Pet Grooming Orange County

Winter Grooming Tips

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During the winter, our pets need special care. It’s up to us to make sure they look and feel their best. The following are our top winter grooming tips for pets.

Brush More Often

You might have noticed your pet is shedding more now than they did in the fall. This is due to indoor heating. Just like us, our pets tend to spend more times indoors during the winter. Most animals do not enjoy being outside in the cold. Unfortunately, the warm indoor temperatures can cause your pet to begin shedding its winter coat. Without regular brushing, this can make a huge mess. It can also lead to mats as the hair tangles on its way out.

During the winter, make sure you brush your pet daily. If you notice any tangles that you can’t easily remove, it’s time for a trip to the groomer.

Take Care of Your Dog’s Feet

Many people travel out of town during the winter. If you’ll be taking your dog to an area where it snows, you need to take extra care of their feet. Snow, ice, and the salt used on roads and pavements can cause injury to your dog’s feet. After playing or walking outside, rinse your dog’s feet with warm water.

It might be a good idea to have your groomer remove the hair between the pads of your dog’s feet prior to visiting the snow. This will help keep snow and ice from sticking to their fur.

Set Goals

Many of us become overwhelmed with everything we have to do this time of year. Instead of trying to set aside hours of time for grooming your pet, set small goals that are easier to keep. Five minutes a day might be all you need to keep your pet happy and healthy.

 Schedule a Grooming Appointment

Regular grooming helps keep your pet’s coat healthy and clean for longer periods of time than grooming at home. Instead of placing the burden on yourself, schedule a grooming appointment for your pet. At Claws N Paws Day Spa we are well prepared to handle all of the brushing, bathing, and grooming your pet requires this winter. Please call 714-962-1005 to set up a grooming appointment today.

Popular Gifts for Pets

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Our pets bring us so much joy all year round. The holidays are the perfect time to show them how much you appreciate them. If you’ve been wondering what to get your furry friend, we can help! The following are some of our favorite holiday gift ideas for pets.

New Toys

Toys make wonderful gifts for playful pets. Consider choosing toys that are different from anything your pet has already seen. Some of our favorites include Kong toys for dogs (don’t forget the treats to stick inside), feather wands for cats, and laser pointers. These toys provide your pet with hours of entertainment and provide the perfect opportunity for bonding and exercise.

Treats

Pets of all ages are sure to appreciate some new treats for the holiday season. Fortunately, there are numerous treats to choose from at your local pet supply. You can even get your pet gourmet frosted cookies. Just make sure that the treats you choose are appropriate for your pet’s age, type, and weight and that they are meant for consumption by pets.

New Dishes

Over time, dishes can become stained, cracked, and difficult to clean. The holidays are the perfect opportunity to replace your pet’s dishes. Consider upgrading plastic dishes to something more durable and safer such as stainless steel or ceramic. There are numerous options to choose from.

Sweater

Some pets get extremely cold during the winter. This is especially true for small shorthaired dogs such as Chihuahuas and Miniature Pinchers. A new sweater might be just what your pet needs to make it through the winter.

Not all pets appreciate wearing clothing. It’s a good idea to see how your pet reacts prior to spending a lot of money on a new sweater. If possible, take them to the store for a test run.

Holiday Grooming

Grooming helps your pet look and feel its best. This is the perfect gift for any pet! Claws N Paws Day Spa offers full service pet grooming for dogs and cats. Holiday grooming appointments are already filling up. Please call 714-962-1005 to reserve your spot today!

Causes of Swollen Elbow in Dogs

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Swollen elbows are extremely common in dogs. The most common causes include calluses and elbow hygromas. It’s important to understand the difference between the two, as each has it’s own treatment. 

Calluses

Calluses are a thickening of the skin. They are common on the elbows and other bony prominences. Calluses are typically dry, although they can break open and bleed. They are more common in large breeds and overweight pets. 

Lying on hard surfaces causes calluses to develop. Calluses are not usually serious, although they can spread to the bone or become infected. Prevention is generally easier than treatment.

Provide your dog with a soft place to sleep. This might be a blanket, pillow, or foam mattress. You might need to experiment with a few different things in order to figure out what your pet prefers. Put bedding in various places so that your dog always has a soft place to lie. It might be best to allow your dog to sleep indoors. This can make them more comfortable while they heal and encourage them to avoid lying on rough surfaces such as concrete.

It’s important that you help your dog maintain a healthy weight. This is crucial to their overall health and can reduce the occurrence and/or severity of calluses. Your veterinarian can help you develop a weight management plan.

Elbow Hygromas

An elbow hygroma is a fluid-filled swelling of the elbow. Hygromas can be quite large and develop suddenly. Hygromas are more serious than calluses and require a visit to your veterinarian.

Treatment generally involves draining the hygroma and wrapping it tightly. Keeping the area wrapped prevents the hygroma from coming back and protects the elbow from infection. 

Like calluses, lying on rough surfaces can cause hygromas to develop. Providing your dog with a soft place to sleep and helping them maintain a healthy weight is the best way to prevent hygromas. 

It’s important to note that any swelling warrants a trip to the vet. A lump that grows quickly could be a sign of cancer. 

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers pet grooming for dogs and cats. Please call 714-962-1005 to schedule a grooming appointment.

 

 

 

Why Your Matted Dog Needs to be Shaved

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Most people have every intention of taking care of their dog’s coat. Unfortunately, busy schedules and life events can get in the way. When this occurs, your longhaired friend can become matted. A matted coat is painful and can hide skin problems and parasites.

A matted coat is different than tangles. Tangles can typically be worked out with your fingers or a comb. They do not hinder your ability to view your dog’s skin. When your dog’s coat is matted you cannot see their skin. The fur develops a mat-like quality that covers some or all of the body. A severely matted coat can stretch from the tip of the tail to the tip of the nose. Dogs in this condition will often have feces and urine stuck in their fur.

A Matted Coat Can Hide Skin Issues and Parasites

Since mats prevent you from viewing your dog’s skin, they can hide serious issues. Fleas and ticks are common under a matted coat, as are sores from the constant skin pulling that occurs as a result of having a severely matted coat. Moisture can become trapped under mats, causing fungal and other skin infections. This is uncomfortable and can cause your dog to smell. Treatment of these conditions cannot take place until the mats are removed.

Attempting to comb or brush mats causes extreme pain. Using scissors to remove mats is not a viable option either. You can easily cut your dog’s delicate skin when cutting mats. Bathing a dog with mats causes the mats to become tighter, increasing the amount of pain your dog endures.

At Claws N Paws Day Spa, we will not cause your dog unnecessary pain or distress. This is why we will only shave a matted pet. Shaving removes the mats quickly and safely. This relieves your dog of pain and enables you to treat any underlying skin problems or parasites. We will not bathe matted pets until all mats have been removed.

We are already booking holiday appointments. Please call 714-962-1005 to schedule your next grooming appointment today!

Why It’s So Important to Spay or Neuter Your Cat

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Unspayed female cats become pregnant extremely easily. If your unfixed cat is allowed to go outside, chances are pretty good you’ll end up with at least one litter. These litters can vary in size from one to over ten kittens. It’s extremely difficult to figure out what to do with these kittens once they are born. Most people do not have the time, space, or money to care for multiple cats.

Unfortunately, many unplanned litters are abandoned at the shelter or left to fend for themselves on the street. These cats face horrible lives and are often killed by wild animals, vehicles, or ill-intentioned people. This is just one of the reasons why it’s so important to have your cat spayed or neutered.

Even if your cat that is not allowed outdoors, if they aren’t spayed they’ll most likely find a way out. This has nothing to do with how obedient they are or how much they love you. When a cat goes into heat, it’s instincts take over. These instincts tell them to reproduce. Unfortunately, this instinct doesn’t understand overpopulation or the fate that most unwanted kittens face in our world.

The Danger of Giving Kittens Away For Free

Everyday, kittens are given away for free. Many of these kittens face horrible futures. Several are abused or used for animal testing in labs. Awful people frequently pay decent individuals to answer Craigslist ads or collect kittens advertised for free.

While the family giving away these kittens believes that the person they are giving them to has the best intentions, this isn’t always the case. A simple search on Google brings up multiple incidents where kittens were given to seemingly “good homes” only to end up in a horrible situation.

Benefits of Spaying and Neutering Your Cat

Spaying and neutering your cat prevents them from becoming pregnant. It also fixes behavior problems such as spraying urine and aggressive behavior. Ideally, cats should be spayed or neutered at four months old, before they reach maturity. However, this procedure has been proven safe in cats of all ages.

If Your Cat is Already Pregnant

If your cat is already pregnant it’s important that you keep them inside. Follow your veterinarian’s advice for care. Once the kittens are born, do not ever offer them for free. Charge an adoption fee and make sure that you interview the people adopting your kittens. This is extremely important for their safety.

 

Spraying and Urination in Cats

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There’s nothing more frustrating than dealing with a cat that’s doesn’t use its litter box. In fact, inappropriate elimination is one of the most common reasons given when adult cats are abandoned at the shelter.

While most people automatically assume that cats are spraying to mark their territory, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes improper elimination is caused by a medical problem. Whatever the case, elimination outside of the litter box should never be ignored. 

Cats use scent to communicate with each other. Your cat may mark its territory by chin rubbing, scratching, or spraying urine. Spraying is more common in unneutered males and unspayed females but sometimes continues after alteration.

Spraying in spayed females and neutered males is rarely due to behavioral issues. Most of the time, it’s caused by stress or medical problems. If your neutered or spayed cat is spraying, the first thing you need to do is take them to your veterinarian.

UTI

The most common cause of urination outside of the litter box is a urinary tract infection (UTI). A UTI causes your cat to experience pain when urinating. This can cause them to avoid using their litter box.

UTIs are easily diagnosed and easily treated with antibiotics. Cats typically begin using their litter box immediately after treatment.

Stress

Stress is another common cause of inappropriate elimination. A stressed cat will likely show other symptoms such as excessive licking, aggressiveness, and/or irritation. Stress can be caused by numerous factors. The most common include changes in the home environment, the addition of new family members or new pets.

Spending more time with your pet or reducing exposure to stressful experiences can help them overcome these issues.

Cleanliness

Cats like things tidy. Proper litter box maintenance is extremely important. Your cat might avoid using its litter box if it’s unclean, or if you’ve switched to a scented litter.

If you have multiple cats, you will need multiple litter boxes. A good rule of thumb is one litter box per cat. Make sure these are placed in different locations so that each of your cats feels like they have their own space to eliminate.

Make sure that you fully clean any areas where your cat has eliminated. Even the faintest odor can cause them to return.

Final Thoughts

With a little patience, improper elimination can be resolved. The first step is to visit your veterinarian. If your cat is not spayed or neutered, now is the time. It’s much harder to stop an unaltered cat from marking its territory.