Pet Grooming Orange County

Deciding on a Summer Haircut for Your Pet

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Summer is almost here. That means it’s time to start thinking about your dog’s summer haircut. While some people shave their pets short during the summer, others prefer to leave the hair long. As long as your pet doesn’t have any mats in their fur, there are numerous haircuts to choose from. Summer is the perfect time to experiment with a new haircut.

Shaving

Despite what many people believe, shaving your pet does not make them cooler in the summer. A pet’s coat helps keep them warm in the winter and cool in the summer, regardless of how long it is. However, there are exceptions to this rule.

Our Southern California heat can reach extreme temperatures. Dogs with heavy coats designed for year round cold climates might have a harder time staying cool throughout summer. Unfortunately, many of these breeds are not meant to be shaved completely. They have a double coat and shaving them can actually affect the way it grows back. For these dogs, we recommend a tummy shave. This allows them to lay on cold floors to cool off, without affecting the integrity of their coat.

Shedding

Another common belief is that shaving your dog will help prevent shedding. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. Short haired breeds still shed when shaved, the hair that falls is just shorter. These tiny hairs can become sharp little slinters, sticking into everything they encounter.

Dirt Build-Up

Certain breeds like cocker spaniels and poodles have a lot of thick hair on their legs. This hair can collect sand, dirt, and other debris during a trip to the beach. If your plan to take your pet to the beach this summer, you might want to consider keeping the fur on their legs short.

Personal Preference

Personal preference is the main factor when it comes to choosing a summer haircut. As Orange County’s premier grooming salon, we’ve seen everything from traditional breed cuts to Mohawks. If you’re unsure what’s best, please stop by our salon to discuss your options with our experienced groomers.

 

Summer Boarding for Your Cat

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Summer is almost here and many of us have already begun making plans. If you’re like most, you’ll be heading out of town this summer. Whether you’ll be gone for one weekend or three months, it’s important to consider your cat. Cats depend on us to keep them happy and healthy. Your cat relies on you to make sure they have plenty of food, water, and a clean litter box.  

Cats-Only Boarding Facility

Many pet parents worry about leaving their pet when they go on vacation. It can be stressful to leave the care of your beloved cat in the hands of someone else. It’s important to find someone who can properly care for your cat. This should be someone you trust with the experience needed to deal with any problems that arise.

Claws N Paws Cat Boarding offers cats-only boarding in our dog-free facility located in Fountain Valley, California. Our team has years of experience working with cats and know how to recognize and deal with a number of problems. We provide daily stimulation and activities for your cat to ensure they feel loved and get the exercise they require. We feed them twice daily and ensure they have fresh water at all times.

Our feline guests are never kept in cages. We provide each guest with their very own cat condo. Our condos are comfortable, climate-controlled, and provide your cat with plenty of room to move around. Rooms are available in two sizes to accommodate one or more cats.

All of our guests are provided with toys, blankets, and scratching posts. Our skilled cat experts love cats and are well trained to give our clients medication and special diets when needed.

Cat Grooming & Boarding in Southern California

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers dog and cat grooming at our full service grooming salon. Although pet parents can schedule grooming for their cat at any time during they stay in our boarding facility, many of our clients prefer to have their cat groomed immediately before pickup. Please call 714-962-1005 for more information about cat boarding or to set up a grooming appointment.

 

Is It Worms?

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Worms are extremely common in pets. In fact, most pets will have worms at least once in their life. Fortunately, worms are easily treated. All it takes is a trip to your vet and a pill given twice within a two week period.

How Pets Get Worms

Puppies and kittens can get worms from their mother. They can also get them later in life from playing outside, digging in dirt, grooming themselves, eating raw or undercooked meat, and eating infected insects and pests.

Symptoms of Worms

Worms get bigger over time and symptoms can range from mild to severe. Many pets show no signs of infection. Common symptoms include:

  • Bloody stool
  • Diarrhea
  • Excessive licking of the hindquarters
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Poor appetite
  • Poor growth
  • Potbelly appearance
  • Rice-like segments found at base of tail
  • Visible worms in vomit or stool
  • Weight loss

It’s important to note that many of these symptoms can indicate another disease. This is why it’s so important to have your pet seen by a qualified vet. A simple stool sample can help determine if worms are causing the problem.

Types of Worms

Dogs and cats can become infected with a wide range of worms. The most common types include:

Roundworms – Roundworms are the most common form of worms. Most pets become infected at a young age.

Hookworms – Hookworms suck blood. These parasites can cause severe blood loss in pets.

Tapeworms – Caused by ingesting infected fleas, tapeworms are flat, segmented worms. You can tell if your pet has tapeworms by inspecting their tail. The segments look like little grains of rice.

Whipworms – Considered a highly infectious worm, pets infected with whipworms are at high risk of reinfection.

Final Thought

It’s important to remember that having worms isn’t a reflection of the care you give your pet. Pets can get into a lot of things and worms take advantage of this opportunity. If you suspect your pet has worms it’s important to have them seen by a qualified veterinarian. Diagnosis is typically quick and easy and treatment is as well.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers grooming for dogs and cats. Please contact us at 714-962-1005 to schedule your next grooming appointment.

 

 

 

It’s Time to Rethink Essential Oils

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Essential oils have become extremely popular over the past few years. These oils provide a natural alternative to many prescription and over-the-counter medications. While essential oils provide numerous benefits for the people that use them, they pose a serious safety hazard for our pets. In fact, essential oils are believed to be a common cause of liver problems in pets, especially cats.

Pets don’t even need to ingest essential oils to cause a problem. Pets that inhale droplets of oils could face potentially serious side effects including organ failure, and death. Even essential oils we all use and trust can cause problems for our furry friends.

People around the world use tea tree oil to treat skin conditions and minor irritations. Unfortunately, tea tree oil is one of the most dangerous essential oils for pets. Exposure to tea tree oil exposure can cause confusion, abnormal behavior, and even liver damage in both dogs and cats.

Essential Oil Safety

It’s crucial that pet parents avoid using essential oils on or around their pets. This includes cleaners, candles, and other products containing essential oils. It’s also important not to use essential oil diffusers around pets. Diffusing essential oils causes tiny droplets of oil to enter the air. Invisible to the eye, our pets inhale these droplets, leading to respiratory and liver problems. As there is no testing performed on the effects of essential oils on pets, there is no way to know how much or how little is required to cause a problem.

Essential oils are more dangerous for certain animals than others. For example, cats cannot metabolize essential oils, making them particularly susceptible to essential oil poisoning. While not all oils have been shown to cause toxicity in pets, no essential oils should be used around birds. When in doubt, it’s always best to go without.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. We care about the health and safety of your pet. Please call 714-962-1005 to schedule a grooming appointment.

Heartworms Pose a Very Real Threat to Your Pet

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Our pets bring us so much joy. It’s only natural to want to protect them. That’s why it’s so important to learn about potential threats and what you can do to prevent them.

Heartworm disease is one of the most serious threats facing our pets. Heartworms can cause lung disease, heart failure, organ damage, and death in both dogs and cats.

Caused by the parasitic worm, Dirofilaria immitis, heartworm disease is spread through the bite of a mosquito. It is not spread from animal to animal like most other diseases. Coyotes, ferrets, sea lions, seals, and other animals can all become infected. If a mosquito bites an infected animal then bites your pet, it too will become infected.

Until recently, heartworm disease has not been a problem in Southern California. However, recent building development and irrigation system improvements have allowed mosquitos to survive.

Three new species of drought-resistant mosquitoes have been found in Southern California. All three types have spread heartworm disease in other countries. Pet owners need to be aware of the potential threat these mosquitoes pose to our pets. It’s important to do all you can to protect your pet from possible infection.

Mosquito Control

Preventing mosquitoes helps protect your pet against infection. Check your yard for standing water, which provides the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Empty containers regularly including pet drinking bowls and bird baths. It doesn’t take much water for mosquitoes to reproduce. In fact, they can breed in a bottle cap full of water.

Don’t Leave Food Out

Leaving food outside invites wild animals into your yard. In addition to potentially harming your pet, infected wild animals on your property increases the chance of infection.

Have Your Pet Checked Regularly

Most heartworm infections go undiagnosed until it’s too late. Your veterinarian can help determine your pet’s risk. There are heartworm preventative programs to help protect your pet against infection. Your veterinarian can provide you with more information regarding diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of heartworm disease.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. Please contact us to set-up a grooming appointment.

 

Can Dogs and Cats Live Together?

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It’s commonly known that dogs and cats don’t get along. However, this isn’t always the case. As Orange County’s premier grooming salon, we’ve seen several families where dogs and cats are best friends. It’s important to note that this doesn’t always happen overnight. It often takes a lot of time and patience to convince household pets to tolerate each other. Sometimes they never become friends but they do learn to share their space.

Start Young if Possible

The best cat/dog relationships start when one or both pets are young. When introducing a dog into a household with cats, it’s generally best to start with a puppy. This will seem less threatening to your cats and gives you an opportunity to train the dog not to chase. This can take some time as dogs have a natural instinct to chase and cats will instinctively run, making it even more satisfying for your dog.

If you decide to bring home a kitten to play with your dog, you must take care to ensure it doesn’t get hurt. This can be difficult if your dog is large. You will need to watch them very carefully together. Just one grab and shake could seriously injure or kill your kitten. It is up to you to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Enforce the Rules

It’s important to ensure that both the cat and the dog understand the rules. Do not let them chase each other or steal each other’s food. This might take some time as both must adjust to their situation. Rewarding good behavior lets them know they’ve done something right. This is a much better approach than punishing your pet for bad behavior.

Make Sure You Spend Time With Both Pets

Even if the transition goes smoothly, your pets may feel left out if you spend too much time with one and not the other. Make sure that you set aside plenty of time for both pets.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers dog and cat grooming from our full service salon in Fountain Valley, CA. Please call 714-962-1005 to set up a grooming appointment.