In this heat it is essential to keep your dog well groomed and clean to keep him healthy and happy during the summer months. If you have a long-haired breed of canine, it is advisable to keep his coat short during spells of very hot weather, washing and cutting his fur regularly; you wouldn’t sit in the sun all day or walk around the campo whilst wearing a full fur coat, so why should you expect your pet to? Keeping Fido clean is of benefit to everyone - although dogs don’t perspire through their skin, they still need to be washed about once a fortnight to keep that wet-dog smell at bay! Burrs, mud and other unsavoury items tend to get caught up in a flowing mane on long walks, and those of you who have ever tried will know the difficulty of teasing a knot or tangle out of a dirty dog’s fur! To stop this from happening, keep a fine-toothed comb to smooth out any tangles and brush your dog weekly – this also removes dead and moulted hair from the fur body – hair that would otherwise end up in your living room! Cleanliness is not the only benefit of keeping your best friends coat trimmed and fresh; Ticks are much easier to spot on short hair – giving you the opportunity to remove the pests before they drop off your dog onto your carpet! Ticks can cause tick fever, a sometimes fatal condition in dogs if left unchecked, so it is worthwhile searching your animal after each wash. Flea and tick treatments in the form of drops or tablets are available from most vets and pet shops, so there is no excuse for your pet bringing unwanted guests into the house! All in all cleanliness is next to godliness in terms of pet keeping. If your dog is happy, you’ll be happy too – a clean pet means cleaner house and less tidying to do – something that can’t be bad for anyone!
