How Important is Regular Grooming?

Grooming your dog certainly comes with some benefits. Your pooch is cleaner, smells better and as a result, so does your home! A groomed dog is clearly aesthetically pleasing, with their soft fur and fresh scent, but it can also improve the health and overall wellbeing of your furry best friend.  This being said, it can be a daunting task. Not knowing what products to use, where to clean and why it is so important, often leads to many dog owners not grooming their dogs regularly. Don’t worry – we’ve got these questions answered for you!

Ear Wax and Infections

Although usually forgotten, keeping your dog’s ears clean and clear is a fundamental part of grooming your pooch.  Like humans, all dogs are prone to getting ear wax and a certain amount is completely normal. However, if the wax builds up and starts to become excessive, it can cause a lot of problems for your pet. Certain dog breeds are more prone to ear wax than others (Cocker Spaniels in particular), but all breeds can experience wax build up in their lifetime. Not only does it cause extreme discomfort for your pooch, but it can also hinder their hearing, as well as causing nasty infections. The colour of your dog’s ear wax is also important to pay close attention to. A change in colour (light to dark or vice versa), is perhaps the most obvious sign that an infection may be present within the ear canal. Usually combined with an unpleasant smell, the ear wax can become hard and much more frequent if left untreated.

How to Prevent Infections and Ear Wax Build Up

Despite how daunting the previous section may have sounded, preventing this from happening to your own pet can actually be quite straight forward – thankfully! Our Pretty Pooch Ear Wipes are made from natural ingredients and cont ain soothing eucalyptus oil. Eucalyptus oil is made from the leaves of selected eucalyptus trees and is mostly praised for its ability to reduce inflammation and has, therefore, become a natural pain killer. Additionally, eucalyptus oil can help to unblock your dog’s ear canal, as the oil is an antimicrobial. Simply put, this breaks down any deep-rooted bacteria and successfully removes any wax build up – which is exactly what you want! Despite this dog ear cleaning solution being able to remove the dog’s ear wax successfully, it does so without causing your dog’s gentle skin any irritation. With dog’s ears having an optimal pH balance, our wipes are designed with this important fact in mind. Our specialist wipes are pH balanced, which does not disturb the natural balance found in their ears, resulting in a lower chance of infection.  Our Ear Wipes are suitable for all dog breeds (as long as they are older than 6 weeks) and contain deodorising properties, ensuring your dog’s ears not only look clean but smell clean too!

Washing – How Often and Why Is it Important?

Washing your dog regularly is extr emely important in maintaining the overall health and happiness of your pooch. Although it is impractical to wash your dog too often, a weekly wash will ensure you remove any build up of dirt, bacteria and knots that may be causing discomfort, as knots typically matt at the root, which pulls on the dog’s sensitive skin. As a result, a conditioning shampoo that will allow you to brush your dog’s fur hassle-free is exactly what you need! Our Pretty Pooch Dog Shampoo is available in two scents (baby powder and citrus), with the citrus scent being a perfect fox poo removal shampoo. However, our Animal Fox Poo Dog Shampoo isn't just great for pups that like to roll around in fox poo - it's also great for stinky dogs in general, with the refreshing scent leaving your pup smelling divine! Both shampoos also contain organic hydrolysed wheat protein. The wheat protein is a natural conditioning substance, which is also gentle on your dog’s skin. In addition, hydrolysed wheat protein thickens and adds volume to thinning hair, whilst also adding shine and repairing any damaged hair your dog may have. Its low molecular weight makes it easy for the product to penetrate the hair shaft, making it the perfect product for older dogs who suffer from hair thinning due to hormonal changes. This, combined with the choice of fragrance, will result in your pooch being perfectly deodorised and soft, creating the perfect pampered pooch!

Keep Fresh – Maintain That Just Washed Smell!

We all know an unwashed dog can result in some very unpleasant smells! They are constantly exploring in the mud, wet and other substances you’d want them to avoid – usually just after you’ve given them a good wash! In order to keep that freshly washed smell, we highly recommend the Pretty Pooch Doggy Deodoriser. In just a few sprays, you can transform your dog’s coat, allowing them to smell fresh and clean once again. Easy to use on both dry and wet coats, this invigorating spray contains natural oils which help to maintain your dog’s soft and clean fur in-between washes, making grooming your pet even easier!

Tear Stains – What Causes Them and Are They Dangerous to Your Dog?

Tear stains are extremely common, yet particular breeds are particularly susceptible to a large amount (Maltese, Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu and Bichon Frises). Due to their light coats, their tear stains are much more noticeable, which leads to some unsightly and hard to remove build-up forming under their eyes. Untreated, this build up can cause infections and severe irritation for your pooch , collecting bacteria and in serious cases, can even cause blindness. A common question is – why do dog tears stain? Unlike human tears, they contain natural molecules that contain iron, which is essentially waste products from their red blood cells breaking down. This then leads to the brown colour, which is extremely noticeable when contrasted with a light-coloured coat.

Although tear stains are extremely common and usually nothing to worry about, they can be a sign of an underlying health issue. If the stains are combined with an unpleasant smell, this is often a sign of a yeast infection, caused by your dog’s face and eyes constantly being wet and left untreated. If the stains are combined with an unpleasant smell, this is often a sign of a yeast infection which is caused by your dog’s face and eyes constantly being wet and left untreated. If this is the case, we advise that you seek specialist help from your vet, as this can cause more problems for your dog’s overall health

How to Get Rid of Tear Stains

Infection and build up is nothing to worry about… if you address the problem! Tear stains are easy to remove and can ensure your dog remains happy and healthy, despite a few tears here and there. Our Pretty Pooch Dog Tear Stain Wipes are the perfect solution to preventing this unsightly, and problematic substance. Hypoallergenic and pH balanced, our wipes are both successful at removing build-up, whilst being gentle around the delicate eye area. The use of natural moisturisers adds to their calming and gentle formula, which will allow your pooch to stay clear from any irritation.

Most importantly, Pretty Pooch only supply cruelty-free products. We believe this is fundamental as every animal deserves the same care, respect and love that you’d give your own dog! All of the products are mentioned above are available as a bundle, giving you excellent value for money and a chance to try multiple of our products, giving your pooch the perfect pampering experience! Visit our website, or alternatively call us on 0800 091 3171 to find out more information.