While animal lovers in Hyderabad display a lot of enthusiasm and take pride in their dogs, veterinarians point out that many overlook the aspect of grooming, which is as important as taking the dogs to clinics for vaccine shots.
With little awareness on the matter, dog lovers wrongly believe that grooming involves just passing a brush over the pet’s coat once in a while.
“We usually see dogs receiving vaccine shots quite regularly. However, almost all of them look shabby, with long and matted hair, infected paws and other skin aliments. I personally feel that this is happening because pet owners do not have much awareness on the significance of grooming their pets,” says Lakshmi Srinivasan of The Animal Care Clinic.
According to the vet, grooming – maintaining a dog’s physical health and its appearance – helps owners notice existing health problems, which are otherwise overlooked.
“There are problems like parasitic infestations, cut paws, ear wax problem, issues with the coat, skin problems and a variety of other issues that may not be immediately obvious,” Dr. Lakshmi says.
Veterinarians point out that when owners begin frequently washing and brushing their pets, they start recognising such issues.
Frequent brushing of the dog’s coat helps remove dirt and helps distribute skin oils, creating a shiny coat.
“This allows pet owners to see the condition of the dog’s skin and to notice the early stages of flea or tick infestations and skin irritation. If the pet has long or thick coat, then the daily grooming session is brushing is ideal,” she says. Since there not many dog grooming experts in the city, Dr. Lakshmi is collaborating with a Chinese grooming school to offer grooming courses. On Thursday, a grooming parlour and a school were inaugurated at the clinic by Blue Cross founder Amala Akkineni.
How to groom your dog
Regular care of ears, teeth and nails helps prevent health issues later. Begin grooming at an early age so that the puppy gets used to it. Grooming helps spot flea or tick infestations. If the pet has a long fringe, trim it so that the dog can see properly. Frequent brushing of the coat helps keep remove dirt.
