Coat Care

Regular grooming and coat care is important for all pets

Caring For Your Pet's Coat

Regular grooming and coat care is important for all pets, but especially for those with longer coats or sensitive skin.

 

Grooming not only plays a vital role in removing dead hair and dirt (preventing your pet from getting irritation or matting in the coat) but it is also a valuable opportunity to check your pet's skin for fleas and ticks, lumps and bumps or any sores that you may otherwise not have spotted.

 

It is also a good time to inspect your pets claws to see if they need any trimming. This shouldn't be the case for most animals, dogs will wear their claws down as they walk on a pavement for example, but if you do feel their claws are getting a little long you can make an appointment with one of our vets to give them a trim for you.

Getting your pet used to being regularly groomed from a young age is key.

Take care to make grooming a positive experience for your pet and, if you are having problems, seek help from an expert rather than allowing a problem to emerge. It is much easier to get a young animal used to being groomed than an older animal, or one that has had bad experiences.

Look to groom your pet at least once a week - more frequently with a longer coat. For some animals clipping can also be recommended to help keep their coat in good condition - we would suggest every 4 - 12 weeks, depending on the coat.

Professional help

Many dog owners like to enlist the help of a professional groomer to help maintain their pet's coat - however, it is still important to groom your dog at home in between appointments.

In The Dog House is a professional dog groomers adjacent to the surgery that many of our clients have used and recommended - they can be contacted on 02476 613118.

Dematting

If your pet's coat has become particularly matted, it can cause them a lot of distress and discomfort to dematt. In this situation we would recommend booking an appointment with one of our vets to safely remove the matts. If required, they will be able to use a sedative to help make the experience less stressful for your pet.

Contact us on 02476 602564 to book an appointment for dematting.

  • How often should I groom my pet?
  • How do I remove matts from my pet's coat?

How often should I groom my pet?

You should try to groom your pet at least once a week - more frequently for pets with a longer coat.

You may also find that you need to clip your pet's coat, this should be done every 4-12 weeks.

How do I remove matts from my pet's coat?

If your pet's coat has become matted, it can cause them a lot of discomfort to remove.

We advise booking an appointment with one of our vets to safely dematt a particularly matted coat.

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