Tips on bathing your dog

1. Start bathing your dog regularly at a young age to get him used to the process. But remember, puppies should be at least four weeks old before they receive their first bath.

2. Before starting an indoor bath, make sure the house is warm. Turn up the thermostat a few degrees if necessary. Do your prep work and have everything ready ahead of time; you don't want to be scrambling for shampoo or a towel while you're trying to wash the dog.

3. Start by combing and brushing out all mats. Otherwise, the water will turn the mats into solid masses, which will require clippers to remove. If your dog's hair is matted with paint, tar or some other sticky material, trim with clippers or soak the area with vegetable or mineral oil for 24 hours. (Consult a professional groomer for especially difficult tangles.)

4. Prep your dog. Put a drop of mineral oil in the eyes to protect them from suds. Some people use cotton balls in the ears. If you use cotton balls, make sure they're the right size for your dog's ears; if they're too small, they may slip down the ear canal. Be very gentle with your dog's delicate ears and don't push the cotton down further than can be easily retrieved.

5. Bathe your dog as quickly as possible to make the process less annoying for both of you. Be thorough and do a good cleaning, but whether you're using an indoor tub or shower or washing him in the yard, do it as quickly as possible. Make sure to dry your dog immediately. Use a good pet chamois, lots of big soft towels, or a hair dryer set to a low setting.
(If you don't dry him, he will "shake off" all the water on you, your house or anything nearby!)

Alice England

makingstuffwithlove.etsy.com

Itching

Some of our pets have been having trouble with itching lately. I already gave you one home remedy for hay fever and allergies: bathing in cool water with colloidal oatmeal (like Aveeno). If you don’t have any colloidal oatmeal, you can substitute regular oatmeal. Just fill an old sock with oatmeal and tie it over the bathtub spout so water runs through it.

Where your pet itches can tell a lot about what’s causing the problem. Pets with fleas usually scratch the rear half of their bodies, especially above the tail and down the back of the legs. If your dog has hay fever, it is usually the front half that itches. Front half itching causes face rubbing, foot licking, armpit scratching and neck and chest scratching. Unlike dogs, cats with hay fever often itch all over. In addition, they may develop little scabby bumps underneath their fur. If your dog is itching all over, it could be a food allergy. Cats with food allergies, however, are more likely to itch around the face and neck.

Which brings me to this: How to give a cat a bath. For flea control or anything else, it is about as easy as wrestling with barbed wire. To clean your kitty without getting killed in the process, here’s what vets recommend:

1) Plan ahead: Cats hate the sound of running water, so fill the tub first, then bring in the kitty.
2) Keep her face dry: Getting wet above the neck will give almost any cat a fit. Try to ease her into the tub, to keep splashing to a minimum.
3) Bring an anchor: To keep your cat under control you may want to invest in a kitty harness that’s attached to a leash, with a suction cup on one end. The suction cup sticks to the tub or shower wall to leave your hands free to do the washing. Make sure the leash is short enough so she can’t jump out of the tub and choke herself.
4) Help her get a grip: Putting a plastic milk crate, rubber mat or some other similar object in the tub will give your clutching kitty something to grab, so she’s less likely to sink her claws into you.

Hopefully none of us will be bathing cats regularly, but I thought these steps might help when it’s necessary.

*These tips are home remedies only and should not ever be used as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your veterinarian. If your pet has a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical care.

Alice England
Makingstuffwithlove.etsy.com

CAT BATHS~Part I

Another entry from my email archives.....from one of my many "animal email buddies" ;-)

A few thoughts on cat baths....by The Cat:

'No, I'm not your Good Little Kitty anymore!"

"I don't think I like you anymore."

"Holy Cow!! You call this water WARM???"

"You will pay, as God is my witness....you will pay."

"But you said you LOVED Me!''

Happy Monday! Hope you enjoyed!

Kelly & Crew

Big Mac, Molly & Moxie

angelpupscreations.blogspot.com

angelpupscreations.etsy.com