Pet Grooming Orange County

When Professional Pet Grooming Isn’t Enough To Keep Them Cool – DIY Cooling Pad for your Pets

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When Professional Pet Grooming Isn’t Enough To Keep Them Cool – DIY Cooling Pad for your Pets

During the summer, it’s extremely important to keep our pets cool. This isn’t just a matter of comfort; intense heat can be detrimental to their health and safety. Protecting your pet from the heat prevents them from overheating and falling victim to heatstroke and heat exhaustion. When professional pet grooming just isn’t enough to keep them comfortable, consider making them a cooling pad. Here’s how:

  1. Search your home or a local second-hand shop for an old sleeping bag that has an outside shell made from nylon or polyester.
  2. Determine how big you would like your cooling pad to be. You will want to make sure that it’s a good size for your pet.
  3. Cut the sleeping bed width-wise to the appropriate size.
  4. Cut a piece of aluminum foil big enough to wrap two ice pack inside and slide inside the exposed portion of the sleeping bag.
  5. Wrap two ice packs into the diagonal corners of the foil. Use tape to secure them if necessary.
  6. Slide the foil and the ice packs into the open side of the sleeping bag. The foil and ice packs should be touching the underside of the nylon or polyester.
  7. Tape up the open end of the sleeping bag.
  8. When the weather warms up, wrap up the pad and place it in the freezer for half an hour. If the pad is too big, remove the ice packs and refreeze them.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers quality dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. During the summer we offer summer haircuts, belly shaves, baths, brushing, mobile grooming and flea and tick treatments. For more information or to schedule a grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005 today.

Pet Grooming Tips For Summer in Orange County

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Pet Grooming Tips For Summer in Orange County

Summer is a great time to get outside with our dogs. Maintaining their grooming routine is also important during this time of year. Regular pet grooming helps our dogs look good, feel good and keeps them healthy.

While some breeds require the services of a professional groomer, all dogs benefit from a good brushing at home. The right grooming tool can help strip out loose hair, allowing cool air to circulate against your dog’s skin. Regular brushing also prevents mats that can be painful and trap moisture and heat, resulting in nasty skin infections.

This time of year you will want to watch out for fleas and ticks. Adding an extra bath or two might be a good strategy during the summer. Brush your dog before and after their bath and choose a shampoo that is a good match for their skin and coat type. Be sure to rinse and dry your dog well, or else they might develop a bad odor or become itchy and flaky from the shampoo residue. Consider having them professionally groomed to prevent these problems.

Inspect your dog’s ears regularly, especially if they like to swim. Dog’s who’s ears fold over are more prone to ear infections. After your dog goes swimming, wipe their inside earflaps gently with a cotton ball. Your vet might be able to suggest special ear drops for dog’s that suffer from a lot of ear infections during the summer. Swimmer’s ear can be prevented with a drop of white vinegar.

Claws N Paws provides quality full service grooming and mobile grooming in Orange County, California. We can help keep your dog looking and feeling good this summer. We offer brushing, bathing, summer haircuts and flea and tick control. For more information, or to schedule your next grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.

When Professional Pet Grooming Isn’t Enough To Keep Them Cool – DIY Cooling Bandana

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When Professional Pet Grooming Isn’t Enough To Keep Them Cool – DIY Cooling Bandana

The heat and humidity of summer can be extremely miserable for our dogs. The combination of intense heat and a thick fur coat can make enjoying a full day outdoors with your best friend almost impossible. When professional grooming just isn’t enough to keep them cool this summer, consider making your dog a cooling bandana. These bandanas can be made quickly and easily from materials found at your local craft and hardware shop.

  1. Start by cutting a piece of fabric 4 inches by 45 inches in length. For larger dogs, you might need a piece as big as 60 inches long.
  2. Fold the fabric lengthwise with the print facing in, and sew the long side together.
  3. Press the sewn fabric with an iron. Turn the fabric right side out and press it again.
  4. Sew one of the ends shut.
  5. Slowly pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of polymer granules into the tube. These granules are used for gardening, and can be found at most gardening or home improvement stores.
  6. Sew the open end shut.
  7. Soak the bandana in water for 20 minutes. The granules will soak up the water. Use your fingers to ensure that the granules fill the entire bandana.
  8. Place the cooling bandana in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
  9. Wrap the bandana around your dog’s neck and secure the ends with 2 safety pins.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers professional pet grooming in Orange County, California. For your convenience, we also offer full service mobile grooming. For more information about how we can keep your pets cool this summer, please call us at 714-962-1005 today.

Orange County Cat Groomer Answers The Question “Why Cats Bite The Hand That Feeds”

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Orange County Cat Groomer Answers The Question “Why Cats Bite The Hand That Feeds”

Why cats bite is one of life’s mysteries. We’ve all experienced it: you’re beloved feline is enjoying you scratching their favorite spot when suddenly they bite you. Pet parents often refer to these nibbles as “love bites”. However, the behavior is so common that feline behaviorists have created a formal name for it: petting-induced aggression. As an Orange County cat groomer we’ve heard our fair share of cat bite stories.

Why do cats bite?

Sometimes cats bite when playing or as a form of communication. Some cats nip to signal what they want. You’ll know if the biting is a signal behavior if your cat bites you then tries to lead you off in the direction of what they want.

Today, we’ll talk about the type of biting that seems to occur out of nowhere, when your cat was previously content.

Although petting-induced aggression is poorly understood, there are some reasons why cats may bite:

  • It could be the manifestation of status-induced aggression, where cats seek to control a situation.
  • Some cats might experience neurologically significant negative stimulus from being petted for a certain length of time.
  • The cat in question might be extremely subtle at letting humans know when they are unhappy, making their change in attitude seem more sudden than it actually is.

Whatever causes your cat to bite, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t still interact with your cat in a meaningful way. Your veterinarian or groomer might be able to teach you how to recognize the subtle warning signs associated with your cat’s displeasure before it reaches the point of biting.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers professional dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. For your convenience, we also offer full service mobile grooming. For more information, or to schedule your next grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005 today.

More Than Cat Grooming – How To Keep Your Cat Cool This Summer

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More Than Cat Grooming – How To Keep Your Cat Cool This Summer

Summer officially begins on June 21st. Not only is this the longest day of the year but it’s also the start of three months of grueling hot weather. During the summer heat it’s easy for humans to strip down to shorts and tank tops, but what about our cats? They must wear their fur coat all year long. When your cat requires more than routine cat grooming to cool off, the following tips can help:

  • Drop three or four ice cubes into your cat’s water bowl.
  • Fill a small plastic bottle ¾ full with cold water and leave it in the freezer overnight. In the morning, wrap the bottle in a towel and place it in your cat’s favorite lounging spot.
  • Elevating your cat’s bed allows air to pass underneath it, keeping your cat cooler.
  • Consider getting a small box fan and placing it on the floor near your air conditioner or an open window. For extra cooling power, put a frozen water bottle in front of the fan.
  • If your cat has long fur, consider a lion cut to help keep them cool on hot summer days. Keep in mind that cats with white or light colored fur also have pale skin that is more susceptible to sunburns. Another option is to only shave your cat’s tummy.
  • Stroke your cat with a damp washcloth or paper towel.
  • Close the curtains or blinds of any south or west facing windows. Not only will this keep your cat cooler, it will save you money on your air conditioning bills as well.
  • Cats can get overheated easily by exercise on hot days. It’s best to save playtime until the end of the day, when it’s cooler.
  • Remember to NEVER leave your cat in your car for any period of time. Your car can reach dangerous temperatures extremely fast.

Heatstroke can cause kidney damage, heart dysfunction and other potentially fatal issues. If your cat starts panting, drooling or having trouble breathing it’s important to get them to the nearest emergency vet immediately.

Claws N Paws Day Spa can help keep your cat cool this summer. Contact us at 714-962-1005 to find out how!

 

Our Flea Free Policy

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Our Flea Free Policyflea free policy

Sooner or later every pet parent has to deal with fleas. If you know how to properly treat and prevent fleas, your pet will be happier and healthier. As a respected Orange County grooming shop, we feel that it is important to take action against fleas.

Any pet that arrives for grooming with one or two visible fleas will be given a bath in our citrus-based flea shampoo. This shampoo is safe for pets, but deadly to fleas. It will not damage the pet’s skin like other over-the-counter flea shampoos can. This basic flea treatment is complimentary.

Pets with several fleas and/or flea dirt present must undergo our full de-fleaing process. Pets with fleas are given a Capstar pill immediately. These pills are safe for dogs and cats over four weeks of age. They work hard and fast, killing adult fleas in as little as 30 minutes. After the Capstar has gone into effect, flea-infested pets are bathed in our citrus-based flea shampoo. The pet must sit in this shampoo for 10 minutes to ensure that it is able to work effectively. After the shampoo is fully rinsed, we apply a Dead Sea mud conditioner that stays on for another 20 minutes. This deep conditioning replenishes any lost moisture and soothes irritated skin. After the conditioner is rinsed, all dead fleas are removed before grooming is continued. The entire process takes approximately 80 minutes to complete, therefore an additional $25 charge is added for this service.

When we check in your pet it is sometimes difficult to tell if there are fleas present. It is greatly appreciated if you let us know if you suspect fleas when making your grooming appointment. If we discover fleas on your pet, we will do our best to try to contact you. However, for the safety of our other customers, any pet that arrives for grooming with fleas MUST be de-fleaed before we complete the grooming process.

We take a lot of pride in our grooming shop and keeping it clean and flea free is extremely important to us. Not all grooming salons take these steps to prevent your pet from bringing home fleas.  We take the time necessary to sanitize everything after a flea infested pet has visited our shop. We even have our salon treated monthly by Preferred Pest Control. Preferred uses a pet-safe spray to kill and prevent fleas and other insects.

Please keep in mind that we can only handle a part of the problem. To rid your pet of fleas you must treat your home as well. We use and recommend Orange County based Preferred Pest Control.  Claws N Paws Day Spa does not sell or recommend flea products such as Frontline or Advantage. We encourage you to talk with your veterinarian about safe and effective flea control products such as Comfortis.

We have developed this flea free policy in order to maintain our reputation as a respected Orange County grooming salon. We want every customer to have peace of mind knowing that their pets will not bring fleas home after grooming.

We thank you for your understanding and we hope that this makes you feel more confident about choosing us as your pet’s groomer.

For more information, or to schedule a grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.