Welcome to the Doggie Spa

Just like you, dogs needs to be pampered to maintain their health and good looks. A hearty grooming session, including massage and skin treatment, will leave your canine feeling healthy and fabulous.

Grooming Your Dog

Regular grooming does more than keep your dog looking his handsome best. It also promotes his good health.

Grooming gives you an opportunity to observe your dog’s natural, healthy appearance. You’ll get to know how his eyes, ears, teeth, and coat look when he’s feeling good. As a result, you’ll be quicker to notice any changes that might be cause for concern.

Grooming helps remove dead hair, skin flakes, and dirt from your dog’s coat. It also affords you time to examine his body. Look for unusual lumps under his skin, as well as rashes, bald spots, sores, and dull or flaky skin. These are all potential warning signs that may warrant a trip to the veterinarian.

Grooming is also the time to check for fleas and other external parasites. Part your dog’s hair to the skin, and examine him from head to tail. Remember, fleas are tiny and not always easily seen (especially on longhaired breeds) so keep an eye out for the black specks of flea droppings.

In addition, do a careful scan of your dog’s footpads for cuts, punctures, and foreign objects. During winter months, mud, snow, ice, salt, and chemical de-icing solutions can also injure his paws. Clean paws with soap and water, and treat pads for cuts by applying an approved antiseptic. During summer months, inspect his paws for thorns. If found, carefully remove them with tweezers and apply doggie-safe antiseptic as before.

Doggie Massage

If you’ve ever had a massage, you’ll probably agree that it relaxes muscle tension, relieves stress, and just plain feels good. Dogs think so, too. A gentle massage gives your dog comfort and can help increase circulation. Here’s how to treat your pup to a light, relaxing rubdown at home:

Step one
Have him lie on a soft surface such as a rug. If your pooch is pint-sized, have him sit or crouch on your lap. Start with several soft, slow strokes from head to tail. When your dog begins to relax, scratch gently behind the ears, moving on to the cheeks, under the chin, over the nose, between the eyes, and over the head. Also rub each ear several times between your thumb and forefinger, working from base to tip.

Step Two
Using three fingers, move slowly over the neck, shoulders, and chest in small, circular patterns, giving a gentle pinch to any folds of loose skin. Lightly, squeeze down the length of each foreleg, then place three fingers on each side and softly rub in opposing directions several times.

Step Three
Place your thumb and index finger on each side of the spine and “walk” them toward the base of the tail, continuing on to the outside of each thigh. Finish with several soft, slow strokes from head to tail.

It’s important to keep your home-massage light and gentle. (A deep massage should only be performed by a certified practitioner.) When you finish, your dog will likely be snoozing peacefully, and you may be surprised to find your own tensions have melted away as well.

Skin Care

Your dog’s hair coat serves a far greater purpose than contributing to his adorable looks. The condition of his coat reflects the condition of his skin, which is his first line of defence against injury from harmful bacterium and the like.

Given that your furry friend doesn’t make his own dietary choices, it’s up to you—his devoted owner—to ensure that he receives the nutrition needed to maintain his healthy skin. Protein, essential fatty acids, zinc, A, E, and B-complex vitamins all play a critical role here, so make sure the food you feed him is balanced and complete.

Visit your veterinarian if your dog exhibits any of the following symptoms: a coarse, brittle coat; dull hair or hair loss; scaly or odourous skin; bald patches; red and inflamed skin lesions on footpads, elbows, and other pressure points; and/or incessant scratching. No matter the problem, your veterinarian should be able to point you towards its source and offer a solution—sometimes as simple as a better nutrition plan.

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