Pet Grooming Orange County

Help! My Cat Is Chewing Cords!

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Cats are known for their unpredictable and uniquely wild personalities. Over the course of their lives, domestic cats develop a number of strange habits. Unfortunately for cat owners, many of these habits are destructive in nature. Electrical cord-chewing is one of the more common (and more destructive habits) of the modern housecat.

A Dangerous Habit

Cord-chewing is both frustrating to owners and highly dangerous to cats. While it may damage expensive electronic equipment, a plugged-in cord can potentially electrocute your cat. Cords are also considered a serious choking hazard, as any severed pieces can get lodged in your pet’s throat.

Reasons for Cord-Chewing

Cats chew cords for a variety of reasons. One of the more common reasons is for their dental health; similarly to human babies, cats “teethe” when their teeth or gums hurt. This is especially true for kittens cutting new teeth, but older cats can also experience oral pains.

Cats with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are also more likely to chew objects like cords. OCD increases the urge to suck or gnaw on inedible objects like cords or blankets. Your pet may have OCD if they self-mutilate, chase their tail, or overgroom. While OCD is a common and livable mental condition, its symptoms can be difficult to manage.

Sometimes, cats chew cords or other objects for dietary reasons. They may know there is something missing in their diet and resort to eating just about anything they can find. In severe cases, this condition is called pica. Pica is dangerous, as it can lead to major digestive problems.

Finally, a cat’s environment can often influence their recurrent behaviors. Bored cats are more likely to chew or even destroy objects. Because cords look like another cat’s tail, they are a common casualty of boredom. Alternatively, a stressful environment may also cause unwanted chewing. In either case, you should reevaluate your pet’s living condition.

Curbing Cord-Chewing

Cord-chewing, like any abnormal behavior, should be addressed at the source of the problem. Whether it is OCD or pica, a vet visit is always a good idea. However, due to its dangerous nature, cord-chewing itself must be immediately addressed.

If possible, tuck all cords away from your cat’s reach. This is the best solution, but it can be unrealistic in the modern home. Exposed cords should be as unappetizing as possible. You can smear bitter apple substance (a common cat deterrent) or a menthol-containing product on cords. These offensive smells and tastes should encourage your cat to steer clear of cords. You can also try to cover them up with PVC pipes.

At Claws N Paws Day Spa, your pet’s needs are always the top concern. Our professional grooming salon provides a wide range of services to both cats and dogs. Right next door, your cat can find comfort in our cats-only boarding facility. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us today at 714-962-1005.

Air Fresheners and Your Pet

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If you are a pet owner, you will know that animals can create unique (and often unpleasant) odors in your house. Many households utilize air fresheners to alleviate their home’s “pet smell.” We all want our homes to be as pleasant as possible, but using air fresheners may have long-term effects on your pet’s health. Before making a decision, you should know the various risks of using scented products around your furry friends.

Why Are They Dangerous?

Like many household products, air fresheners contain dangerous chemical components. However, these products are especially dangerous when diffused through the air. Most air fresheners contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which turns the liquid scent into gas at a quickened pace. VOCs are also found in various paints, cigarette smoke, refrigerants and more—all of which are considered unsafe for human and animal consumption.

Some air fresheners contain additional hazardous components. These include common names such as formaldehyde, naphthalene, and phthalates, but the list goes on. Even “natural” air fresheners contain potentially dangerous ingredients. If you wouldn’t use the product around a newborn child, you shouldn’t use it around your pet.

What Are the Risks?

These chemicals do much more than add scents to your home; they can cause damage to both you and your pet. People have reported various symptoms as a result of their air freshening units, such as dizziness, headaches, breathing problems, eye irritation, and even mental impairment. Animals cannot tell us what they feel, but we can expect their symptoms to be magnified. After all, our pets spend more time in the home and are often physically closer to plug-in air fresheners.

VOCs alone cause many of the symptoms associated with air fresheners. Experts have linked VOCs to eye irritation, headaches, lethargy, and damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system. VOCs have also been linked to various types of cancer in animals, who are closer and thus more exposed to air freshener chemicals. This is because animals are more sensitive to VOCs such as ethanol, which is toxic.

Claws N Paws Day Spa in Fountain Valley, California offers professional grooming and bathing services to both dogs and cats. Right next door, we offer cats-only boarding in a separate facility. For more information or to make an appointment, call us today at 714-962-1005.

Walking Your Dog in the Summer

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Summer can be a great time to exercise with your dog! However, summer heat (especially in warmer areas) can provide unique challenges to daily walks. It is important for dog owners to know the various dangers of summer heat, as well as the various precautions they can make. This will ensure safe and exciting summer walks with your beloved furry friend!

Heat Stroke

Dogs regulate body temperature through panting and releasing heat through the nose and paw pads. Unlike humans, they cannot sweat through their skin. As a result, dogs are at higher risk of heat stroke than humans. Certain dogs, such as flat-faced, younger, and obese dogs, are at higher risk of contracting heat stroke. For these dogs, temperatures as low as 70°F can be dangerous. 

Heat stroke can look a few different ways, but it often follows a similar pattern. Panting is normal, but excessive panting may suggest difficulty breathing. Check their mouth for thick saliva or pale gums. Dogs with heat stroke may also experience disorientation or, in severe cases, vomiting and/or diarrhea. They will often appear weak or fatigued with a chance of collapsing.

If your dog is showing signs of heat stroke, you must react quickly. Provide immediate access to drinking water. If possible, give your dog a cool bath. Do not use ice or very cold water; this can make your dog go into shock. Contact your vet, especially if your dog is vomiting or experiencing diarrhea.

Pad Burn

Hot weather can increase pavement temperature severely. As a result, pad burn is very common among dogs during the summer. Pad burn is characterized by discolored or blistered paws. Dogs with burned pads may limp or refuse to walk.

Pad burn is avoidable; you can check the pavement’s temperature with the palm of your hand or base of your foot. If you can’t hold your bare skin to the pavement for more than thirty seconds, it is too hot for your pup.

If your dog experiences pad burn, immediately remove them from the hot sidewalk or asphalt. Keep them in a cool (preferably grassy) area to cool down their paws. Monitor your dog’s pads and behavior; licking paws may lead to infection. Seek veterinary attention as soon as possible.

At Claws N Paws Day Spa, your dog or cat can find professional grooming services from a passionate, dedicated staff. Right next door, your cat will love our cats-only boarding facility. Claws N Paws is currently open with provisions in place to protect our clients and staff from COVID-19. For more information or to set up an appointment, contact us at 714-962-1005.

Summer Grooming Tips

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It’s June, which means summer is quickly approaching! As the weather gets warmer, your dog’s grooming needs will change. Ensure that your dog is comfortable this summer with these grooming tips.

Regular Care

Your dog needs regular grooming throughout the year. However, summer poses certain challenges that require more specific care. Most notably, warmer weather allows longer walks during the summer. These longer walks provide necessary exercise, but they can expose your dog to grass, dirt, ticks, and a number of other environmental elements.

Regular baths are always important, but they are especially important during the summer. Without baths, grass and dirt can stain fur on the paws and body. Bathing requires close attention to detail, so it is often more effective for spotting parasites such as ticks and fleas. Therefore, summer is a great time to set up a regular bathing schedule with your groomer.

Regular care extends well past bathing. Dogs also need to be brushed often. Every day, take a brush through your dog’s coat. Brushing evenly distributes oils across your dog’s coat and prevents mats from growing. This is especially important in the summer because mats trap heat and moisture, leading to painful skin infections.

Your dog’s nails also require maintenance during the summer. On walks, long nails are more likely to snag. Pulled nails are extremely painful to dogs. Always make sure your dog’s nails are trimmed before going on walks.

Why You Shouldn’t Shave Your Dog

Many pet owners think their dog needs a shorter coat in the summer. As a result, they often resort to shaving. However, conducting a complete shave can negatively affect your dog’s wellbeing. Shaving a double-coated dog may even alter their coat for life. Dogs have fur coats for a reason; fur can even protect against environmental factors such as sunburns, ticks, and foxtails.

Instead, talk to your groomer about your best option for the summer. For double-coated dogs, this may be a deshedding. Deshedding removes the thick undercoat, while leaving the protective outer layer. Other dogs may benefit from a shorter cut or altered bathing schedule. A professional groomer will be able to identify the best possible option for your dog.

Claws N Paws owns and operates a full-service grooming salon in Fountain Valley, California. Our dedicated team of professional groomers always have your dog’s specific needs in mind. We are currently open, with various precautions in place to protect our staff and customers from COVID-19. For more information, see our blog on reopening. To set up an appointment, call us at 714-962-1005.

Hand Sanitizer and Your Pet

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In the time of COVID-19, we have seen a major increase in hand sanitizer use. Many pet owners have become concerned about the various effects hand sanitizer may have on their pets. With proper sanitation being necessary, it is important to know the truth about hand sanitizer and its ingredients.

Ethylene Glycol Rumors

Recently, there has been a spike in cautionary social media posts about ethanol hand sanitizer. These posts warn pet owners that hand sanitizer contains ethylene glycol, which is used in antifreeze. They call pet owners to ditch their hand sanitizer or avoid petting their animals after using hand sanitizer. However, other sources are calling pet owners to rethink these claims. The chemical ethylene glycol is in fact very poisonous to animals, but it is not actually used in hand sanitizer.

The most common active ingredients in alcohol hand sanitizers are ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol. While alcohol is toxic to dogs and cats, evaporated hand sanitizer on their owners’ hands will not be enough to harm them at all. However, you should always wait for your hand sanitizer to dry before touching an animal.

What About Natural Hand Sanitizers?

Because hand sanitizer is becoming scarce in stores and online, many people are turning to natural alternatives or making their own. These sanitizers use many of the same products as more mainstream options and are therefore very similar. However, many of these alternatives utilize essential oils, many of which are toxic to animals. Avoid spraying or using products with essential oils around your pets, especially cats. If you choose to make them yourself at home, keep all essential oils far from your animals’ reach.

Whatever you use to keep clean, always read the ingredients and keep bottles far from pets and children. Remember that washing your hands with a good soap is always more effective than using hand sanitizer!

Claws N Paws Day Spa provides professional grooming services to both dogs and cats in Fountain Valley, California. We will be reopening for these services on June 2. See our blog about reopening to review our new social distancing measures in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, you can call us at 714-962-1005.

Our Grand Reopening

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After a long wait, Claws N Paws is finally reopening its doors to customers! However, we also recognize that COVID-19 is still a major concern right now. We care deeply about the safety of our customers and employees. To ensure a safe grand reopening, we have implemented new protective measures.

Social Distancing

As part of our reopening, we at Claws N Paws have designated a reception area at the front of the shop. Walls, a door, and a window now separate this reception area from the main shop. Only one client will be allowed in the reception area at a time. This will ensure minimal contact between individuals, in order to maintain social distancing and stop the spread of COVID-19.

Scheduling Appointments

Because we are practicing extreme caution at this time, we are not currently accepting walk-in appointments. Walk-in appointments make social distancing in the reception area much more difficult to manage. All appointments must be scheduled over the phone well in advance. Due to high volumes of clients, we ask that you plan ahead and schedule your appointment about a week in advance.

As a precaution, please do not make an appointment at Claws N Paws if you or anyone in your household has been sick recently. Additionally, make sure to organize your time with respect for our social distancing measures. You must be right on time to drop off and pick up your pet.

Your Pet’s Belongings

Before you walk inside, make sure to remove all items from your pet including collars or clothing. While pets do not typically carry the virus, coronavirus can last on surfaces such as cloth and stainless steel for long periods of time. That being said, we will also be regularly cleaning and sanitizing our equipment.

Claws N Paws Day Spa in Fountain Valley, California will be open for grooming appointments for both cats and dogs on June 2. At Claws N Paws, we care deeply about you and your pets’ health and safety. We are currently working hard to keep your family safe, as well as ours. We appreciate your patience and understanding during these confusing times, and we hope to see you in our reception area soon! For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at 714-962-1005.