PART 2
Finally, use care when bathing your pet. Stand or sit the pet on a rubber mat to prevent falls. Avoid getting soap and water into sensitive eyes and ears. Many shampoos will cause eye irritation if they get into eyes, so you may choose to use a sterile eye ointment prior to bathing to protect your pet’s eyes. Keep frightened or overactive pets from inhaling water.
Learn the bathing techniques that work for your pets. Most dogs do better in a shower. This means that most dogs are better behaved if they are bathed with a hose attachment and the water is sprayed over them. They do not like to sit in water. They will stand on a mat in a tub, but do not want the tub filled.
Pets should be bathed in warm water and rinsed carefully. Rinsing is just as important as bathing. Pets that are inadequately rinsed and have shampoo left on may suffer from skin irritations and itching. Once you think your pet is rinsed, it is a good idea to rinse it one more time. Make sure to pay attention to the areas under the legs and belly, as these are often overlooked during rinsing.
After rinsing, pets should be towel dried. Avoid allowing pets to become chilled. If you elect to use a hand-held or cage dryer, make sure that it is set on the proper, low temperature to avoid burns and that the pet is monitored. Pets have extremely fragile skin. Both a hand-held dryer and a cage dryer can result in terrible burns if improperly used. Using a dryer is not necessary for most pets, as a brisk rubbing with a towel can remove most of the water from the coat. Once your pet is dry, brushing and any other additional grooming can be completed.
Because bathing will be necessary for the pet’s entire life, it makes sense to teach your pet to accept a bath. Teach a pet to tolerate bathing by using positive reinforcement training techniques. Pets that are rewarded for sitting for a bath, verbally told how wonderful they are, and allowed to play after the bath learn rapidly that baths are not to be feared. Keep the bath as short as possible, keep the water the proper temperature, keep soap out of the pet’s eyes and mouth, and exuberantly offer rewards. This will allow you to bath your pet as needed. This in turn will give your pet that outer shine that reflects inner health.
Omaha Vaccine Company
July 3, 2004 |