are pregnant will constantly groom their genitals in order to prepare themselves for the impending birth. Although this type of grooming might seem excessive it is completely normal.

Stress

One of the leading causes of over-grooming in cats is stress. Stress grooming, or psychogenic alopecia occurs during an extremely stressful period in a cat’s life such as a move or the introduction of a new pet. During stressful times, a cat might focus on one specific area and lick the spot excessively, sometimes removing its fur or causing injury. Cats that suffer from this type of condition typically focus on their abdomen and the inside of their legs.

Ticks

Like fleas, ticks can cause a cat to obsessively groom one area. Ticks are parasites that attach themselves to a cat’s skin and drink their blood. This can cause an allergic reaction that leads to over-grooming.

Food Allergies

Cats commonly develop allergies to the ingredients in commercial cat food such as chicken, fish, corn, wheat and beef. These allergies can appear without warning in cats as young as five months or as old as fifteen years. Giving a cat the same food every day for several months or several years makes it more likely that your cat will develop allergies. When a cat develops a rash from food allergies it will obsessively lick at its paws, legs and stomach.

Claws N Paws Day Spa has been grooming dogs and cats in Orange County, California since 2001. For more information or to schedule your next grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005 today.

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Dealing With a Stinky Dog

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We’ve all come across a stinky dog. Sometimes the cause is simple such as dog breath or wet fur, sometimes the problem is caused by an underlying medical issue. Stubborn dog smells can signify allergies, ear infections, skin infections, problems with diet or other issues that require a diagnosis from a veterinarian. While some common dog smells can be treated at home, if the problem persists or is severe, it’s imperative that you schedule an appointment with your vet.

Dealing with Dog Breath

Bad breath is typically a sign of plaque buildup on your dog’s teeth. You can help to keep your dog’s teeth clean by offering chew toys and by having your dog’s teeth brushed every time they visit the groomer. Occasionally the smell is from an infection caused by foreign matter that has become lodged in the gums. If regular teeth brushing does not solve the problem, it is wise to have your dog’s teeth checked by a veterinarian.

Dealing with Smelly Ears

Dogs that have droopy ears often have problems with ear infections and smelly ears. This is because moisture gets trapped and wax builds up, providing the perfect home for bacteria, ear mites and fungus. If there is no infection or open sores you can use diluted vinegar, colloidal silver, mineral oil or hydrogen peroxide to clean the ears. If you suspect that your dog has an ear infection, a veterinarian can prescribe medication.

Dealing with a Stinky Coat

A coat that is naturally oily can trap odor causing debris, but shampooing too often can dry out your pet’s skin and lead to allergies and infection. Regular grooming every four to six weeks is ideal for dealing with a stinky coat. Your groomer should only use soap-free shampoo. Between baths you can rub baby powder, baking soda or diatomaceous earth into your dog’s coat and then brush it to keep it odor free.

Dogs with thick undercoats have a hard time getting completely dry after getting wet. A damp undercoat can smell terrible. These types of dogs should be professionally groomed to ensure they are completely dry after their bath.

Other causes of dog odor include full anal glands and urine soaked fur. Always have your groomer check and express your dog’s anal glands when necessary and trim the fur around their genitals to keep urine and excrement from sticking to them.

Claws N Paws Day Spa can help you keep your dog odor free! Please call 714-962-1005 to schedule a grooming appointment today!

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Bringing Home a New Cat or Kitten

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Adopting a cat or kitten is a very exciting time. Most people cannot wait to introduce their new family member to friends and family and they immediately begin fantasizing about years of happy companionship. However, how you introduce your new cat or kitten to your household can have a huge impact on how well your new friend makes the adjustment. It is extremely important that you learn the basics before bringing home a new cat or kitten.

Cats are creatures of habit that like things to remain predictable day after day. When you adopt a cat or kitten you take them from a familiar environment and put them into a noisy moving vehicle and expect them to adjust to a completely new environment with new people and sometimes other pets. In order to make the transition as smooth as possible for your new friend you must take things slowly and give your cat plenty of time to adjust to its new surroundings.

Before bringing your cat or kitten home

  • Make an appointment with your veterinarian to have your new pet examined. Ideally you should schedule this appointment for immediately after you pick them up.
  • Make sure that you have a sturdy travel crate for your new cat to ride in.
  • If possible, arrange with the rescue group to take something familiar home with the cat or kitten. This might be a blanket or towel. Place it with them in the carrier on the ride home.
  • Before adopting, find out what type of food and litter the cat has been using. Purchasing the same brands will help to eliminate a lot of stress and upset stomach for your new pet.
  • Before bringing your new cat home, place its food, water and litter pan in a quiet room that can be closed off.

Introducing your new cat or kitten to your home

  • Place your new cat or kitten in the room that you have prepared. Keep the room closed off and allow your new pet to explore undisturbed.
  • Allow the cat to come out of the carrier on its own and approach you when it is ready.
  • Leave the carrier open in the room so that your new friend can go back inside if it feels nervous.
  • Introduce other family members slowly. Have children sit down and show them how to gently stroke the cat’s fur.
  • Children must be taught never to chase the cat or bother it when it is eating or using its litter box.
  • If there are no other pets in your home, allow the cat to explore the rest of the house after two or three days.

Introducing your new cat or kitten to other cats in the home

  • Before introducing your new cat, make sure that it has been tested for parasites and diseases and that it has received all of its vaccinations.
  • Keeping the new cat in a quiet, separate room is extremely important if you have other cats. They will usually sniff each other under the door. Do not be alarmed if there is some initial hissing.
  • Rub a towel over each cat in turn to get them used to each other’s scent.
  • Feed them on opposite sides of the door to your new cat’s room.
  • After a few days, take the new cat out of its room and put your other cat in the room with the door closed. Allow your new cat to explore the rest of the house for a few hours each day.
  • Allow your cats to meet slowly by propping open the door only enough that they can see each other and put a paw through.
  • After a few days, try to feed the cats in the same room but at opposite ends of the room. Monitor them closely and separate them after mealtime.
  • Every day move their dishes closer together until the cats are eating side by side.
  • Once the cats seem comfortable with each other open the door all the way.
  • To avoid litter box issues, provide one more litter box than the total number of cats in your home.

Claws N Paws Day Spa has many wonderful cats and kittens looking for a forever home! For more information, please call 714-962-1005.

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Grooming Double-Coated Dogs

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Double-coated dogs have two layers of hair. Closest to the skin they have a heavy undercoat, and then longer, coarser guard hair on the outside. This double-coat acts as a comfortable insulation for your dog during hot as well as cold weather. Popular double-coated dog breeds include:

  • Pomeranians
  • Shetland Sheepdogs
  • Chows
  • Huskies
  • Malamutes
  • Samoyeds

Although most people believe that shaving a double-coated dog will keep it cooler and prevent shedding in the summer, this simply isn’t the case. The thick undercoat hairs shed every spring and early summer, replacing the thick undercoat with fine hairs. Air travels through the long hairs and finer undercoat, keeping your dog cool during hot summer months. When shaved, the undercoat will still shed but your dog will no longer be able to control its natural cooling ability.

The upper guard hairs do not shed. They provide protection against the sun’s rays. When shaved, the dog becomes more susceptible to sunburn, skin irritation and skin cancer. During summer months, your groomer can shave a strip off your dog’s belly. This allows your dog to lay on a cool surface during hot days.

Long hair that is not matted as well as a thick undercoat keep your pet warm during the winter. During the fall, the fine undercoat sheds and is replaced by thick, crimped undercoat hairs. This creates an effective insulation for your dog.

A double coat should never be shaved unless is it matted to the point of no return. Keeping your double-coated dog’s coat brushed and mat free is an extremely important part of allowing good air circulation through the hair. Coats that are not well maintained stifle air circulation and do very little to help cool or warm the body. A severely matted coat is uncomfortable for your dog and can be very painful.

Claws N Paws Day Spa can help you keep your dog’s fur maintained. For more information or to schedule a grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.

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Why People Give Up Their Cats

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Although many people believe that pets end up at shelters and rescue facilities due to behavior problems, this simply isn’t the case. Most pets are actually given up because of changes in the lives of the people that own them, not because of anything that they have done. Let’s take a look at the top ten reasons why people give up their cats:

  1. Too many living in one house
    Cats can multiply quickly and people often give them up when there are too many cats living in one house.
  2. Allergies
    Frequently, cats are given up because someone in the home develops allergies. Sometimes, in the case of small children, the allergy is food related and not actually caused by the cat.
  3. Moving
    Cats don’t like change, but they can adjust to a new home if they are allowed to. Unfortunately many people feel that it is too much hassle to find a new home that allows cats.
  4. Cost of ownership
    Cats are not cheap to care for. You must pay for food, litter, toys, vaccinations and annual net visits. Sometimes cats become sick, injured, require special diets or need medication.
  5. Problems with the landlord
    When you rent, you must get approval from your landlord in order to have a cat. Sometimes people lie about their cat in order to get into their home. When the landlord discovers it, tenants often decide to get rid of their cat rather than move.
  6. Unable to find a home for litters
    A lot of people refuse spay or neuter their cats and end up with a couple of litters each year. Often, the cat’s owner will find homes for one or two of the kittens from each litter and surrender the rest to a shelter or rescue facility.
  7. Not using the litterbox
    When cats become stressed they sometimes forget to use the litter box. There are several reasons that a cat might not use its box including the type of litter used, the placement of the box, how often you clean it, how many cats use the box and the type of cleaner used on the box. Unfortunately, most people don’t take the time to figure out what is causing the problem, and surrender their cat instead. The good news is that most cats move on to their new homes without any litter box problems at all.
  8. Personal Issues
    People give up their cats for a variety of personal reasons such as divorce, job loss, major injury or home foreclosure.
  9. Inadequate facilities
    Renting a home that doesn’t allow pets or a change of situation where an outdoor cat must live inside are both reasons that people give for giving up their cats. Although many people believe that cats can’t adjust to new situations, they can. It just takes a little longer than it does with dogs.
  10. Cat doesn’t get along with other pets
    Cats can be taught to get along with other pets in a household, however they must be introduced slowly.

Claws N Paws Day Spa has many wonderful cats and kittens looking for a second chance. For more information, please click here.

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Trimming Your Dog’s Nails

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Nail trims are an extremely important part of your dog’s basic grooming needs. However, most pet parents experience anxiety over the idea of trimming their dog’s nails. Although a lot dogs do not like having their feet touched and will do anything to avoid it, it is possible to keep your dog’s nails properly trimmed. Most dogs can even be trained to tolerate the process.

Why Your Dog Needs Regular Nail trims

Like human nails, dog nails grow constantly. Although some dogs naturally wear down their nails by walking on concrete, most dogs do not spend enough time outside to keep their nails short. This is especially true for small dogs. If your dog’s nails are left to grow they can quickly curl under and grow into the pads of their feet. This leads to painful sores and infections. Even if their nails do not curl under, long nails make it difficult for a dog to walk and can lead to torn or split nails, a condition which must be treated by a veterinarian.

When to trim your dog’s nails

How often you trim your dog’s nails depends on your dog. The rate of nail growth vs the amount of natural wear varies from dog to dog. In order to determine when to trim your dog’s nails, look to see if they touch the floor when your dog is standing. If so, then it’s time for a trim. Most dogs require a nail trim every four to six weeks.

When a puppy should receive its first nail trim

It is extremely important to start handling your puppy’s paws the moment that you bring them home. Offer treats and toys whenever you play with their feet. This will get your puppy used to the sensation and help them associate it with a positive experience. Once your puppy is comfortable with having its feet handled, start with small nail trims every week or two. Be very careful not to cut too much or your puppy will associate nail trims with pain. This can make them fearful of the experience.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers professional grooming and nail trims for dogs of all ages. Nail trims are given every time your pet is groomed or bathed. Walk in nail trims are also available and can be extremely helpful for getting your new puppy or dog used to the grooming experience. For more information, please call us at 714-962-1005.

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