Pet Grooming Orange County

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 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.

 

Preparing for the Holidays

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Twinkling lights and decorations will soon fill the walls of every store. This is the time of year when many of us begin shifting our attention to the holidays. This is a favorite time of year for people everywhere. While you might be ready to begin decorating for the holidays, it’s important to consider your pet. Many decorations are dangerous to pets and should always be kept out of reach.

String Lights

Electric lights look beautiful on a tree or decorating your home. However, these lights can pose a serious risk to pets. Pets can chew on cords, leading to electric shock. They can also become tangled, unable to break free. Cats are generally more susceptible to injury from cords, but dogs might be injured as well. It’s important to keep cords well out of reach of pets.

Glass Ornaments

Glass ornaments look a lot like your dog’s favorite ball.  Unfortunately, when chewed, glass ornaments shatter into sharp pieces. If ingested, these pieces can pose a choking hazard and can cause serious injury to the digestive tract. Broken ornaments also pose a risk to other pets and family members who might unknowingly step on pieces of glass. If you must use glass ornaments, make sure that they are kept out of reach of your pet.

Holiday Plants

Poinsettias might look pretty in your home, but these plants are poisonous to pets. When ingested, poinsettias cause serious gastrointestinal distress. Other poisonous plants include holly and mistletoe. It’s important to ensure that pets are not able to access these plants.

Imitation Snow/Tree Flocking

Imitation snow produces a snow-like appearance on Christmas trees. The substance used to create this appearance is dangerous to pets. Dogs often chew on Christmas tree branches. If flocking is used, it will be ingested.

Edible Ornaments

Ornaments and decorations made from food might look cute on your tree or around your home, but they pose a serious risk to pets. The sugar content in candy canes is unhealthy and the glue and other elements used to preserve and hang edible ornaments can be toxic.

Claws N Paws Day Spa hopes that you and your furry friends have a safe and happy holiday season.

Fear-Based Aggression in Pets

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Pets can show aggression for a number of reasons. Sometimes it’s due to lack of socialization or training. Other times, aggression is caused by fear. Pets visiting the groomer often feel afraid. This is especially true for pets that have never been groomed.

At Claws N Paws Day Spa, we’ve seen a lot of fear-based aggression in pets. Sometimes, we can alleviate a pet’s fear by avoiding certain aspects of the grooming process such as kennels and dryers. However, there are other times when pets are simply too afraid to be groomed.

Fear-Based Aggression Puts Pets And Their Groomer At Risk

Pets that show fear-based aggression put themselves and their groomer at risk. These pets will bite and scratch relentlessly until they are able to get away from the situation causing them fear. Unfortunately, this isn’t ideal in a grooming salon. Once free, pets can become injured by falling from tables or colliding with other pets.

While our groomers might attempt to groom an aggressive pet, there is always the possibility that the stress and danger become too great and grooming cannot be completed. At this point, we will have no choice but to send them home. This might mean sending pets home with half a haircut or partially bathed. The safety of your pet is our first concern.

It is strongly recommended that aggressive pets be taken to their vet for grooming. Veterinarians are used to dealing with fear-based aggression and know how to safely sedate pets so that they do not pose a risk to themselves or others. While this might cost more than taking your pet to the grooming salon, it’s safer for your pet.

Pets that show mild aggression can usually be trained to trust their groomer. Frequent visits to the grooming salon can help. Bringing your pet in for simple services such as nail trims and ear cleaning allows pets to adjust to the sights, smells, and sensations of being groomed. As pets learn to accept these services, more can be done. While this type of training won’t work for every pet, it does work for many.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers humane grooming services. This means we WILL NOT put your pet’s health or safety at risk for any reason.

Choosing a Groomer

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All pets require grooming every now and then. This is true for even shorthaired breeds. Without regular baths, dogs can develop skin conditions and become incredibly dirty (and smelly).

Dogs should be bathed every four to six weeks. Longhaired breeds should be groomed more frequently to prevent mats and tangles from forming. Shorthaired cats do not require grooming as often. In fact, some might not need to be groomed at all unless they get into something sticky. Longhaired cats can become matted just like longhaired dogs and should be groomed regularly.

Choosing a groomer can be difficult. Orange County residents have many options when it comes to grooming salons. While most people assume that big box stores such as PetsMart and Petco are the best choice, this isn’t always the case. Inexperienced groomers often run the grooming salons in big box stores. While training is offered, it’s brief and does not cover several important issues about safety and proper grooming technique. In fact, these shops often end up in the news when inexperienced groomers mishandle or unintentionally harm the pets left in their care.

Full Service Grooming Salon in Orange County CA

Claws N Paws Day Spa has been offering high quality grooming services in Orange County, California for over sixteen years. Our groomers have several years of experience and are well prepared to provide your pet with the attention it deserves.

We offer dog grooming and cat grooming for shorthaired and longhaired breeds. Our experienced groomers provide a wide range of services and always put our customer’s first. This includes our furry friends as well as their human companions.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers grooming for elderly and special needs pets. We have a lower tub that enables these pets to easily step in and out of the tub. We also offer grooming on the floor for pets that cannot stand well or are not able to step into the tub.

Our team of professional groomers understands how important your pet is to your family. This is why we treat every pet like one of our own.

Please call 714-962-1005 to setup a grooming appointment today.