Pet Grooming Orange County

Dealing with Dry Skin on Maine Coons

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Dealing with Dry Skin on Maine Coons

Maine Coons are one of the largest cat breeds in the world. These gentle giants have medium to long hair that is silky, heavy and water resistant. Regular grooming of Maine Coons is required to prevent tangles from becoming large mats that can cause dry skin, itching and general discomfort. Dry skin can also be caused by diet, environmental factors and medical conditions. Let’s discuss how to prevent and deal with dry skin on Maine Coons.

Maine Coons require regular grooming. Dead hair must be properly removed from the undercoat and tangles must be dealt with promptly. Always use appropriate combs and brushes when caring for your Maine Coon. Never pull or tug on tangles. If the fur has become matted, have a professional groomer remove the mats. Dry skin and dandruff issues are common if your Maine Coon is not able to groom itself properly because of old age or weight problems. Frequent brushing will help to distribute the natural oils in your pet’s skin and keep your cat looking and feeling its best.

Diet plays a big role in the overall quality of your Maine Coon’s coat and skin. Always feed a high quality cat food that is appropriate for your cat’s size and age. Look for a commercial cat food that has an animal protein listed as the first ingredient. In addition, the food should contain very little to no grains, artificial colors or flavors. Adding Omega-3 supplements to your Maine Coons diet can reduce the incidence of dry skin.

Dry skin can also be caused by environmental factors. Keeping your home clean and vacuumed can significantly reduce the amount of fleas, flea eggs, mites and allergens in your home. When treating for fleas remember to treat your whole home as well as your cat. Other environmental factors that can negatively affect your cat’s skin and coat include stress and anxiety. Try to provide your cat with calm living conditions.

Sometimes irritated skin is caused by a medical condition. Check your cat for dry, flaky, irritated skin or hair loss. Constant scratching, licking and chewing of the skin, scabs, inflammation and round, scaly patches on the face and paws are all signs of potentially serious skin conditions. Take your cat to a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment. If prescribed oral or topical medications to treat a skin condition, always follow your veterinarian’s instructions carefully.

Claws N Paws Day Spa provides professional cat grooming services in Orange County, California. For more information, or to schedule your next grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.

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The Problem With Foxtails

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The Problem With Foxtails

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner. Many of us in Southern California are already out and about enjoying the warmer weather with our dogs. While this time of year should be enjoyed outside, pet parents need to be aware of the problems associated with a common grass-like weed called foxtails.

Foxtails can be found everywhere in Southern California, typically hidden in weedy areas along paths and roads. From January to early April, the foxtails are soft, green and harmless. However, in the late spring the seed heads begin to dry, creating a significant hazard for your dog that lasts throughout the summer and early fall.

The dried foxtail seeds detach from the plant and stick to clothing or animal hair. They can easily become lodged in between a dog’s toes, in its ears or in its eyes. Because the seeds are barbed like a fish hook, they are extremely difficult to remove. Once embedded, foxtail seeds can cause severe infections and abscesses.

Sometimes foxtail seeds can be seen clinging to the fur. When embedded, they can be very difficult to spot. Common symptoms include:

  • Inflamed, infected, painful lump anywhere on the body
  • Whining or crying with no apparent reason
  • Compulsive licking or biting at the paw or tail area
  • When in the ear, the dog might rub its head on the ground or shake its head violently from side to side
  • When in the eye, the dog might squint and paw at its eyes
  • Inhaled foxtail seeds can cause violent sneezing and bloody discharge

In addition to causing pain and infection, foxtail seeds can enter through the nose, ears, paws, eyes or skin and lodge themselves in the spine, lungs or other internal organs. The seeds are small, making them difficult to locate and remove. Depending on where the seed has traveled to inside the dog, it can be life threatening and require immediate surgical removal.

To prevent serious injuries from foxtails:

  • Remove weeds from your garden
  • Keep your dog away from weeds when walking or hiking
  • Discourage your dog from chewing on grass
  • Examine your dog daily, feeling for any raised areas on its skin
  • Remove visible foxtail seeds carefully by pulling them straight out, ensuring that they do not break in the process
  • If you suspect that a foxtail is embedded in your dog’s skin, paw, eye or ear, take your dog to a veterinarian immediately

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers professional pet grooming in Southern California for both dogs and cats. If you are unsure about how to remove a visible foxtail we can show you how. Please call 714-962-1005 for more information or to schedule your next grooming appointment.

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Getting the Most Out of Your Dog’s Grooming Experience

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Getting the Most Out of Your Dog’s Grooming Experience

Visiting the groomer can be an exciting time for you and your pet. The following tips will help you get the most out of your dog’s grooming experience.

  1. Bring a photo of your dog in the clip that you liked best, or print out a picture of the style that you would like to see on your dog.
  2. Whenever possible, discuss the trim, style or clip with the groomer that will be working on your dog. They will be able to tell you if your dog has the right type of coat texture and length for the look you wish to achieve. They will also be able to check for any matting or tangles that might limit the type of cut that can be done.
  3. Remember that if you do not take the time to brush and comb out your pet’s fur, then there will only be so much that your groomer can do without causing your pet pain. If the coat is a matted mess, the only humane thing that can be done is to shave it off and start over.
  4. You are paying a professional for their experience and advice, if they tell you that a certain style cannot be done, then they are probably right. While asking questions is always a good idea, allow yourself to be guided by the groomer’s recommendations.
  5. If you have a puppy that is new to the grooming experience, or if you have a difficult adult dog, DO NOT expect perfection for at least the first two to three visits.
  6. Do not take your dog to a different groomer every time. It is important to develop a good relationship with your groomer while allowing your pet to do the same.
  7. When dropping off your dog, don’t hover or transfer your uncertainty to them. Make it a quick and upbeat drop off and be excited and pleased when you pick them up. This way your dog will learn to anticipate pick-up time.
  8. Try not to arrive early for pick-up. If you must wait for your pet, don’t knock on the window where they can see you and keep quiet while the groomer finishes. Dogs tend to get excited when they see or hear their owners, making it difficult to complete the groom, and increase the chance of injuries.
  9. Don’t arrive late for your appointment. Professional groomers are very busy. If you will be more than ten minutes late, call the groomer to make sure that you can still bring your pet in.
  10. Arrive on time to pick up your pet. A grooming salon is not a free pet sitting service. There are typically other pets waiting for your dog’s space.
  11. If you use a mobile groomer, it is extremely important to be home when your groomer is scheduled to arrive.
  12. If your dog was matted when it arrived for grooming, it probably has some skin conditions. Heavily matted coats are often hiding rashes and oozing sore spots. A dog that has had its matted coat removed will usually scratch excessively. This scratching can lead to further skin irritation and sometimes bleeding. This is a reaction to the mats and is in no way the fault of the groomer.
  13. Always let your groomer know in advance if your dog is difficult to groom. A severe bite to the face or hand can end a grooming career and put a groomer in the hospital for weeks at a time. Do not allow an unsuspecting groomer to take the brunt of your difficult dog’s aggression.
  14. It’s always a good idea to walk your dog before dropping it off at the groomer. A nice walk gives your dog a chance to do its business and get some energy out before it must sit still on a grooming table.

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

Receive a free teeth brushing for your pet when you mention our blog!!

 

How Grooming Affects your Dog’s Behavior

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How Grooming Affects your Dog’s Behavior

Most people know that petting and stroking their dogs provides many physical and emotional benefits for humans. However, this nurturing interaction can benefit our dogs as well.

Dogs learn to enjoy touch only when they have the right experiences with it. Rough handling destroys a dog’s trust. Tentative handling can have the same effect. Puppies will often protest being touched. If you back off when these protests occur then you send the wrong message to the puppy. They will learn that the only way to communicate with people is by growling or biting. On the other hand, if you overreact and punish the puppy for protesting, then you can actually make the puppy more defensive.

A regular grooming schedule provides structure to a puppy’s experience of human touch. With the important task of grooming to get through you are more likely to hold steady when faced with a puppy protest. In order to help your puppy cooperate through the process of grooming, you will quickly learn ways to make the grooming process more comfortable for your puppy. This brings balance into your interactions, leading to a number of benefits.

In order to maintain a healthy relationship with your dog, regular touch is necessary. While it’s easy to cuddle and pet a clean dog several times a day, it’s not so easy if you must go and clean yourself up every time. This is one of the reasons that regular grooming is so important to your relationship with your dog. When dogs have tangles and mats, they often have skin sores hidden beneath the mats. These sores hurt, making the dog fearful of being touched. However, because the sores are hidden, their family members do not realize why the dog resents being touched.

Families with long-haired dogs should know right from the start that professional grooming will be required. The training provided by a skilled groomer can be extremely beneficial. For best results, find a good groomer and stick with them. Shopping around for the best price for dog grooming can negatively affect how your dog handles the grooming process. Dogs who visit the groomer regularly tend to enjoy the experience while dogs that are not taken often enough can find the experience painful and scary.

Short haired dogs require regular grooming as well to distribute skin oils throughout their coat, keep their nails trimmed and to remove loose hairs. Families that groom their dogs regularly have healthier dogs because they are able to detect problems much sooner, while they are much easier to treat.

Claws N Paws Day Spa has been taking care of Orange County’s dogs and cats since 2001. For more information about the grooming process, or to schedule a grooming appointment please call 714-962-1005.

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The Problem with Fleas on your Cat

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The Problem with Fleas on your CatFleas on pets

Fleas can quickly take over your home and your cat. Fleas bite both people and pets, causing welts and intense itching. These tiny pests are not only difficult to live with, but they can also cause some serious problems as well. Let’s discuss the problems associated with fleas on your cat.

Tapeworms

Fleas are an essential part of a tapeworm’s life cycle. If your cat swallows an infected flea, it will end up contracting these intestinal parasites. Tapeworms can cause serious problems for your cat including malnutrition and intestinal blockage. These problems aside, the sight of tiny wriggling tapeworms on your cat or in their litterbox will be enough to send you running to your vet for medication. However, treating the tapeworm infestation is only a small part of the battle, as long as your cat is still coming in contact with fleas, they are subject to re-infection.

Anemia

A cat that has a severe flea infestation is not only suffering from the intense itching these pests can cause, but they can also cause your cat to die. Every time a flea bites your cat, it takes a little of its blood. If your cat has a large number of fleas on it, they can consume so much blood that your cat becomes anemic. Even though cats of any age can become anemic from fleas, the most likely to suffer are young kittens and elderly cats. Controlling fleas can protect your cat from this life-threatening situation.

Allergies

Cats that are repeatedly exposed to fleas can develop a flea allergy causing them to react strongly to every single flea bite. Cats with flea allergy scratch and lick constantly. Their skin becomes red and inflamed causing obvious distress. Flea allergy can also cause your cat to lose fur and develop sores. In severe cases you might see cracked, crusty brown patches that ooze clear fluid or pus.

Dealing with fleas can be an ongoing battle, especially in California where the weather is ideal for fleas all year long. Fleas must be dealt with aggressively and quickly to avoid serious problems for your cat. In order to ensure that fleas are dealt with properly, your cat and home must both be treated.

Claws N Paws Day Spa has been taking care of orange county’s pets since 2001. We can help you rid your pet of fleas. For more information or to schedule a grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005 today.

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Trimming Your Dog’s Nails

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Trimming Your Dog’s Nailsafter2

Nail trims are an extremely important part of your dog’s basic grooming needs. However, most pet parents experience anxiety over the idea of trimming their dog’s nails. Although a lot dogs do not like having their feet touched and will do anything to avoid it, it is possible to keep your dog’s nails properly trimmed. Most dogs can even be trained to tolerate the process.

Why Your Dog Needs Regular Nail trims

Like human nails, dog nails grow constantly. Although some dogs naturally wear down their nails by walking on concrete, most dogs do not spend enough time outside to keep their nails short. This is especially true for small dogs. If your dog’s nails are left to grow they can quickly curl under and grow into the pads of their feet. This leads to painful sores and infections. Even if their nails do not curl under, long nails make it difficult for a dog to walk and can lead to torn or split nails, a condition which must be treated by a veterinarian.

When to trim your dog’s nails

How often you trim your dog’s nails depends on your dog. The rate of nail growth vs the amount of natural wear varies from dog to dog. In order to determine when to trim your dog’s nails, look to see if they touch the floor when your dog is standing. If so, then it’s time for a trim. Most dogs require a nail trim every four to six weeks.

When a puppy should receive its first nail trim

It is extremely important to start handling your puppy’s paws the moment that you bring them home. Offer treats and toys whenever you play with their feet. This will get your puppy used to the sensation and help them associate it with a positive experience. Once your puppy is comfortable with having its feet handled, start with small nail trims every week or two. Be very careful not to cut too much or your puppy will associate nail trims with pain. This can make them fearful of the experience.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers professional grooming and nail trims for dogs of all ages. Nail trims are given every time your pet is groomed or bathed. Walk in nail trims are also available and can be extremely helpful for getting your new puppy or dog used to the grooming experience. For more information, please call us at 714-962-1005.

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