Search Results for: blog grooming skin and coat problems

Ask a Pets Blogger: Helping Pets with Flaky Skin

My cat has terrible dandruff… at least I think it’s dandruff! She’s always got flakes on her skin and in her coat. What can I do to clear this up? This is a conversation I get to have often at the cats-only boarding facility where I work. As part of our check-in process, we give each cat a quick brushing with a very fine-toothed comb. Our goal is to check for fleas, but we often end up talking to owners about skin and coat care… and dandruff. Dry skin can be a seasonal problem, especially in the winter months when … Continue reading →

Grooming an Older Cat

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Older cats may groom themselves less than younger cats for a variety of reasons. Perhaps pain makes it difficult to reach certain areas. Perhaps an illness is impacting skin and coat, making it harder to keep up with grooming. As your cat ages, you may need to take a more active part in grooming! Helping your older cat with grooming is a good way to monitor changes in health. Look for changes in your pet’s skin as they age. Some pets develop dry skin and dandruff as they age; others tend to get oily skin that leaves the coat feeling … Continue reading →

Grooming: Matted Hair

Long haired, double coated dogs and cats like Chows, collies, and Persians can be prone to hair mats without regular brushing and grooming. Why is fur matting bad for dogs and cats? It looks bad. This is the least of your problems. Mats in the armpits and groin areas can be very painful. Mats can cause bruising from pulling. Mats can cause sores if the dog or cat is constantly licking or chewing on the area. A pet with matted fur may be reluctant to move. A pet with painfully matted fur may flinch or snap at human contact. You … Continue reading →

How Do Ionic Brushes Work?

Have you seen ads for ionic brushes for pets? They don’t just brush the fur — they can also help reduce pet smells. So how do they work? Ionic brushes break down water molecules in your pet’s coat and release safe levels of ozone into the air. This helps neutralize pet smells. The advantages of an ionic brush: An ionic brush can be used instead of a full bath. Sure, sometimes a bath is necessary, but regular brushing with an ionic brush can help keep pet odors at a minimum. Brushing your pet is a great way to bond! You … Continue reading →

Cats Who Won’t Groom

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We’ve had guests at the cats-only boarding facility who can’t or won’t groom themselves. I started to wonder why. Looks like there are a lot of different reasons why a cat might not groom him or herself. Here are a few: Illness. A cat that doesn’t feel well might stop grooming. Many times, this is the first warning sign an owner will notice when their pet is sick. Maybe you’ll see mats, or just notice that your cat isn’t as clean as usual. It’s not a bad idea to talk to your veterinarian if your cat has stopped grooming. Hormonal … Continue reading →

It’s Itching Season Again!

Ah spring. I go through this every year with Moose (my German shepherd mix) and Lally (my boxer/shar-pei mix). Moose starts to gnaw on his forearms. He ends up chewing calluses and bald spots into his legs if I don’t catch it quickly enough. Lally just itches all over. She crams her feet into her mouth to chew. She scratches her stomach until it’s red and irritated. And with the extremely mild weather we’ve been having in the Portland, Oregon area lately — we’ve been in the fifties all week — it seems that the itchies are arriving earlier than … Continue reading →

Another Shedding Season is Upon Us!

Although domestication has changed many automatic behaviors in pets, it hasn’t quite gotten rid of the hair problem. Spring and fall, many pet owners find themselves wading through a river of fur as old coats call out and new ones grow in. My parents joke that their long-haired chow mix Becca leaves tumbleweeds of shedded hair in the hallways. Shedding can be a much bigger hassle with a pet with long hair! But it’s no picnic with short haired dogs like Moose and Lally, either. Moose tends to shed all year… at least a little. It gets more noticeable in … Continue reading →

Hot Spots: The Basics

If your dog has a raw, open, oozing sore, it may be a hotspot! Also known as a superficial pyoderma or pyotraumatic dermatitis, this is a surface skin infection that can pop up quickly and be very painful or unpleasant for both dog and owner. How do hot spots start? Any dog can develop a hot spot, but there are some things you can watch out for. Dogs with heavy coats may develop hot spots when shedding, if undercoat hair gets trapped next to the skin. Dogs with histories of skin allergies may be susceptible to hot spots. Dogs who … Continue reading →

Picking A Pet Rat

If you think a rat is the right pet for your family, how do you pick the right one? You have several options for where you get your rat. Pet stores may or may not be a good choice, depending on how knowledgeable the staff is about rat care in general. Check the housing — make sure males and females are housed separately, or you may get a surprise litter after you get your pet rat home. Young rats should be handled regularly. Breeders (also known as ratteries) are a great place to find a well socialized young rat. A … Continue reading →

How to Bathe a Dog That Hates Baths

In Dog Quirks: The Funny Little Things They Do I shared that one of Murphy’s quirks is that he hates baths. Which is not such a bad thing. Unlike us humans, it’s not good for a dog’s coat to be washed too frequently anyway. However, there are those times when he gets a little ripe and we’re forced to take action. Since he hates showers and baths of any manner, we have limited options. (He weighs about 65 pounds, which is very manageable most times. He is very well behaved and listens to most commands. But at the mention of … Continue reading →