Dr. Marty Becker on Regular Dog Grooming
Aug. 23, 2004 -- Aside from stroking their canine ego by making them the center of your attention, regular bathing, brushing and banishing bugs from your dog's coat leaves them with what I call a "huggable coat."
That is, a coat that is sleek, shiny, parasite-free and with very little shedding or dander. Attaining a huggable coat is now much easier, and quicker, than you think. In fact, with some great new products, you can give a dirty dog a "quick-and-dirty" cleanup in about a minute or a "down and deep" bath in 10 minutes or less.
Quick Cleanup
For keeping dogs clean, let's start with the scenario thatcompany has called on a cell phone saying they're five minutes away from your house. Meanwhile, your mangy mutt is scratching at the door with dirty paws from digging in the flower bed. Don't panic. You can wipe your dog clean in about a minute with a new product called the Spotless Paw grooming glove (www.spotlesspaw.com). The super-absorbent six-finger glove, which won the best new pet product at this years American Pet Product's Manufacturer's Association meeting, is a dirt magnet. When you're done with the glove, you can throw it in the washing machine and it's ready to reuse over and over on Rover.
Controlling Parasites
Face it, nobody, not even veterinarians like me, want to "hug a bug." Fleas, mosquitoes and especially ticks creep people out. More importantly, they can cause serious conditions like flea-allergy dermatitis and carry serious diseases like West Nile virus and Lyme disease.
In the past, controlling these external parasites meant the home equivalent of chemical warfare with a variety of sprays, powders, collars, dips and bombs deployed to battle these pesky bugs that can not only harm the pet, but can put the human family at risk of disease as well.
Luckily, there are some great new parasite control products available from your veterinarian. One new product, Bayer Animal Health's K-9 Advantix, (www.K9Advantix.com), not only kills fleas, ticks and mosquitoes but it repels mosquitoes and ticks before they can bite.
