Pampering Your Pets During A Pandemic

Pet grooming businesses across most of the country have reopened. Yay! But due to added cleaning protocols and limiting contact between human clients, there are fewer appointments available. Many grooming salons are booked more than a month out. 

Some pet owners are limiting their potential exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 and are not comfortable taking Fido or Felix to the groomer. 

Pet owners who have never groomed their pets at home are left scratching their heads on the best way to tackle this task during the pandemic.

If you’ve never groomed your pet at home, you may need to do some pre-grooming prep work to make the grooming session enjoyable for you and your pet. Make sure your pet is comfortable with you petting or touching every part of their body from nose to tail! Make a habit to pet every single body part. Start with their muzzle or nose and work toward the tail and hit the ears, paws, belly, and tail.

Turn petting into a fun activity. Have your pet’s favorite treats at the ready. If they don’t like their paws touched, softly touch their paw and then give them their favorite treat. Your pet will quickly learn this massage session isn’t so bad.

If you’ve had a bad day or are stressed, your pet will feel that energy, skip the pet pampering that day. You want this experience to be enjoyable for your pet.

We recognize many of you have a wide variety of pets. For this article, we are covering grooming basics for cats and dogs.

Have The Right Tools On Hand

Having the proper grooming tools on hand is crucial for a successful home grooming session. You never want to use human shampoo, combs, brushes, scissors, towels, cleaning cloths on your furry family member. The requirements will vary based on your pets’ coat, but we’ve included the basics for both cats and dogs below.

Cats

There is a common misconception that cats don’t need to be groomed because they are continually grooming themselves. But our feline friends do require basic grooming. Longer-haired cats may require more than basic grooming to keep their coats mat free. Your kitty grooming kit should include:

• Microfiber cleaning cloths or mitts
• Microfiber towels for quickly drying, especially the ears
• Cat shampoo
• Nail clippers
• Bristle brush
• Fine tooth comb
• Rounded grooming scissors
• Pet toothbrush & toothpaste

Dogs

Hopefully, your fido friends are used to being groomed and home grooming sessions won’t into wrestling matches. As with cats, dogs’ coats vary significantly and that impacts the basic grooming activities. Your pup’s grooming kit should include:

• Microfiber cleaning cloths or mitts
• Microfiber towels for quickly drying, especially the ears
• Dog shampoo
• Nail clippers
• Coat appropriate brush
• Metal comb with fine and wide teeth
• Pet coat clippers (for coats that need frequent trimming)
• Rounded grooming scissors
• Pet toothbrush & toothpaste

Safe Grooming Location

Now that you’re able to handle your pet from nose to tail and you have the proper tools on hand. You need to determine a safe place to groom your pet. 

If you will be bathing your pet, you should have a secure comfortable area like a bathtub, shower, or utility tub (based on size). It’s best to clip their nails in a safe secure area as well. 

Having a grooming assistant, if possible, will make the process easier and quicker. One person holds, pets, and interacts with your pet while the other person performs the grooming tasks. 

Checking for parasites (fleas, ticks) and a relaxing coat brushing can likely be accomplished while your pet is relaxed after exercise or a meal. 

At-Home Grooming Routine

Grooming frequency varies significantly based on your pets’ breed, coat type, exposure to outside elements, and other pet dependent variables. But it is very important to develop an at-home care routine to keep your pets healthy. 

Cats

The frequency recommendations are just guidelines. Your pet’s ideal schedule may be different. If you are unsure, always consult with your vet.

Daily:

Weekly:

• Coat brushing (2-7 days per week, depending on coat)
• Mat removal

Monthly:

Every 2 Months:

Dogs

The frequency recommendations are just guidelines. Your pet’s ideal schedule may be different. If you are unsure, always consult with your vet.

Daily:

Weekly:

• Coat brushing (2-7 days per week, depending on coat)
• Mat removal

Monthly:

Every 2 Months:

If you are having difficulty grooming your pets at home and cannot see a groomer, many veterinarians are offering basic grooming services as a tech appointment to keep your pets healthy. Check with your vet, especially for nail trims and anal gland expressions.

Keeping You and Your Pets Safe

The news has reported very few cases of COVID-19 in domesticated animals. It’s unclear exactly how the virus is transferred to pets. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, have someone else groom your pet. If that is not possible, wear a mask and wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling your pets.

If you’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19 discuss appropriate pet interactions with your physician and your pets’ veterinarian. 

Photo cred: @harlyqandivy.boxers on Instagram