In order to keep your dog healthy and happy, you need to keep up with their grooming. Is your dog elderly, or do they have health issues? They still need to be groomed.
Even senior dogs that are not in ideal health need to be regularly groomed. This is very important in keeping them happy and improving their quality of life.
But is it safe to groom elderly dogs with health conditions? Keep reading to find out if you can safely groom your elderly dog and keep them looking nice.
Is Grooming a Safe Option for Senior Dogs With Health Issues?
It is considered to be safe to groom an elderly dog, even if they have health conditions. Elderly dogs generally tend to develop health issues, so this isn't out of the ordinary.
You may worry that grooming your elderly dog isn't a safe option, but it really is. All dogs need to be regularly groomed, including elderly dogs who aren't in perfect health.
They still need to be washed and trimmed up in order to look nice and feel good. This includes baths, hair cuts, and trimming nails.
What You Should Do When Grooming an Elderly Dog
Though grooming an elderly dog is safe, there are some things you should consider.
When grooming a senior dog with health conditions, you want to be very aware of their health. Elderly dogs alone are fragile, let alone elderly dogs with health concerns.
Keep reading to find out some things you should do for safer senior dog care.
Be Gentle
Even though Grooming for senior dogs is considered to be safe, you should try to be more gentle. Dogs with health conditions and older dogs are more delicate.
Any kind of senior dog care requires gentleness to avoid injuring or upsetting them. This is something that you should remember when grooming your dog.
Try to make sure they have something with a grip to stand on so that they aren't sliding around. You should also opt for soft brushes and other delicate grooming tools.
Avoid anything that is rough or pulls on their fur, which could make them slip and fall.
With senior dogs, it is best to do most of their grooming by hand. You can wash and dry them by hand so that you can be gentle and keep them calm.
Making sure they feel at ease and safe is very important, so try to encourage them throughout the process.
Make it Quick
Senior dogs are more delicate and cannot put up with too much for too long. They also may not have as good of balance as they used to.
Because of this, you should try to keep their grooming session short. Dogs with health conditions do better with shorter grooming sessions that happen more frequently.
They most likely tire out easily and need plenty of time to rest. Elderly dogs usually can't withstand as much as they used to, including long grooming sessions.
It is better to have two or three short grooming sessions a month instead of one long one. This will help your dog to stay clean and happy without becoming too worn out from the grooming process.
Take Their Health Into Consideration
If your senior dog has health issues their senior dog care should cater to these. This is important in order to be able to safely groom them.
If your dog has urinary issues, you may need to schedule a potty break during the grooming session. Or you may need to have them lay down as you groom them for their joint health.
This is going to depend on any health issues that your dog has. You do not want to stress them out or push them to do things they shouldn't physically be doing.
This is a very important part of grooming dogs with health conditions, no matter what the health issues are.
Get an Experienced Groomer
If you have a professional groomer groom your dog, it is important to find one with plenty of experience. They should have experience with grooming elderly or sick dogs.
This way, they will know what to expect and how to treat your dog. They will take all of the necessary precautions to ensure that your pet stays safe during their grooming appointment.
You can also take the time to give them any special instructions that you think are important.
Why Grooming Elderly Dogs is Important
Though many people may question the importance of grooming for senior dogs, it is indeed important. You have a responsibility as a dog owner to make sure your dog is groomed.
This is important as grooming keeps your dog clean and helps them to avoid skin issues. Brushing and trimming their coat is also vital to avoid matting and overheating.
Grooming also includes trimming the nails and cleaning your dog's ears and eyes. These are all important details in maintaining your dog's health and quality of life.
Senior dogs require the same care and also need to be groomed just as regularly. In fact, elderly dogs tend to need even more grooming as they get dirtier more frequently.
Many elderly dogs tend to get dirty faster as they cannot physically stay as clean as younger dogs can. They may have accidents or get food all over themselves from messy eating.
They will need to be bathed more frequently, and it is very important to keep their nails trimmed short for comfort.
Is It Safe to Groom Elderly Dogs With Health Conditions?
If you have senior dogs, it is very important to see them well-groomed to improve their quality of life. This is a safe option if done right and can help your dog to stay clean and happy.
Grooming is important for all dogs, no matter how old they are or whether they have health issues. All dogs need to be groomed in order to be well taken care of.
Take a look at Bubbly Paw's dog grooming services to keep your senior dog clean and safe.