5 Reasons Long-Haired Dogs Especially Need Regular Grooming
by Sandra Butler
While all dogs can benefit from professional grooming, a long-haired dog may have more reasons to require regular grooming for health and comfort. For instance, long-haired dogs can get matted coats if they are not regularly groomed.
Here are a few reasons why regular grooming is especially important for long-haired dogs.
Keeping Your Dog's Vision and Eyes Clear
A dog with a long, floppy, mop-like hairdo may be cute, but long hair can actually block your dog's field of vision. This effect can be similar to how you would feel if you had long bangs and couldn't tie them out of your eyes. Unless your dog will consent to wear their hair in a ponytail, the hair on their head needs to stay short so it doesn't block their vision.
Blocking your dog's vision is just one part of the issue, though. Hair getting in your dog's eyes could also encourage health issues like an eye infection.
Letting Your Dog Walk Comfortably
One place where mats can easily form on a long-coated dog is right between their toes. Your dog may be walking around with uncomfortable lumps of fur between their toes, which may not be obvious to you if the rest of their coat isn't tangled or matted. Regular grooming can ensure that your dog is able to walk in comfort.
Keeping Your Dog's Ears Healthy
Long-haired dogs often have a tendency for fur to block up their ears. This can be especially the case if your dog has floppy ears. Breeds such as cocker spaniels are very prone to this. The long, dense fur around the ear and the heavy fur weighing down the floppy part of the ear both keep out the fresh air your dog's ears need to stay healthy.
All this fur is one reason why dogs such as spaniels are so susceptible to ear infections. You can help to stave off some problems by simply having the fur trimmed regularly. Your groomer may also provide ear cleaning services.
Monitoring Your Dog's Skin
A long, thick coat can make monitoring your dog's skin for ticks, lumps, and skin health issues more difficult. But a matted or dirty coat can make this task almost impossible. If you have a dog with long, thick fur, be sure to have your dog washed and groomed regularly so that you can keep an eye on your dog's skin.
As you can see, your dog's health, comfort, and vision can all be affected if your dog goes too long between groomings. So be sure to schedule regular visits with your dog groomers to keep your dog in the best possible health and spirits.
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Nothing is quite like the bond you develop with a pet. You and your dog know each other to the core. You and your cat have your own way of communicating, even though you do not speak their language. These pets are, in a very real sense, your friends — but they are friends you have the responsibility of caring for completely. Determining what the best care for your pet really is can be a challenge. That's why we created this blog. The articles collected here will help you become a better owner and a better friend to your furry companion, whether they're a cat, dog, rabbit, or other species entirely.