Grooming your pet at home can be a rewarding experience for both of you, but it does require some forethought and planning. Personally grooming your pet can bring you closer, especially as you get to know what they like and how the experience makes them feel. We’ve got some dog and cat grooming know-how to help you achieve a stress-free process with great results. 

Quality Time

Washing, brushing, trimming, and massaging your pet all have a tremendous impact on their well-being. Giving them time and special attention helps to build trust and strengthens the bond between you. Grooming at home has the potential to make your pet feel connected, all while directly impacting the way they look and smell. 

Pet Grooming at Home

Investing in good tools is essential to successful grooming. First, assess your pet’s coat quality and length. Pets with short or coarse hair need different combs or brushes than animals with long, thick, or shaggy coats. You may want to introduce the clippers, if applicable, when your pet demonstrates comfort and security during grooming sessions. 

• Start slowly and only address the basics at first. As the process becomes commonplace, you can introduce new facets of grooming. 
• Give lots of praise and rewards. You want your pet to develop a positive association with grooming so they’ll accept it as part of their routine. Make it fun!
• Spend time feeling their musculoskeletal system, skin, paw pads, ears, and abdomen for anything out of the ordinary. Always look for evidence of fleas or ticks. 
• Apply a very gentle touch when they’re in the tub or getting their hair brushed/trimmed. 
• Until you’ve seen it first hand, leave the removal of any mats to professional groomers. We’re also happy to discuss your pet’s coat at their wellness exam. 

Pet-Friendly Shampoo

There are many options to choose from, and it is so important to select a hypoallergenic, pet-friendly shampoo for bath time. Start with a very small amount, adding more to the lather if necessary (and only when you see how your pet reacts). 

• Avoid getting any soap in their eyes, nose, and ears
• Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water
• Gently wipe the ears with a cotton ball 
• Give them a lengthy towel dry; only use a blow dryer on low heat if your pet isn’t scared of the noise

Nails and Teeth

All pets need their nails trimmed regularly. You want to remove any broken or brittle nails and reduce sharpness, but you never want to cut too close to the quick (the white crescent inside the nail). Styptic powder can stop any bleeding. 

You may find that adding tooth brushing to your pet’s regular grooming session is convenient and effective. Be sure to have the right size toothbrush, pet-specific toothpaste, and loads of encouragement. Give them time to accept this practice, but eventually they’ll be happy you’re tending to their teeth (especially those back molars!).

Regular Grooming

When you are involved with every aspect of your pet’s care, you gain as much possible insight into how they’re doing. If you have questions or concerns about pet grooming at home, please give us a call at (530) 673-4744. Our staff is always happy to help you at Adobe Animal Hospital & Laser Surgery Center.

The post Dog and Cat Grooming Recommendations at Home: A Simple Guide for Pet Owners appeared first on Adobe Animal Hospital & Laser Surgery Center.

With cooler weather on the horizon, logic says our fur babies should be gaining floof—not depositing it all over the house. But if you’ve noticed the fur starts flying when the leaves start falling, there’s a perfectly good explanation! 

Our team at Adobe Animal Hospital and Laser Surgery Center is here to help you get to the bottom of this hair-raising mystery as well as provide you with ways to contain your furry family member’s shedding coat.

Why a Fall Shed?

The truth is, our pets are always shedding fur to some degree, but they typically experience two major seasons of shedding: in the spring (which makes purrfect sense) and again in the fall, which might sound counterintuitive.

Interestingly enough, your pet’s coat may be reacting to the amount of daylight in their environment. When the days get longer (in the spring and summer) or shorter (in the fall and winter), it alters hormone levels that impact fur growth. 

When the sun starts to set earlier in the fall, it triggers a reaction in your cat’s or dog’s hair growth cycle. The old fur will be shed to make room for a new, thicker undercoat for the cooler months.

Indoor-only cats and small dogs that spend most of their time inside may experience a steadier, year-round shed.

Tips for Coping with Your Pet’s Changing Coat

In addition to diligent vacuuming of the floors and furniture, plus persistent use of sticky lint rollers, there are practical ways to reduce the amount of flying fur in your home:

1. Get serious about grooming. You may very well brush or comb your pet’s fur on a regular basis, but during a seasonal shed, many pets need to be groomed daily. Grab a deshedding tool, like the Furminator or ShedMonster, and prepare to be awestruck by the amount of fur and undercoat you collect!
2. Frequent bathing can help loosen and remove fur, and you can save yourself the mess by pampering your pet with trips to a professional groomer. Some groomers also offer deshedding treatments that may be particularly helpful for long-haired or double-coated breeds.
3. Focus on nutrition. Make sure your pet is eating a high-quality diet and that a protein source is listed as the first ingredient. Nutritional supplements like fish oil and Omega-3s may also help keep your pet’s coat and skin healthier.

Schedule a Vet Check

Excess hair loss isn’t always a seasonal phenomenon. Some medical conditions can prompt your pet’s loss of fur, such as allergies, mites, ringworm, skin infections, fleas, and Cushing’s disease. Be on the lookout for symptoms that could point to a medical problem:

• Red, irritated skin in the area of the hair loss
• Patches of bare skin showing through
• Flaky or crusty skin
• Unusual lumps or bumps

We’re Here to Help

Our compassionate team is always happy to demonstrate proper grooming techniques and answer questions you have about maintaining your pet’s crowning glory. Please contact us to schedule your pet’s next visit. 

The post The Fall Shed: Managing Your Pet’s Seasonal Hair Loss appeared first on Adobe Animal Hospital & Laser Surgery Center.

By the time summer lets go and autumn moves in, pets and their people may be relieved that heat stroke and dehydration are in the rear view. That doesn’t mean, however, that the approaching weeks aren’t full of their own threats to pet safety. On the contrary, Halloween can be highly dangerous to the pets in our care. With special attention and thorough preparation, our team can help you prevent illness, injury, loss, and other consequences associated with Halloween. 

How to Know

Many pets are perfectly happy to go with the flow, regardless of the time, event, or stimuli. Others may be highly sensitive to crowds, costumes, and the associated sights and sounds. It’s a good idea to carefully consider where your pet resides on this spectrum. 

Even if you have a good idea how they might react to squealing kids or scary noises, your pet could surprise you. A normally relaxed pet may be triggered by something. Reacting to your pet’s needs and quickly providing for them is at the center of Halloween pet safety. 

A Place to Wait It Out

Sometimes, the constant doorbell ringing or knocking can rattle a pet’s nerves. You can promote pet safety and well-being by setting up a back room just for them. Dim lighting, white noise, snacks, and plenty of water can soothe any anxiety related to Halloween. Spend time with them after you turn off the porch light, and give them the attention they deserve.

To prevent accidental loss or separation, be sure that your pet is either safely contained or leashed the entire evening. Check their collar and ID tags, and update their microchip if contact information has recently changed. 

Safe Inside

Cats, especially black cats, should stay indoors prior to and during Halloween events. If you and your pet typically walk at night, be sure to wear reflective clothing and lights. 

Halloween Candy and Pet Safety

Prevent a pet emergency caused by Halloween candy in these ways:

• Never allow your pet to get their paws on chocolate candy, nuts, raisins, or goodies sweetened with xylitol. This includes artificially sweetened mints or gum, and baked goods. 
• Eliminate their exposure to alcohol, marijuana products, and caffeinated beverages, (including energy drinks). 

• Keep unsafe items on high surfaces they cannot access
• Pick up any discarded wrappers or packaging
• Store backpacks, purses, or bags behind closed doors. 

Other Dangers

Halloween pet safety requires a cautious approach to the following:

• Candles (always used battery-operated lights in jack o’lanterns, but be sure your pet can’t eat them).
• Halloween decor and festive displays, including string lights, animatronic displays, webbing, and even scarecrows.
• Costumes can be fun for a quick picture, but unless your pet is completely relaxed wearing a costume please remove it before they become distressed. Remove any attachments or embellishments that could endanger their health. 

Pet Safety and Comfort

Your pet’s health is our number one priority. Please call us at (530) 673-4744 with any questions or concerns. Our veterinary team is always here for you at Adobe Animal Hospital and Laser Surgery Center.

The post Halloween Pet Safety Tips appeared first on Adobe Animal Hospital & Laser Surgery Center.