We all love for our pets to be clean, looking good and smelling good. But did you know that taking care of the outside is nearly as important to your pets’ health as taking care of the inside?
Your pet faces a number of pollutants and contaminants in her day-to-day wanderings. Pesticides from grass/plants, chemicals in cleaning products used in the home, asbestos brake dust from the garage floor or driveway can find their way onto your pet’s coat and skin. Yes, your pet grooms herself naturally, but what of these substances getting into her system through ingesting them during her grooming?
We can’t control every step our pet takes, but we can ensure that he is groomed, clean and healthy. Daily brushing is essential for pets with longer hair and those with shorter hair benefit from a weekly brushing. Using a product called the
FURminator deShedding Tool
is particularly helpful as it not only removes loose undercoat but reveals fleas where they exist and dry skin or dandruff issues that you can then treat.
Dogs who aren’t overly dirty benefit from a monthly or bi-monthly bath, while once or twice a year is fine for felines. When you do bathe your pet, choose a natural shampoo which can be purchased from natural food retailers and some pet store or via mail. Be sure to avoid shampoos that contain chemical pesticides, some of which can be very toxic to your pet or to you (Dr. Pitcairn’s book has a comprehensive list of these commonly used toxins). A safe natural shampoo is plain castile soap (Dr. Bonner’s is a good one that’s available at natural food stores and health food stores, or online.
Visit Dr. Bronner's web site here.)
What about grooming a pet with special grooming needs? What if, despite your best efforts, your pet does come home with unwanted guests hiding in her coat or ears? What if your pet does have dry skin or dandruff? What if your dog has stinky ears every time you turn around? Click on one of the following for advice for special problems…
is particularly helpful as it not only removes loose undercoat but reveals fleas where they exist and dry skin or dandruff issues that you can then treat.
Dogs who aren’t overly dirty benefit from a monthly or bi-monthly bath, while once or twice a year is fine for felines. When you do bathe your pet, choose a natural shampoo which can be purchased from natural food retailers and some pet store or via mail. Be sure to avoid shampoos that contain chemical pesticides, some of which can be very toxic to your pet or to you (Dr. Pitcairn’s book has a comprehensive list of these commonly used toxins). A safe natural shampoo is plain castile soap (Dr. Bonner’s is a good one that’s available at natural food stores and health food stores, or online.
