Don't ignore grooming

This column was originally published in the Tribune Feb. 11, 2002

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Grooming is an important thing to consider before you take a new dog or cat into your family.

Some breeds, like wild canines, may get by with virtually no grooming. In other breeds, regular bathing, combing, and trimming are required or serious skin infections and other diseases may result. And grooming your dog can cost about as much as it costs for a trip to the hairdresser for you.

For this column I got some specific advice about technique and equipment from Candy Nissen, a professional groomer.

Even shorthaired breeds like boxers and German shorthaired pointers and domestic shorthaired cats should be brushed once or twice a week. Candy recommends a "rubber brush" for this task. That's a flat oval shaped brush with lots of flexible rubber teeth. It will remove the dirt and dead hair that tends to accumulate, and will gently stimulate the skin. A bath once a week with a good pet shampoo and maybe hair conditioner may make your dog more tolerable in the house.

Silky coated dogs like Yorkshire terriers should be groomed three or four times a week. She recommends a "slicker brush" first to remove tangles. A slicker brush has long thin springy wire teeth that have an angled bend in them near the end. You have to be gentle, and work carefully, teasing the mats apart and combing the hair.

After the tangles are removed, the hair should be combed with a "wire comb." The teeth on a wire comb are actually pretty thick and are set farther apart than an ordinary human comb. The teeth are about an inch long and rounded on the end. The wire comb will remove any remaining tangles, distribute the natural oils, and make the coat smooth and even. You may be able to hold the comb "endwise" and just use the two or three teeth at the end to work out any tough mats that remain.

Dogs with long, thick hair coats, like old English sheepdogs, and Himalayan or Persian cats, should be groomed daily, following the same routine as with the silky coated dogs. Without regular grooming, the tangled mats that form on these breeds can get so bad that they have to be cut out, leaving big bald spots. Sometimes it is more practical to shave the entire body. If untreated, mats can cause large raw sores and skin infections, and in the warmer months these can become infested with maggots.

There are many popular breeds - poodles, bichon frises, schnauzers, Yorkshire terriers, Maltese and others - that also require regular trips to a professional groomer in addition to the combing and bathing at home. Their hair needs to be trimmed often, even if you don't want the really fancy hairstyling that is traditional with these breeds.

It is embarrassing to admit it, but it is generally harder to get an appointment with a good professional groomer than it is to get an appointment with a veterinarian. It takes a few years at grooming school or several years of experience, or better yet, both, to make a good groomer. There is not a lot of money in it, so there are not a lot of groomers that are willing to work hard long hours for a demanding public.

That's why I've always found it ironic that dog owners often have two complaints about groomers: It is so hard to find a good one who has appointments available and they charge so much money.

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Roen is a retired Clarkston veterinarian whose columns were published weekly in the Lewiston Tribune for more than 30 years. He may be contacted at jazzvet@cableone.net.