Pet Grooming Orange County

Orange County Pet Groomer Answers: How to Properly Clean the Gunk From Your Dog’s Eyes

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Orange County Pet Groomer Answers: How to Properly Clean the Gunk From Your Dog’s Eyes

If your dog suffers from seasonal allergies they probably gather a lot of gunk around their eyes. This condition typically gets worse during the spring, summer and fall. If not properly removed, the gunk can cause the hair around the eyes to stick together, and cause eye infections. Even though medication can be used to prevent these infections, nothing is as effective as daily cleaning. Claws N Paws Day Spa, your Orange County pet groomer, can help!

  1. Start by taking your dog for a long walk to tire them out. A dog is always easier to work with when their energy level is low.
  2. Use your hand to wipe your own closed eye. This will help you determine the proper amount of pressure to use on your dog.
  3. Soak a couple of clean towels in lukewarm water. You want them to be dripping wet when you use them. It can be helpful to keep them in a bowl of warm water while you work.
  4. Have your dog lie on one side.
  5. Using the wet towel, make sure your dog’s eye is closed and gently wipe the dog’s eye in one direction over and over. Start from the inside corner of the eye and move to the outside corner. As the gunk gets wet it will break loose from the hair and skin around the eye. If the towel becomes too dirty, switch to another a clean one. Remember to never pull, tug, force or press hard when removing the gunk.
  6. Stubborn bits might need the use of your fingers to slide them off. Use a very soft touch to try to remove them and then resume using the wet towel. Never use strength or force as this can hurt your dog’s delicate eye area.
  7. After finishing with one eye, have your dog turn over and repeat the process.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers pet grooming services in Orange County, California. For more information or to schedule a grooming appointment, please contact us at 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.

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!

 

Orange County Groomer Discusses Why You Should Never Leave Your Dog in a Hot Car

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Orange County Groomer Discusses Why You Should Never Leave Your Dog in a Hot Car

 If you take your dog with you everywhere you go, it’s important that you never leave them in the car while running errands, even for a few minutes. The consequences of doing so can be severe under conditions much milder than you might realize. The intense heat inside a vehicle, regardless of the make or model, can be brutal and unrelenting. This Orange County Groomer doesn’t think it’s ever worth the risk.

How dogs deal with heat

A dog’s primary defenses against the heat are panting and their coat. Panting releases moisture and their coat is specially designed to provide insulation against the sun’s rays. The average body temperature for an adult dog ranges from 99.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

What happens to a dog in a hot car?

When a dog is left in a hot car, they pant in an attempt to keep cool. The more they pant, the more body fluid they lose. Even after just a few minutes, a dog can develop symptoms of non-fever hyperthermia or heat stroke. The longer a dog is subjected to intense heat, the greater the chance that it will affect all of their vital systems. Even though senior dogs and puppies are at increased risk, dogs of any age that are left in a hot car can suffer from multiple organ failure and/or death.

How hot is too hot?

Vehicles are built from materials that trap, conduct and distribute heat. Parking under a shady tree, using a reflective dashboard or windshield cover or leaving the windows open only makes a very small difference. The interior of a vehicle gets extremely hot, very quickly. The air temperature only needs to be between 81 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit for a dog to begin showing signs of heat distress. If it is 89 degrees outside, the interior of your vehicle can reach 123 degrees within just 30 minutes.

What to do if you see a dog alone in a car

If you see a dog alone in a parked vehicle you should always attempt to locate the owner first. Write down the vehicle’s license plate just in case legal action is necessary. Alert the local authorities. If you feel that you must intervene, remember that you do so at your own risk.

Claws N Paws Day Spa believes that if you must run errands on a hot day it’s always best to leave your dog at home. Keep them cool this summer with professional pet grooming. To schedule a grooming appointment, please contact us at 714-962-1005.

 

Should You Tip Your Groomer?

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Should You Tip Your Groomer?

Rules for tipping vary significantly from industry to industry. For example, tips offered to your hair stylist are probably different than those you give the person who makes your coffee. When it comes to pet grooming, traditionally tips are given, however exceptions do exist. It all depends on your groomer, the business and your happiness with the work.

It’s much easier to figure out the tipping percentage for food service than it is for services such as pet grooming. Groomers that do not work for themselves generally will not make the full price of the grooming back in compensation, so a tip of a few dollars is a nice way to show your appreciation for their work. For example, a $5 tip on a $50 grooming is not considered a bad tip.

Since they receive all of the profits generated by the grooming shop, it can be easy to dismiss the issue of tipping if the person that performed the grooming is the owner of the grooming shop. However, tipping is a way to show your satisfaction of the work performed and owners should not be separated from other groomers in this respect. If you like the work that was done, then tipping the owner of the grooming shop is perfectly acceptable.

In certain circumstances it might be reasonable to skip the tip. For example, if the groomers are not supposed to accept tips, then you should abide by the grooming shop’s rule. Also, if you are trading services with the groomer or owner then it is probably acceptable to withhold the tip. Remember that tips are for traditional purchase of a service at a location that allows employees to accept tips.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers quality dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. For more information, or to schedule a grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.

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Helping your Local Animal Rescue

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Helping your Local Animal Rescue

Every year, local animal rescues help hundreds to thousands of animals and people, usually with very limited resources and publicity. Helping your local animal rescue isn’t difficult. Try any (or all) of the following:

  1. Tell your friends and family about your local animal rescue. Most rescues rely solely on word of mouth. Consider sharing the organization’s information on social media websites.
  2. Get to know your local rescue groups. Stop in to visit the people that are responsible for caring for the animals.
  3. Before adopting from your local rescue, research what to expect. You’ll be far less likely to become frustrated if you fully understand the challenges and rewards of adopting a pet.
  4. Take a moment to thank the people who work at your local animal rescue. If you’ve adopted a pet from them, show them how well your pet is doing by sharing an updated picture with them in person or on their Facebook page.
  5. Consider making toys for the animals at the rescue using fabric, yarn and recyclables.
  6. Follow your local animal rescue on Facebook and other social media websites.
  7. Donate supplies to your local animal rescue. Rescue groups always need towels, blankets, toys, cat litter and other supplies. Visit or call the rescue to find out exactly what they need. Cash donations are typically welcome as well.
  8. Consider volunteering at your local animal rescue.
  9. Perhaps the best thing that you can do to help your local animal rescue is to make sure that your pets are spayed and neutered and have proper ID at all times. Cats should always be kept indoors and dogs should be kept on a leash while away from home.

Claws N Paws Day Spa has been taking care of Orange County’s dogs and cats since 2001. We offer full service pet grooming at our state of the art pet salon in Fountain Valley, California. Additionally, we offer mobile pet grooming to all areas of Orange County. Claws N Paws also has many wonderful cats and kittens available for adoption. Two doors down from our pet salon we have a consignment shop offering several unique and interesting items. 100% of the profits from all pet supply sales at This n That Consignment go directly into our rescue efforts! For more information, or to schedule your next grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005 today.