fleas and ticks

5 reasons dog grooming is important

May 4, 2018 by Anthony Amos

HydroDog knows that grooming your dog is essential for their health, but do you know why? Regular dog grooming has numerous benefits and isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity. Choosing to adopt a dog and make them a part of your family comes with a lot of responsibility, regular grooming being one of them.

Your dog will look better

Making sure our furry friends have an appearance that is clean and well groomed is good for everyone. Just like us, animals feel better when they get look good. Knowing when your dog needs to be groomed next can be as easy as just paying attention to them every day. Ensuring that your dog’s fur is regularly brushed can also help in their next grooming visit. Take time every day to watch out for their health, how they look and making sure they’re loved.

Shedding

Some dogs shed more than others, but HydroDog offers a deshedding service to help get rid of colder season’s coats. Taking time every day to brush your dog can also help them be more adjusted for a stranger grooming them.

Socialization

It’s not uncommon for dogs to not see many other people besides their owners and immediate family. Having your dog groomed can not only introduce them to other people, but also other dogs getting groomed at the same time.

Preventative Medical Care

Grooming your dog allows you to get a full look at their body and you can potentially find a medical issue early on. An abnormality could be anything from a sore to lumps under their skin.

Overall health

If your dog’s fur has any knots in them, the feeling can be similar to keeping in a ponytail for too long. We love our dogs and want to make sure they’re as comfortable in their skin and fur as possible. Regular grooming lets your groomer know your dog and will also allow them to find any abnormalities, whether that’s from injuries, ticks, or lumps.

HydroDog wants to make sure your furry friends are taken care of year-round; we can come right to your front door and give your dog the grooming session they need to stay healthy and happy. If it’s time for your dog’s next grooming, call your local HydroDog, and we’ll come to you!

Where to check your dog for ticks

April 26, 2018 by Anthony Amos

Spring is here and that means so are ticks. Ticks can be a nuisance to your pets, but occasionally they can cause bigger issues and that’s why you need to be diligent in checking for them.

Adult ticks lay eggs that fall to the ground and soon hatch into a larva or seed tick. They latch onto smaller rodents and grow into a nymph before it finally becoming an adult tick on the lookout for larger prey. They upgrade to larger animals like your dog by clinging to tall grass and waiting for them to pass by. Once the tick bites, they can hang onto the dog for over two days while they become engorged with blood.

Get yourself some latex gloves and arm yourself with tweezers or a tick remover tool. You want to avoid contact with ticks because they can transmit disease to human victims, too.

Ticks are very small and before they become engorged, they can be really difficult to find in your dog’s fur. For that reason, we recommend that you check their common hiding places regularly. Ticks are going to look for the warmest places to latch on, so start by looking inside your dog’s ears and near the eyes. Next, take a look under the collar which is a clever hiding place. Look deep between your dog’s toe pads and then finally check your dog’s private areas.

Use your removal tool to grasp the tick by the head, as close to the dog’s skin as possible without pinching. Pull the tick straight away from the skin with a firm tug. Try to avoid squeezing the tick and leaking fluids back onto your dog. Follow up any removal with antiseptic wipes or isopropyl alcohol.

The last thing you should do is monitor your dog for tick-borne illness. Look for symptoms of fever, loss of appetite, joint pain, or reluctance to move. If your dog develops any of these symptoms, they need an immediate visit to the vet’s office.

HydroDog is prepared to help you screen for ticks. During your dog’s bath, we massage the skin and look closely in all these possibly affected areas and others for ticks. If you’re at all shy of handling ticks, see us for a mobile grooming appointment where we’ll come to your home and take care of the issue. We’ll also step in with preventative actions by using flea and tick repellent products. Click here to see more about our services.

Battling fleas and ticks

March 30, 2018 by Anthony Amos

Have you noticed your dog scratching or licking itself more frequently, especially in the armpits or around the groin? Fleas and ticks could be the cause.

As temperatures outside rise during the spring, fleas and ticks become more active. They burrow through a dog’s fur down to the skin, where they hide while biting and feeding off a dog’s blood. The bites can cause severe itching and inflammation. If you notice your dog scratching, licking or chewing on certain body parts — the areas that are warmest on a dog’s body are typically the most fertile areas for fleas — you need to check for a flea infestation. Hair loss from excessive scratching can be a sign of flea infestation as well.

To check for fleas or ticks, you need to brush through the fur and inspect the skincoat. Fleas are easier to spot because they tend to jump around. Ticks are more difficult to see because they latch onto the skin and dig in more fervently. Look for signs of redness and bumpy skin. Check your dog’s ears for redness, blood or dirt. Take a flea comb, which is specially made with a close set of teeth, and brush through the fur on your dog’s back and legs. You have to get the comb close to the skin to pull fleas and ticks from the areas they have been hiding.

To combat fleas and ticks, you should keep your dog on a year-round prevention schedule. Chewable tablets contain medicine that travels through the bloodstream and gets to the skin, killing most fleas. Most chewable tablets are given monthly throughout the year. Topical flea solutions also get into the skin. These are administered monthly with drops placed on the dog’s back between the shoulder blades. Flea collars can last for several months and are coated with a chemical meant to repel fleas.

Shampooing and grooming your dog regularly is a big factor in deterring fleas and ticks as well. HydroDog can wash your dog with a special shampoo treatment that rids them of the fleas ticks and helps to prevent them from coming back if their coat stays clean. We also suggest follow-up visits to ensure your dog is itch-free and happy!

fleas and ticks

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