Grooming at Home: A Practical Guide for Bangladeshi Pet Owners

Professional grooming is not widely available outside Dhaka and Chattogram, so most owners do it themselves. Done properly it is also a weekly health check. Brushing Short coats need brushing once a week, long coats daily. This is not cosmetic: mats pull on the skin, trap moisture and cause sores underneath that you will not see until they are infected. In a long-coated cat or a Shih Tzu, a week of skipped brushing in humid weather is enough to start one. Brush before bathing, never after. Water tightens an existing mat into something that has to be cut out. Bathing Most dogs need a bath every four to six weeks. More often than that strips the coat's oils and causes the very dryness people are trying to treat. Use a pet shampoo — human shampoo is the wrong pH for animal skin. Cats do not need routine bathing at all. A cat that has stopped keeping itself clean is a cat with a medical problem. Nails Trim when you hear clicking on a hard floor. Cut a small amount at a time to stay well clear of the quick — the blood vessel inside the nail. In dark nails you cannot see it, so take less than you think. Keep styptic powder or plain cornflour to hand in case you catch it. Ears Wipe only what you can see, with a cotton pad rather than a bud. Anything deeper is a vet's job. Teeth The most neglected part of home care and the cause of an enormous amount of avoidable pain. Daily brushing with an enzymatic pet toothpaste is the ideal. Never use human toothpaste — fluoride is toxic when swallowed. If daily brushing is not realistic, dental chews are better than nothing. Use the time as an examination While you are brushing, run your hands over the whole animal. You are looking for lumps, scabs, ticks, sore spots, and anything that makes them flinch. Owners who groom regularly find problems months earlier than owners who do not — that, more than the appearance, is the real argument for it.

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