Spring cleaning has begun from the house to our pets. Many owners let the hair grow long and don't have the pet trimmed because it was really cold out this winter. But now it is warming up and their fur is matted and dirty. You may not realize it because you are used to the way your pet looks. But if you have not stuck to a regular grooming routine of every 4-8 weeks, you probably have tangles or lots of dead hair in your pet's coat. Natural shedding takes place throughout the year, but most often in the spring and summer when the days get longer and it warms up. Natural oils build up. Combined with the oils from our hands that are left behind from petting our pets, they can get pretty greasy. Dirt sticks to grease which is already stuck to the shedding dead hair. Thus, you short haired dogs are in need of a bath. Really, how would you feel if you hadn't had a bath since Christmas?

Longer haired breeds are slightly different in, as the hair sheds out it forms clumps and sometimes meshes together to form mats. Yes, that dreaded three letter words...M-A-T. Now you pet is matted and no amount of brushing is going to fix it. Small tangles are easily brushed out, but mats must be shaved. Shaving your pet after it is matted is the best solution because matted hair can pull on the skin causing irritation and then sores. Red irritated skin is not from the clipper, but from the mats. After an area is shaved it may feel weird to your pet and they will scratch at places that tingle. Your pet really doesn't want to be seen with oily matted hair all over its body either. The new shave "do" may not be the prettiest or most handsome cut, but it is the safest and most humane solution to the winter build up. The good news is that the fur will grow back and your pet will look like themselves again.

Cats are extremely narcissistic and a bad hair day can send your loving feline under the bed until it is groomed. In fact, a mat on a cat would be ostracized in the cat social world. Cats spend hours licking themselves to achieve that look. It is all about the hair to them. Cats should be groomed every 6-8 weeks to help them maintain themselves and so you don't find hairballs all over your house.

The best solution of all is to bring your pet to the groomer on a regular basis. I am often asked how often a pet be seen by the groomer. Depending upon the breed and coat type varies for coat growth and how often the dead hair sheds. A good rule of thumb is every 4 to 8 weeks. The short haired Lab type's hair grows more rapidly and thus sheds more often and should be bathed every 4 weeks to ensure premium coats. Longer haired dogs such a Maltese should be seen every 4-6 weeks to prevent matting. Double coated dogs such as Shelties should be seen every 6-8 weeks to brush out their under coat.

Be sure to set up an appointment with your groomer and stay on a set schedule to keep your pet in the best condition possible...They will thank you for it.

"If you can't decide between a Terrier, Shepard, or Spaniel, get them all" - Anon

Please visit a shelter to adopt a dog or cat.