Top Grooming & Hygiene Mistakes: Are You Making Any with Your Pet?

by Cynthia Holley-Connolly - Staff Writer, Only Natural Pet Store


Many pet parents take a casual approach to matters of grooming. We lead busy lives and taking those extra minutes to perform grooming chores each day is something most of us would prefer to skip. After all, we’ve got better things to do and our pets don’t appreciate it anyway, right? The unfortunate thing is that like many things in life, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and lax attitudes about grooming and hygiene can be costly later when grooming- and hygiene-related health problems emerge.

While grooming “how-to” information is widely available, what seems to be missing is the “why-to.” Shifting the focus from simple grooming techniques to the real value of grooming your pet can help get you motivated to give your pet’s grooming and hygiene needs the attention they deserve. Your pet may not be ecstatic about daily grooming routines, but in the end, they will thank you by living happier, longer, healthier lives. So

Dental Disregard

What tops the list of most costly errors is not addressing our pet’s dental health. Many myths abound about cats’ and dogs’ need for dental care, and one of the most common is the now widely discredited idea that a dry food diet is effective for keeping our pets’ teeth clean. In fact, dry food does not stay in contact with teeth long enough while your pet chews it to effectively reduce plaque. What does remain on your pet’s teeth are crumbs from the kibble, which are often rich in carbohydrates (that breaks down into sugar) and provides nourishment to the bacteria in dental plaque. Daily tooth brushing is important to prevent the build-up of bacterial plaque on your pet’s teeth., so the best thing to do is get a toothbrush and paste and get to it.

The cost of not brushing can be very high, as the infections that bacterial plaque can cause in pets’ and humans’ mouths is known to cause infections in the heart, cause damage to kidneys, and they can even make inflammatory problems like arthritis worse. If you know that brushing is not an option for your pet, know that some newer dental products have been developed to help combat plaque build-up in pets’ mouths. Pets that eat a good diet that includes raw bones and other chew treats like bully sticks will get a great boost to their oral health, but understand that without daily brushing, your pet will probably need more dental care from your vet. To learn more about Dental health care, please click here or follow the link at the bottom of this article.

Bother to Brush

Another critical grooming lapse we make is not brushing our pets’ coats regularly. Regular brushing is a must for many breeds of pets, particularly longhaired breeds, whose carefully crafted genes produce a coat that may be appealing to us, but is not what nature intended these pets to have to manage with. Longhaired cats are far more prone to matting and cause serious hairball issues, which can interfere with digestion and may even cause intestinal blockages. Longhaired dogs are prone to matting and if the coat is overgrown and ungroomed, these dogs may develop skin infections and/or have difficulty regulating their body temperature.

Mats of fur are problems unto themselves, as the skin beneath them can become infected and sensitive. Unless you have experience with removing mats, it’s not a great idea to try removing mats with scissors – it is very common for pet parents to hurt their pet accidentally when trying to remove a mat, as pets may lunge or jump to get away. Mat removal is usually best left to a professional, and remember, mats tighten and may become more painful to remove when the hair gets wet, so if your pet needs mats removed, let a groomer do the job and give your pet a bath afterward. Shorter haired breeds also benefit from regular brushing (as does our furniture!), and it gives each pet parent the opportunity to keep a good eye on their cat’s or dog’s state of overall health. Many subtle health issues can be caught early by vigilant guardians who groom their pets regularly, like fleas, ticks, and abnormal lumps or bumps on or under the skin. Good grooming tools are necessary, and the slicker brush is the most widely used brush for daily care.

Pads, Paws, and Claws

Next on the list of flaws in the grooming routine is neglecting nails and claws. Many cat parents think this isn’t a big deal. After all, not giving cats’ claws any concern may only put your furniture at greater risk. On the more serious end, however, some people still take the easy way out by giving up and putting cats through the painful (and widely considered to be inhumane) process of declawing, or surrendering their cat to a shelter (scratching damage is one of the main reasons cats are surrendered). Indoor only cats can have their claws safely trimmed, and all cats benefit greatly from using a good natural scratching post.

For dogs, keeping toenails trimmed can protect furniture, too, but more importantly, overly long nails are at risk to split or break and become infected. Worse yet, too-long nails can put extreme pressure on sensitive joints in dogs’ feet, which can pave the way for arthritis (or make existing arthritis worse), and lead to splayed toes, a permanent and painful condition where toe joints are damaged. If you are willing to do the nail clipping yourself, you’ll need a toenail clipper and good instructions on how to clip without hurting your pet. Your vet’s office staff should be able to demonstrate. If you’re not sure or comfortable with the procedure, let a professional take care of this important grooming need.

An easy-to-overlook grooming mistake is letting pets “self-groom” toxic residue. For cats, this can mean allowing them to clean away toxic spots like household cleaners or motor oil. If your cat escapes to the garage for a quick look-see, give a quick going over with a non-toxic pet wipe once they come in to keep any automotive residues they may have picked up from the floor or car out of their system. It’s common for dogs to lick their paws after they become wet, which again can be a problem if your dog has been outdoors on dirty wet streets or has walked through chemical de-icing products on sidewalks and other paved areas. In addition to using grooming wipes for dogs’ paws, using a good paw balm can protect them from ice and help reduce absorption of toxic residue when used before outdoor outings.

Obsessive Self-Grooming

It’s important to watch pets to be sure they are not over-grooming. Over-grooming in cats and dogs can be caused by irritated skin. Sometimes an intense area of irritation (commonly known as a “hot spot”) can appear, and pets will lick the area excessively trying to ease the itch or pain. Pets can take a small area of irritation and with obsessive licking, turn it into a painful and swollen infection site. In dogs, the condition is commonly called lick granuloma, and while causes vary and can even include boredom, it’s important to remember that dogs in general do not lick themselves and self-groom as cats do. If you notice this in your canine, recognize that licking can cause or indicate serious health concerns. Look at the skin and use a hot spot remedy or healing remedy like Only Natural Pet Herbal Ointment or Dr. Harvey's Healing Cream if needed. If you see no irritation, consider that itchy skin is a common sign of allergies. We have more information on this widespread problem on our website. Click here or see the links at the bottom of this article for details.

While we’re on the topic of abnormal self-grooming, watch for pets that are obsessively licking the genitals, as this is a very common indicator of urinary tract issues. The licking may be due to local irritation, to the slight incontinence or “dripping” that may occur when the urinary tract is irritated, or due to the pet trying to eliminate the aroma of any blood that may be present in the urine. Urinary tract problems can be very serious. For cats in particular, this is a major health concern, and every conscientious cat guardian should know the warning signs of urinary tract disorders. Likewise, excessive grooming in the anal area is a likely indicator that your pet has skin irritation there, which can be common with food allergies and overgrowth of yeast in the GI tract. For more information on urinary tract issues, click here or follow the link at the end of the article. Click here or see links for more information on yeast infections.

Ewww, Those Ears!

Neglecting our pets’ ears is another common grooming and hygiene slip. There are many pet health myths that prevail today, among them the notion that it is normal for pets’ (especially dogs’) ears to give off a foul smell. Dogs, and in particular the floppy eared breeds, need regular ear cleaning to help combat the problem those cute ears create. Our pets’ ears provide a natural sanctuary for bacteria and yeast, which enjoy the dark, warm and moist environment of our pets’ ear canals. Dogs that swim or are bathed regularly need a gentle antimicrobial ear wash used after the swim or bath. Regular ear cleaning with this type of product for dogs and cats can help reduce the build up of wax, which when it accumulates, further enhances the likelihood that a yeast infection may develop.

Cats generally aren’t at as high of a risk for ear problems, which is all the more reason to take red or itchy ears very seriously. Ear mites are so tiny that they can be difficult if not impossible to diagnose with the naked eye. Ear mites are also common in stray or feral cats, so bringing a stray kitty into your home can put your resident felines at higher risk for an ear mite infection. We have articles on ear and eye care on our website, so be sure to check out our links below and visit our Holistic Healthcare Library for more details.

That’s Normal… Or Is It?

As we suggested with ear odor, a more general grooming and hygiene oversight is ignoring unpleasant odors, body conditions or unusual behaviors. Foul smelling breath, hair loss, flaky, dry or greasy bad smelling skin, and gassiness are all signals of something going wrong in the body, so don’t ignore these warning signs. Extremely foul smelling waste can also indicate a health problem, although a temporary increase in stool odor is commonly noticed when a dog or cat transitions to a healthier diet and toxins are eliminated. It’s been suggested that stool odor may also increase as pets begin any diet that includes more highly digestible food, as the stool volume will decrease, which can cause the elimination muscles to work harder and thereby release more of the strong smelling fluid from the anal glands. This condition should be a temporary one, however, and should resolve in a few weeks.

On the topic of anal glands, a hygiene issue is ignoring a dog’s scooting across the floor, which is a common indicator or irritated or swollen anal glands. The anal glands can become impacted and cause discomfort, which they may try to relieve by dragging their rear ends across the floor. Impacted anal glands can be quite uncomfortable, so check with your vet if you’ve seen this behavior in your dog. Some breeds in particular may need to have their anal glands expressed regularly to reduce the build up of fluid – a procedure that should be performed with accurate instructions and guidance. This is best done while the dog is being bathed, and most professional groomers can do this for your dog if you are not sure or are uncomfortable doing it yourself.

Do It Yourself…

As for specific things we may be misguided about in our grooming routine, the most common items on the list may be grouped as pet bathing mistakes. The first of these is using human bath products on pets. While many natural bath products made for pets are safe to use on humans, this is not always true in reverse. Cats and dogs have different skin pH than we do, and many products that are gentle to human skin can be quite irritating to our pets. Many quality natural bath products for pets like shampoos, conditioners, grooming sprays and wipes are available, so be sure you get one that’s just made for pets if you bathe or use clean-up products on your pet at home. Not rinsing completely is another potential problem. Even a gentle pet shampoo’s residue can be irritating to our pets’ tender skin. Bathing too often is also a concern. Chlorine and other irritants in tap water are absorbed through our pets’ skin, and like bath products, may be drying, especially when pets are exposed more often than necessary. Holistic veterinarians often recommend that in general, dogs can be bathed every 1-2 months, and may be bathed weekly when suffering from a bad flea infestation. Cats that tolerate bathing may be bathed once or twice a year, and once a month when infested with fleas.

…Or Call in a Pro

While this about covers the basics of how we may be neglecting our pets’ health when we overlook basic grooming tasks, there is one last behavior missing from many pet parents’ routine: not taking pets to a professional groomer when needed. Some breeds have skin and coat requirements that necessitate the assistance of a qualified groomer. For others, their grooming needs may not be as rigorous, but still are necessary. With a better understanding of how critical basic grooming is for your pet, you’ll want to be sure that your pet’s health is in mind when you next think about grooming, and if you’re not up for the job, call in a professional to do the job for you. Professional groomers are often the ones to notice health-related grooming and hygiene issues, and often know the critical difference between what’s common (although possibly reflecting a health problem) and what is truly normal, so a groomer can be an important part of your pet’s holistic care team.

If you’re looking for more great information on pet health care topics touched upon in this article, please use the links below to explore these topics in more detail through these articles from our Holistic Healthcare Library.

See all Dental Care Articles like "Dental Care for Pets"
See all Allergy Articles like "Alleviating Your Pet’s Itchy Skin"
See all Urinary Issues Articles
See our article on Candida (yeast): "Chronic Itchiness & Infections – Could it be Candida?"

Click links below to check out other articles that may be of interest:

Chronic Ear Infections
Ask the Vet: Fungal Infection on Paws
Treating Eye & Ear Disorders Holistically
Ask the Vet: Chronic Anal Gland Problems
When Is It Time to See the Vet?
Ask the Vet: Food Allergies & Diarrhea
Bath Anxiety in Dogs