“Maybe we should keep his hair long this time… It’s just so cold out!”
“I think we’re going to skip Fluffy’s next visit. I don’t want her to get too cold.”
“I don’t think Fido should get a bath while it’s this cold outside.”
It is a very common misconception that dogs don’t need grooming in the wintertime, but when the air gets cold and wet is arguably the most important time to have your dog in to the groomer.
When temperatures drop, central heating comes on, warming our homes and keeping us comfortable and safely protected from the frigid air outside. However, when we turn on the heat, we also lose a lot of the moisture in the air.
When your dog is going out into the cold and wind to relieve himself, just to come back into the dry heated air of the house multiple times a day, that back and forth between temperatures and environments can cause issues for the skin and coat. Just as wintertime can mean dry skin for you, it also leads to flaky, itchy skin for your dog.
It is commonly believed that dogs should not be bathed when the weather is cold or snowy. This is because bathing a dog strips the natural oils from his coat, leaving him even dryer and less protected than before. While it’s not untrue that bathing a dog can dry out the skin and coat, if the proper products are being used dogs can be washed frequently without repercussion.
At Clover Pup Salon, our shampoos are all salt free. Shampoos that use salts as fillers are drying to the skin, coat, and eyes. By removing the sulfate, these shampoos are not as damaging to the hair or skin as many pet products currently on the market.
All of the shampoos used at Clover Pup Salon contain chamomile and aloe vera to return moisture into the skin and hair and are gentle enough to use regularly.
If your pet is showing signs that the dry air is causing real discomfort, let us know when you drop your pet off for their visit. In the case that simply moisturizing and conditioning the coat isn’t enough, we have a shampoo containing flax seed and tea tree oils to combat itching, and a soothing oatmeal shampoo with cucumber and lavender to calm red, swollen skin.
Any time there is any behavioral change in your pet, it’s important to discuss those changes with both your veterinarian and your groomer so that your pet can continue to get the care and handling that they deserve.
Another reason you want to make sure your pet is getting to the groomer despite the cold is to maintain the effectiveness of the insulating properties of your dogs undercoat.
Double coated dogs lose hair at all times of the year. The dead hair becomes tangled or interwoven in the healthy coat, which can destroy the natural insulation the coat is intended to provide, which can in turn lead to issues like dandruff, itching, and an excessive amount of shedding.
A clean, well groomed coat naturally provides the insulation that aids in keeping your pet warm through the chilly winter months.
At Clover Pup Salon, double coated dogs have the option to a deshedding treatment with their salon visit at no additional charge. While this treatment does not stop a pet from shedding entirely, we do go through a process that removes a great deal of this dead hair for you, opening up the undercoat, and clearing out the dead tangled hair to allow for proper insulation.
Even dogs without double coats can benefit from being regularly brushed out by the groomer. Both brushing and the deshedding process stimulate the natural oil glands in the dog’s skin to help remoisturize naturally, and removes dead hair and skin cells, allowing dry skin the opportunity to repair itself.
Another misconception? That keeping your pet’s hair longer will keep them warmer. While a well kept long coat can aid in keeping your dog toasty, a coat that is too long or one that isn’t well maintained can actually cause more problems than it’s solving.
Many long coats can benefit from at least a light trimming during the winter to keep longer belly and leg hair from dragging through snow, ice, and chemicals designed to melt away these elements. Keeping hair trimmed to a length that keeps it out of the snow helps to keep your dog much more comfortable.
While we understand the thought process of keeping a fuller coat through colder months, matted hair does not help your dog get through the winter comfortably.
Matted fur provides no real insulation, and causes pain, discomfort, and hot spots. Once wet, mats can take hours to dry again, leaving your dogs hair and skin wet and cold for most of the day, and these wet tangles provide excellent breeding grounds for infection, bacteria, and parasites.
If you are noticing mats starting to form on your pup, give us a call and get your dog in for a visit. If matting is dealt with early enough, we can gently remove them and leave the dog with a longer, fuller coat.
If the matting is getting to a point where it doesn’t seem like it can be comfortably taken care of, then it is definitely time to get your dog to the groomer for a haircut, even in cold weather. Dressing a clipped dog in a coat or sweater is much better for the dog than keeping the hair long and matted.
Plus, some of the pet clothing available is absolutely adorable!
To ensure optimum comfort for your dog, make sure the coat or sweater covers them from the neck all of the way down to the base of the tail, and that it provides a good amount of belly coverage without being soiled when they relieve themselves. Also make sure that the clothing item does not hinder your dog’s range of motion, and that they can walk, sit, stand, and lay down normally.
Always make sure to remove the sweater when you bring your dog back into the house. A cold, wet sweater is no better than cold, wet matting.
Visiting the groomer at all times of the year helps keep your pet comfortable and healthy. Does you pet need a winter appointment? Call 262-583-3155 to set one up today!