It all starts with the nails. Not only do we trim/grind the nails, but we also look at the nail beds, pads, and the whole paw in general. Is there any irritation or inflammation occurring? How do the nails themselves look? Are they soft and crumbly? Do they shatter and crack when they are clipped? Are any of the nails growing into the pad causing pain when walking? Are the quicks particularly long? Is the dog sensitive about touching their paws? Does your dog constantly lick their paws? We can identify many problematic issues on the paw alone. Our goal is to catch these problems or prevent them before they get worse and require more invasive treatment.
Ear cleaning is next. We use cotton balls and an ear cleaner solution. Unlike in humans, the ear canal is L-shaped, so there is little chance of damaging the eardrum. It is very important to keep your dog's ears clean. Some dogs are more prone to ear infections than others. Golden Retrievers and Labs who love to swim often have chronic ear problems. Dogs with floppy ears or narrow openings have trouble getting airflow creating the perfect environment for yeast and bacteria to grow. Some of the things we look out for while cleaning are a strong "yeasty" odor, dark-colored or heavy build-up of wax, redness, or sores. If your dog is excessively pawing, scratching, or rubbing his ears, it might be time to go see a vet who can prescribe ear drops or medication. We see good results from people using their prescribed medication and being very diligent about thoroughly cleaning the ear.
Bathing is important not only to keep your dog free from dirt and parasites but, let's face it, they can stink! After taking into consideration your dog's coat type (short-haired, drop coat, silky coat, etc…), coat condition (oily, matted, dry, excessive shedding, etc…), and any skin concerns from the pet parent, we pick out the perfect shampoos and conditioners that will aide in the grooming process. The bath is where we discover skin issues, many not yet known to the owner. Our hose nozzles are designed to push back the hair, separating it so that you can see directly onto the skin. We uncover everything from dry skin to sores, hotspots, fleas, ticks, wounds, lumps, and parasites. Bathtime is where we can help remedy some of these issues with our specialty shampoos and conditioners.
Last but not least...we get them as dry as possible! Every dog is different and the method we use to dry them depends on what they will tolerate. Drying with a high-velocity hand dryer is ideal, but not every pet can handle it emotionally or physically. For short-haired dogs like Beagles, Labs, and Pointers, the more thoroughly we can dry them, the more hair we can pull out when it comes time to brush them with our specialty tools. If the coat is still wet, the fur tends to “stick” together and stays attached to the coat/body. For long-haired dogs, we need to get the coat completely dry to get an even, straight haircut. We do use kennel dryers (with no heating element) on occasion, but only in special circumstances, and only when it is safe to do.