Pet grooming may seem like a luxury, kind of like getting our hair done, but really, grooming is a vital part of pet care, regardless of whether your pet has long or short hair. We’ll give you a quick rundown of what you can do yourselves, what a professional groomer can do for you, and why all of it helps your pet live a longer, happier, healthier life.

It’s particularly important to maintain the coat of a long or curly haired dog. Why? Matting is a major risk for them. If a dog or cat gets dirty, tangled or wet, and the coat mats up, it can cause painful skin irritations. Check your dog regularly for tangles and knots and make sure you brush him or her out after outdoor activities to prevent this from even starting.

One way of maintaining the coat is, of course, regular grooming. Shampooing, conditioning and trimming the coat of a longer-haired dog or cat helps keep away these tangles and allows the skin to breathe. A well-trained professional groomer, like the ones at Kriser’s, will be able to assess what needs to come off and keep your pet's coat looking star-quality.

In between full grooms, and for short hair dogs and cats, “bath and brushes” can help keep them looking, feeling and smelling perfect. Many people can bathe their pet at home – if you don’t mind the inevitable wet shake out – but there are a few maintenance items included when a pro does it that may be appealing. At Kriser’s the bath & brush entails a warm bath, conditioner, brush out, nail trims, a “sanitary” trim to make sure the fur isn’t in the line of fire during your pet’s potty breaks, ear cleaning and gland expression.

We hear often that someone tries to cut their dog’s nails and nips the “quick”, the nerve that grows right under the nail, which can cause pain and discomfort. It’s easy to do. A professional will be trained to avoid that, and deploy the use of a Dremel for particularly challenging nails or long quicks. As a rule of thumb, for most dogs (not all), if you can hear their nails tapping on the floor, they’re due for a trim.

There’s also the not-so-pleasant business of the anal glands. If you have a smaller dog, you’ve seen the dreaded booty-scoot. Chances are, that’s your pet telling you they have a full and sometimes painful anal gland. Check for puffiness around the tush if you’re concerned. Small dogs in particular usually don’t have enough weight to “express” what needs to come out, and a professional groomer can take care of that for you. It’s important to do this; not managing these glands can cause impaction and rupture which is painful and potentially dangerous for the pet. It’s usually very quick and easy for a groomer to do it, and it is part of the standard grooming or bathing at Kriser’s.

Visit our grooming pages to meet the groomer at your local Kriser’s, and call for an appointment today for either a groom or bath & brush.