Shayla's Paw-Fection Pet Grooming

Proper Grooming:

Grooming is an essential part of your pets health and overall well-being. Pet grooming not only enhances your pets coat, it makes them feel comfortable and feel better. Routine grooming allows the groomer to inspect your pe'ts coat, teeth and nails for signs of problems that could cause issues if not detected early.

Is your pet difficult to bathe? Grooming doesn't have to be an unpleasant experience for your pet. Here at Shayla's Paw-Fection Pet Grooming, I ensure that your pet receives ample attention during the grooming process while I pamper them with TLC.

 No matter the dog, the first step in grooming is to appraise the pet’s overall condition.

• Do the skin and coat appear healthy?

• Does the pet have a foul odor?

• Does the skin appear red or inflamed?

• Does the pet scratch or itch?

• Are parasites present?

• Is the coat filmy, oily, dry or limp?

• Is this an active, outdoor dog or pampered princess?

• Is the pet bathed weekly or is this visit to a pet grooming salon its first in six months?

The conditions that I find will help me communicate to the owner what I can or cannot do for their pet.

The Anatomy of a Mat

The typical mat consists of numerous coarse guard hairs, crisscrossing one another. Some coat types get matted and tangled easier than others. Factors that cause matting are dirt, static, moisture, friction or compression. Dirt, dander and other debris that get caught up in the fur will literally hold the hair shafts together. If a pet is not brushed on a regular basis, any type of moisture – bathing, dew in the grass or swimming – can make mats impossible to remove with some coat types. Combing out this type of mat is extremely hard on a pet. The only alternative is to shave it off and let the coat grow out again. Each animal has its own pain tolerance level so we must always choose humanity before vanity when choosing a method to remove any mats. Like you, we want the best for your furry family member.

How often should toenails be trimmed? 

This depends on the dog and its lifestyle, but most pets benefit from having their nails trimmed every four to six weeks. Dogs that constantly walk on hard surfaces will naturally wear down their nails. Professional Pet Stylists work mostly on house pets that are rarely expose to an environment that will naturally wear down the nail. Long nails present a potential health problem. Unattended nails may grow long enough to cause the entire tendon and bone structure of the foot and pastern to weaken. The striking of long nails on the ground places excessive pressure on bones and tendons and may cause discomfort to the pet. In active dogs, the nail may break off and expose the soft and sensitive underlying flesh, or quick, which is quite painful. On smaller pets, the nail tends to grow in a circle and, if left unattended, back into the foot pad.

Cat Facts

• Cats are born with blue eyes. They change at approximately 12 weeks of age.

• Sometimes your cat will find it difficult to find the treats you throw him on the floor. The reason is because cats can't see directly under their own nose.

• Cats can jump between 5 & 7 times as high as their tail.

• Ailurophobe: the hate or fear of cats

• 80% of all cats, big and small, have the same reaction to catnip, due to their feline genes. Cats that are younger than 6 months and tigers however, do not react to catnip.

• A cat uses it's whiskers to tell if the space they are contemplating entering is big enough for them.

• Cats not only walk on their toes but they have 5 toes on their front paws and 4 toes on their back paws.

• Killing a cat was punishable by death in ancient Egypt.

• Just like fingerprints on humans, the nose pad of cats is rigid in a pattern that is completely unique.

• Sir Isaac Newton is credited for inventing the cat door.

• Start a garden inside your home. Cats love to eat grass, parsley, catnip, and sage. However, consult your Vet before planting a garden for your cat to eat. Many plants are harmful or even fatal to cats.

• Pet owners live longer, happier lives with less stress and less heart attacks.

• Cats prefer their food at room temperature.

• Don't put your cat's collar on too tight. Make sure you can slip 2 fingers between the collar and the cat.

What is spaying and neutering?

Spaying is the procedure used for female dogs. The procedure is surgical and requires the veterinarian to make a small incision in the lower abdominal area between the hind legs. The reproductive organs are completely removed from the body cavity. The incision is usually stitched up with dissolving stitches. Often the dog will have to wear a plastic cone or Elizabethan collar around their neck for a day or two to prevent them from licking or chewing at the incision. The dog should be kept calm and avoid any kind of jumping or strenuous exercise for the first week after the surgery.

Male dogs are neutered. This process also involves surgical procedures and general anesthesia. The testicles are completely removed with the procedure. There is no possibility of reversing either of the procedures. As with females the male dogs will need to be kept quiet and calm for several days after the surgery.

It is important to remember that male dogs, even after neutering, may still be able to impregnate females for a period of a few days or even weeks after the surgery. This occurs because viable sperm may still be in the male reproductive tract. Be sure to keep neutered males away from females for a couple of weeks after surgery just to be safe.

Benefits of Spaying and Neutering Your Dog

There are many different reasons to spay or neuter your dog. While there is the obvious pregnancy prevention with spaying or neutering there are also other, more practical and subtle benefits. The following are all characteristics of dogs that have been spayed or neutered.

· The dogs tend to be calmer and less aggressive towards both people and other pets. · Females will get along much better with other females, either spayed or not. · Males will be much less aggressive towards other males. · Males will less likely run or engage in pack like behaviors even if there are other female dogs in the area. · Males will be less likely to develop testicular cancers. · Females will not develop ovarian cancer and will be less likely to develop breast cancer provided they are spayed prior to having their first litter.

Spayed and neutered dogs do not become less protective or less able as watchdogs. This common myth is what prevents many people from spaying or neutering their dogs. The reality is the protective instinct is not based on reproductive hormones; rather it is a hereditary trait that has been developed within the breed. It is also very dependent on the training that the individual dog as had as well as the personality of the dog.