Brush, Bathe, Repeat: 10 Grooming Tips to Keep Your Dog Healthy

10 Essential Dog Grooming Tips Every Pet Owner Should Know

Hey everybody, today I want to give you 10 dog grooming tips for a happy and healthy dogs from a veterinary perspective.

Well, as you know I'm a veterinarian and I'm also doing grooming (senior groomer in Australia), that’s why I decided to combine both veterinary medicine and grooming—into one mission: helping pet owners keep their dogs healthy, happy, and well-groomed every day.

Let's jump on it.

The first one is, and as everyone wondering, brush dog hair? YES, brush regularly:  Brushing helps remove dirt, muds and loose fur while promoting healthy skin. You should know that you have to use the right  brush for your dog coat type because not all the brushes  are for all dogs. Choose the right brush for your dog's coat type.

The second one is trim nails (cutting dogs claws): Often Long nails can cause pain and posture problems (We have another video and post talking about nails, how to clip dog nails and how you can do it at home, you can go and watch it)

Since nail trimming can be an anxiety-laden experience for many dogs, start handling your puppy’s feet and trimming their nails when they’re young, so they become accustomed to the process. (American Kennel Club)

You can trim your dog’s nails regularly—I recommend every 3 to 4 weeks. However, not all dogs are the same, so it’s best to trim them as needed, depending on your dog’s activity level or as your veterinarian recommends.

The third one is bathing with care.

Use dog specific shampoo and don't overdo it. Once a month is enough for most breeds. Well, this is not in all dogs, as I mention before, it's important not to overdo it—bathing too frequently can strip the skin of its natural oils, disrupt the microbiota, and remove beneficial bacteria that protect your dog’s skin health. Always adjust grooming routines based on your dog’s needs and your vet’s advice. 

The fourth one is to clean the ears: Use a vet approved ear cleaner and cotton pads to avoid buildup and ear infections. Often we are required to remove the hair inside the ears but that is not necessary most of the time because is working as a protection. 

The five is:  brush their teeth. Dental care prevents breath bad breath and costly Vet bills. Use toothpaste made for dogs. If you can do it everyday is perfect, but if not, at least three times a week is okay.

Jumping to the Six tip: 

Check the eyes. Keep the eye area clean and watch for redness and discharges looking for any sign of problem. Eye area trimming is usually included in every full grooming session. But if you're only booking a tidy-up, make sure to ask your groomer to carefully clean around the eyes. We always prioritise keeping the eye area clear, as it's not just about appearance—discharge around the eyes can build up and needs to be properly removed to maintain your dog’s comfort and hygiene.

Seven: is trimming the paws  because  between the paws can collect  debris and cause slipping. Trim carefully with clippers which is the safer way to do it:  I don't recommend you do it with scissors, to be honest, for owners If you want to do it you should buy clippers:  mini clippers.

Eight is to keep the coat healthy with regular haircuts because prevents matting and overheating - especially in long hair breeds. Well, how often you should do it it depends of the breeds and depend of the size of the dog.

Section Nine is watch for the skin issues.This is very important because all the groomers know that when we're drying we can see most of the skin: the skin infection or ear infection or whatever we can watch out for, and then tell the owners so, they can tell the veterinarians and treat them. So, I think groomers and veterary have to work together as well.

10th:  The last one is just make it positive You should do it like a stress free grooming session or routine So give it to them, give them a treat or a praise. Something that makes them happy after the grooming session or during the grooming session so they won't hate it and then will hate the grooms and the veterinarians as well. 

Thanks for reading and if you want to know more more about

veterinaries tips or whatever you want to know about animals go and check out our website VetNourish.com