Pet grooming isn’t just about looks—it’s about health!

Many Pet Owners Have Misconceptions About Pet grooming.
Isn’t pet grooming just about making pets look good?
Actually, while aesthetics is one goal of styling dogs through pet grooming, the most crucial premise is prioritizing their health. Pursuing a preferred style at the expense of your dog’s health is simply not worth it in pet grooming.
Many owners know how to make their pets look good through grooming, but a qualified groomer, while making dogs look their best, also considers whether it benefits their health.

1. Poodle Paws in Pet Grooming

Many owners find the poodle paw style unattractive, yet groomers sometimes recommend trimming them. Why?
Some dogs frequently get urine on their paw fur, while others habitually chew their paws. Fur on the top of the foot and between the toes can trap urine and saliva, leading to interdigital dermatitis or other skin conditions.
Therefore, for dogs with poor hygiene habits, trimming the poodle feet is recommended during grooming.
2. Precautions for Braiding During Pet Grooming
Many owners like to leave their dog’s topknot long and braid it during grooming. However, leaving braids untouched for days without combing can cause severe matting at the braid site, trapping dirt and triggering skin infections.
Furthermore, improper braiding techniques during pet grooming can cause skin laxity in dogs.
Therefore, if you’re a lazy owner who won’t bother undoing braids to comb tangled or matted fur, it’s advisable not to leave your dog’s hair too long for braiding during grooming sessions. This prevents skin diseases that harm your dog and cost you money.

3. Pet Grooming: Long Ear Hair Care

Like many owners, Yumi absolutely loves the look of her dog’s big, long ears after grooming. But many dogs naturally have shorter ears, so during grooming, we often focus on growing out the hair.
But as you keep growing it out, you’ll notice your furry friend’s ear hair constantly collects dirty water, urine stains, dust, and even grease from food off the floor.
Only during weekly grooming baths do you thoroughly cleanse the grime from those ear hairs—and the inevitable result? Ear infections ╮(╯▽╰)╭.
(That’s how Domi ended up with his big ears shaved clean. Of course, for minor skin issues, you don’t need to resort to extreme measures like shaving during grooming—medicated baths combined with sprays/ointments work too.)

4. The Risks of Pet Grooming Dyeing

More and more people are choosing to dye their dogs’ fur during grooming sessions, which has led to some extreme disdain from friends who despise dyeing as a grooming practice.
It’s not that dyeing during grooming will inevitably cause skin issues, but you should first determine if your dog has sensitive skin. Secondly, choose high-quality dyes for the grooming session. Otherwise, skin sensitivity or dermatitis could lead to a prolonged recovery period.
(If you really want to dye during grooming, opt for temporary dyes that wash out with the next bath.)

5. The Trade-offs of Shaving in Pet Grooming

As mentioned in previous articles, avoid shaving unless absolutely necessary during pet grooming. Improper shaving techniques can easily damage hair follicles, and cutting fur too short increases sunburn risk.
So when is shaving truly necessary in pet grooming?
Recently, a dog owner in our group shared: A friend’s Old English Sheepdog was free-roaming in the countryside for a year, developing severe matting all over its body. They found a groomer friend, spent $1,500 USD, and it took a full 7 days of grooming sessions to completely detangle the dog’s fur.
Setting aside the cost and labor intensity, under normal circumstances, groomers wouldn’t take on such a job. (The earnings probably wouldn’t even cover the dog’s future physical therapy bills /(ㄒ o ㄒ)/~~)
Now imagine it from the dog’s perspective: how would you feel if someone spent 7 days yanking at your hair? (If you don’t understand the agony of detangling in pet grooming, try pulling your own hair.)
In situations like this, refusing to shave the dog during grooming is pure cruelty!
I can’t even imagine the psychological trauma this Old English Sheepdog will have seeing a grooming comb again!
Plus, in cases like this, there’s a 90% chance the dog has already developed a skin condition. Even if the mats are removed during grooming, the itching caused by the skin disease will make the dog keep biting its fur and skin, leading to new mats forming.
So for now, we can only assume the owner made this poor grooming decision because they couldn’t bear to part with the dog’s fur.
For the dog’s health, will you have a serious talk with your groomer the next time you take your pet for a grooming session?