Wednesday, March 11, 2020

5 Quick Spring Cleaning Tips for Dogs

    Spring is in the air down here in Texas. It makes me want to open up our windows and clean the house. Living with dogs means before you clean the house, you need to clean the dogs. 
Two dogs in a field of flowers
   If yours are anything like mine, the first trick is to catch them. Bentley actually loves grooming and will follow me anywhere if I have his FURminator. Pierre avoids all forms of grooming other than brushing his teeth. If there is an area I don’t want Pierre to go, all I have to do is set his brush down and he’ll avoid it like the plague. Either way, it’s spring and they need to freshen up!
5 Quick Tips for Spring Cleaning Dogs
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Westie asleep in human's arms
• Begin with a quiet relaxing moment
   It will make the experience more pleasant for both of you if there is some quiet bonding time before the grooming begins. If your dog hates the idea of grooming, Treatibles CBD Chews may help. I recommend giving them a chew about an hour before you need it to be effective.
Basset eating dental treat
• Start at the front and end with the rear
   Oral hygiene is important to your dog’s overall health. If you aren’t brushing their teeth on a regular basis, try to get into the habit. There are alternatives to brushing such as dental chews like Whimzees, Espree Oral Gel Care, or water additives.
   Wipe their eyes with a warm damp cloth to get rid of any eye matter.
Cleaning Westie's ear
• Cleaning the ears
   I can’t stress the importance of keeping your dog’s ears clean, dry, and free of infection. 
   You should use a cotton swab to clean any dirt out of the creases of your dog’s outer ear. (NEVER stick a swab into your dog’s ear canal) You can use a cleanser like Dr. Harvey’s Herbal Ear Wash on a cotton pad to keep the outer ear clean and smelling fresh.
Ingredients for The Purple Stuff
   To prevent a nasty infection, I recommend a DIY mixture known as The Purple Stuff. We battled ear infections with Bentley for years until our friends at MyGBGVLife told us about The Purple Stuff. I have sworn by it and shared my experience with every dog person that has told me about their ear infection problems. 
Basset being brushed with FURminator
•Brushing
   Spring means shedding. Lots and lots of shedding. Many breeds welcome spring by “blowing their coats” which is a polite way of saying that you are going to deal with mass quantities of dog fur bunnies. Daily brushing is a must for these breeds, or you will be living in a fur-covered home! 
   All dogs need brushing to keep their coats healthy and free of mats. (if your dog has fur that tends to mat, Lucy Pet Leave-In Conditioning Spray is awesome!) It is also a great time to look for any new bumps or differences in their skin. Choosing the right brush is important and we wrote Dog Brush Basics to help. You will also want to wash your dog’s brush on a regular basis with a squirt of their favorite shampoo to keep it clean and free from dander.
Basset being wiped with Quick Bath towelette
• Wipe Down
   After you have groomed from the head to the tail, it’s time to wipe away any remaining dirt or loose hair. I love Quick Wipes towelettes because they are big (8x10”) durable and smell nice. They also make a wipe especially for dirty bottoms called Tushee Wipes that we always have in stock. 
   You can always finish your dog spring cleaning with a spritz of your favorite doggie cologne. We like the smell of CHI Deodorizing Spray. Avoid spraying anywhere near your pup’s face. Just a couple of squirts on the back should have them snuggly fresh.
bath meme with Westie
Sooner or later, they must all face the dreaded bath or groomer, but we can get them springtime fresh with a little bit of time and lots of love.
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13 comments :

  1. we fear that moment when we land in the bathtub... but the mama said this moment is near, we smell like a trash heap (not true)

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  2. With all the spring mess around here it will be a while until it is worthwhile for us to be cleaned up. Happy Spring!

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  3. Nothing like a good spring cleaning!

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  4. I shared your "The Purple Stuff" post with my niece! Thanks!

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  5. You 2 Bayou Boyz have the most devoted and loving mom!! and it appears that you know that an appreciate her attention to detail
    Hugs Cecilia

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  6. Thanks for the tips! It's mud season here now and that means muddy paw prints everywhere. I don't mind jumping into the tub to get my feet rinsed off.

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  7. What wonderful hints...and we(well Mama) love your "purple stuff"!!!!
    xoxo,
    Rosy, Jakey & Arty

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  8. It looks like Pierre doesn't enjoy that much his "good spring cleaning", MOL ! Purrs

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  9. This all sounds bearable. Beats a full-on B-A-T-H.

    Love and licks,
    Cupcake

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  10. Glad I don't have to do that with the cats :)

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  11. Keeping clean is important, right Bentley and Pierre?

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  12. It's that time of year for spring cleaning the house and the pets.

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