Grooming is not about looks — it is an early warning system. Brushing once a week finds lumps, parasites and skin problems in time; checking the teeth catches tartar before it turns into a treatment. Here is a simple home routine for a dog and a cat.
Brushing the coat
Frequency depends on the coat, not on the breed paper:
- Short-haired: once a week, twice a week during moulting.
- Long-haired and silky: 2–3 times a week, in moult — daily, otherwise the undercoat mats into felt that has to be cut out.
- Wire-haired and curly: weekly plus combing after every walk (burrs and grass seeds collect there).
- Cats: weekly for shorthairs, daily for Persians and other longhairs — otherwise hairballs and constipation follow.
Technique: comb against the growth first to lift the undercoat, then with the growth to smooth. Mats are worked out with fingers and a comb from the edges, not pulled from the root — pulling hurts and teaches the animal to hate grooming. During moult use a deshedding tool, but do not press: thin-skinned breeds get bald patches.
A new lump, a bad smell or pain when brushing is a reason for a vet visit, not for waiting it out. Skin problems found in week one cost a fraction of what untreated ones do in month three.
Claws
Claws should not touch the floor when standing. Signs it is time to clip: clicking on the laminate, the claw catching on rugs, the paw turning outward.
- How often: every 2–4 weeks for dogs that walk a lot on asphalt (concrete files claws naturally); housebound and inactive pets need it more often. Cats: every 2–3 weeks, the back paws wear down less.
- Tool: guillotine or scissor clippers for dogs, a small grinder is possible for cats if the animal tolerates it.
- Technique: take the paw, press the pad so the claw extends, and cut only the translucent tip at a 45° angle. In light claws you can see the pink “quick” — stop 2 mm before it. In black claws it is invisible: cut thin slices 1–2 mm at a time until you see a small light dot in the section.
- If you cut into the quick: do not panic — press cotton wool with hydrogen peroxide or a styptic pencil for 30–60 seconds, limit active walks, and praise the animal with a treat so it does not associate claws with pain. If bleeding does not stop within 10 minutes — to the vet.
- Cat scratching posts are not a luxury: they let the outer layer wear down and save furniture. Put one next to where the cat sleeps — claws are stretched after sleep.
Teeth
Signs that trouble has started: bad breath, yellow-brown plaque on the canines, red or bleeding gums, the animal chewing on one side or dropping food, reluctance to be touched on the muzzle.
- Brushing is the only method that truly works: a finger brush or a small soft brush, special pet toothpaste (it foams and is safe to swallow — human toothpaste is toxic), motions along the gum, 2–3 times a week, ideally from puppyhood or kittenhood.
- Dental sticks and hard kibble help only as a supplement: they slow tartar down, they do not remove it.
- Existing tartar does not come off with anything at home — professional cleaning under anaesthesia at the clinic, with a pre-op blood test. Do not scrape it yourself with metal tools: you crack the enamel and damage the gums.
- Prevention: check the mouth once a week during petting, start brushing early, offer normal chewing loads (large raw bones only for healthy adult dogs and under supervision).
Ears and eyes
Ears are checked weekly: lift the flap — there should be no smell, no brown discharge, no scratching. Clean with a vet lotion on cotton (never cotton buds deep inside). Frequent head shaking, scratching the ear or a sour smell — to the vet, often it is mites or inflammation. Eyes: wipe daily with a damp cotton pad from the inner corner outward; persistent crusts, redness or squinting — a check-up, do not buy drops by yourself.
The weekly “hands-on” check
Spend 10 minutes a week while stroking: go over the body with your palms — lumps, bumps, hot spots; look at the skin parting the coat — flakes, redness; run a fine comb — black grains mean fleas; weigh or watch the silhouette; check paws and the spaces between toes. All of this takes less time than a vet visit later and catches most problems early.
Common grooming mistakes
- Bathing too often with human shampoo — it breaks the skin’s acid mantle; the animal develops dryness and itching. Full baths: every 4–8 weeks or when dirty, with pet shampoo.
- Cutting the whiskers — a cat navigates with them; trimming is like blinding its radar.
- Tearing out mats — pain, distrust, and the animal fights the next grooming for years.
- Postponing the vet because “it is just a bit of redness”.
A simple care schedule
| How often | What to do |
|---|---|
| Daily | Check paws and ears after a walk, wipe the eyes, comb long-haired cats |
| 2–3 times a week | Brush the coat, brush the teeth |
| Weekly | Full “hands-on” check, clean the ears if needed, check for fleas |
| Every 2–4 weeks | Clip the claws |
| Every 4–8 weeks | Bath (as needed), groomer for coat breeds |
| Once a year | Vet check-up with blood and urine even for a healthy-looking pet |
Bottom line
Grooming is ten quiet minutes a week that save you thousands on treatment later. Make it a ritual tied to something already habitual — Sunday evening, the couch, a favourite show — and the animal will grow up treating brushing as attention, not as an attack.