spring grooming

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.

HydroDog Teska is ready to bathe dogs

April 26, 2018 by Anthony Amos

Spring is here and HydroDog Teska is ready to bathe your dogs! Our mobile grooming services are in the Southwick, Westfield, West Springfield, Russell, Montgomery, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, and Agawam areas in Massachusetts. If it’s time for spring grooming at your home we can help.

Over the winter most dogs grow a heavier coat for cold-weather protection. Now that the weather is changing and growing warmer they will begin to shed and possibly become matted and tangled. If you don’t brush it out promptly, an undercoat can become almost felted together in quite a mess.

HydroDog Teska’s mobile grooming unit will travel to your home in Southwick, Westfield, West Springfield, Russell, Montgomery, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, or Agawam and make the task go smoothly. We start with a good brushing to remove shedding hair. Then we’ll move on to bathing. Your dog will love the hydrobath in our climate controlled mobile grooming station. The water is gentle and we really get in there to ensure a complete clean. We massage for tangles or troubles and use a conditioner to counter any leftover winter dryness.

It’s important to take the time during spring grooming to assess the overall health of your dog. We look at ears and eyes to make sure they’re clean and not causing uncomfortable situations. We’ll also look closely at your dog’s nails to ensure they’re properly trimmed.

We’re so glad winter has turned to spring and allowed us to really get to work for our clients! If your pup is ready for us, call HydroDog Teska’s owner Jody Maple at 413-327-7400 to schedule your appointment. We’ll pull up in our big blue dog and show your dog the kindness and compassion you’ll come to expect. See you soon!

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!

How frequently should you groom your dog?

March 23, 2018 by Anthony Amos

Adding a furry friend to your family can create a lot of increased responsibility to your everyday schedule, along with a lot more love and companionship. Some of your additional responsibilities when adopting a dog is regular walks to keep your dog happy and healthy, vet visits, and making sure your dog is groomed as frequently as their breed requires. Grooming your dog is an imperative task to make sure your dog’s skin and fur are healthy and clean.

Every dog breed is different, they all require different grooming techniques and different grooming schedules. If you rescued your dog, you might not know exactly what breed your dog is, but the shelter you get them from, or your local vet should be able to tell you how quickly their fur will grow for any haircut needs. HydroDog professionally trained groomers are knowledgeable about the grooming techniques varied breeds require.

Keeping your dog clean and bathed not only helps you because you won’t be around a stinky dog, but your dog will thank you because, just like humans, when you look good, you feel good. Choosing a mobile dog grooming company may be the best choice for you if you have a senior dog, have a busy lifestyle, or just want the most convenient way to get your dogs groomed.

The time of year makes a significant impact on how often you should groom your dog. For example, in the spring and summer time you should bathe your dog more frequently. This is because your dog will be spending a lot more time outside and will pick up irritating allergens in their fur that could be tracked around your house. Outside playtime is the best, but it also comes with more frequent baths to ensure your dog is clean and ready for the next outdoor adventure.

If you are questionable about how frequently your dog should be groomed, you can call your local HydroDog Mobile Dog Groomer, talk to your vet, or even contact your local shelter for their opinion. HydroDog Mobile Dog Grooming can get your dog looking their best with a breed specific haircut, dog wash, and attentive care from our dog-enthusiast groomers.

HydroDog Teska’s training sets them apart

March 16, 2018 by Anthony Amos

Your beloved pet is in good hands with the HydroDog Teska franchise. We understand that your pet is a real live animal and that our bathing and grooming skills directly impact the quality of their lives.

Becoming a professional groomer is an exciting decision as a HydroDog franchise owner. It was important to Jody Maple, HydroDog franchise owner out of West Springfield, Massachusetts, to start with proper and credible training in the industry. He recognized that there was a lot to learn and it was incredibly important to take part in a training program attentive to safety, sanitation, and health of the animals.

As a part of the HydroDog preparation, Jody completed an intensive five-week master grooming program at the prestigious Academy in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Academy Bathing and Grooming Certificate Program included classes titled “Understanding Man’s Best Friend,” “Form and Function of Man’s Best Friend,” “Taking Care of Man’s Best Friend,” “First Aid & CPR for Man’s Best Friend,” “Salon for Man’s Best Friend,” “Grooming For Man’s Best Friend,” and “Styling Man’s Best Friend.”

Upon completion of the Certificate Program, Jody was able to bathe and groom pets encountered in a mobile pet grooming unit in a compassionate, safe, and gentle manner. He learned the history of the dog, temperament, and behavior while taking in the basic training methods used to train dogs. He also learned the anatomy of the dog, nutrition, disease and vaccinations, medical conditions, internal and external parasites, and first aid including CPR. Jody was able to identify the different American Kennel Club breeds, recognize the characteristics of each breed, and the country of origin and original task for which they were bred following this training.

Jody also learned about basic salon design, salon organization, proper salon procedures, salon operations, and client relations. Technical procedures learned included:

Nail trimming
Ear cleaning
Teeth brushing
Expressing anal glands
Dematting
Bathing
Drying
Combing
Brushing
Carding
Hand Stripping

Last but not least, Jody learned safe and gentle handling of the pet during all technical procedures. Salon organization and sanitation are a top priority as well as mobile pet grooming unit procedures.

Tired of fighting Fido at bath time? Bring your furry companion to HydroDog for a gentle and caring grooming session so they look, smell, and feel their best! To make a dog grooming appointment in the West Springfield area, call HydroDog Teska at 413-327-7400.

Ins and outs of spring grooming

March 16, 2018 by Anthony Amos

Spring grooming is great for any dog. Over the winter months, many dogs grow a heavier coat to protect them during the colder temperatures and less than desirable weather. That means that when the weather changes, dog hair will be everywhere as your dog begins to shed this extra layer. Thick coats can become matted as that hair loosens and tangles into the remaining layer. Undercoat can become almost felted together if it’s not brushed out as the shedding begins.

The first step in the spring grooming routine should be brushing. Brushing is good for dogs with short, medium, or long hair … undercoat or not. It might require several brushing sessions to get the process started on the right foot. Plus, you don’t want to upset your dog or bore them with a very, very long brushing session, so split it up a bit. Pick a brush that is gentle on the skin. If you can drag it across your own hand comfortably it should work just fine. The type of brush needed will vary on the breed of dog and the type of coat, so see your professional dog grooming partners at HydroDog for suggestions on the appropriate brush, slicker brush, rakes, or combs.

Bath time should follow the diligent brushing. During the shampoo, we look for lumps, cuts, scratches, ticks, or other issues hidden by the heavy winter coat. We take the time to massage the dog and feel their skin, looking for tangles or troubles. After the shampoo, a conditioner is used to counter wintry dryness. When we’re done, we wrapped your dog up in towels to be sure they are warm as they dry and then some dogs are comfortable with the blow dryer. We set that temperature to warm.

Consider spring grooming a time to take a closer look at your dog. We look at their ears and eyes to be sure they are clean and not causing any comfort issues. A dog’s eyes should be bright and not red or irritated or cloudy. We also take a look at their nails and ensure that they are trimmed to the appropriate and safe length.

As winter turns to spring, wet weather can bring with it mud and muck. The grass hasn’t quite come back yet and your dog may take to the muddy yard creating a big mess. That’s when you can call HydroDog to come to your doorstep and save your sanity! We can keep that mud out of your home. Click here to find a HydroDog franchise near you.

spring grooming

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