The Importance of Keeping Your Dog Groomed in the Winter Season!

The importance of winter grooming: follow our four tips!

Winter is dry and cold in Salt Lake City and we have some tips on winter grooming to keep you dog happily groomer this season!

There’s a common misconception that dogs don’t need to be groomed, or only groomed minimally, over the winter months. The (erroneous) belief is that a dog’s winter coat comes in and should be allowed to grow long to protect and warm the dog. In addition, because dogs, like humans, often follow a more sedentary and inside routine in the winter, many people feel that their dogs aren’t getting dirty enough to warrant bathing. But this is simply not true. In fact, in many ways, grooming over the winter months becomes even more important to the health of your dog than at any other time of the year. Long, wet, matted hair easily makes a cold, wet, and infection-susceptible dog.

While it’s true that double-coated breeds and others with thick, long fur are more winter-ready than short-haired dogs, the “blessing” of these thick coats in winter can turn quickly into a curse if the fur isn’t maintained in a healthy condition. Fur that’s matted doesn’t insulate or provide warmth; instead, it provides discomfort, pain, and hot spots. Matting can even lead to infections below the skin, so when considering the effects of letting the grooming go, consider how your dog’s health may in fact suffer as a result. Grooming isn’t just for a beautiful dog (though this is obviously one noticeable effect), it’s also crucial for your dog’s good health.

Winter pitfalls to your dog’s coat and skin include:

• Dry forced-air heat

• Bitter, cold temperatures

• Wind

• Snow and ice

• Dampness

• Salt and sand used on streets and sidewalks

Simply follow these four grooming rituals through the winter to combat these winter blahs, and ensure that your dog stays comfortable, dry, and healthy!

• Regular rub-downs: Any time your dog is wet, whether it’s from playing in the snow, running in the rain, or just following a bath, make sure to dry him thoroughly. In the winter this becomes especially important because your dog is just as susceptible to chills as you are. Think about being outside in freezing temperatures with a head full of wet hair: then consider that your dog doesn’t have the benefit of indoor plumbing and don’t subject him to this discomfort! In addition, your dog’s skin can become very dry and itchy when its fur isn’t dried fully combined with the excessively dry air created from indoor electric heaters.

• Getting 100 strokes in: The most important grooming procedure at any time of year is to brush your dog’s coat regularly. Brushing helps to keep away mats and tangles, which only get worse the longer they’re allowed to stick around.  Mats and tangles prevent the distribution of the oils that naturally occur in the skin that help to condition and stimulate the skin and coat. This means an increase in dry skin, dull coat, and worse: infected hot spots. During the winter months, mats are the worst enemy to a properly maintained coat’s natural insulating qualities. A beautiful, mat-free coat helps to insulate body heat and radiates this heat back into the body, keeping a protective barrier between the dog and external cold air. Mats have a tendency to hold moisture against the skin, attracting more snow and debris, creating a perfect breeding ground for bacterial growth and infection.  As you can imagine, with the increase in damp, wet conditions in winter, it becomes even more important to police mats and eradicate them at the first opportunity. Brushing your dogs daily, even for just a few minutes, is critical in the winter.  If mats get out of control, it becomes too painful for the dog and too time-consuming for you to attempt to brush them all out, in which case, the easiest thing is to cut the entire coat short before skin and health problems develop.

• Pooch pedicures:   Keeping your dogs’ feet in tip-top shape is very important in the winter. Throughout the year your dog’s nails naturally wear down from regular walks outside on concrete and asphalt, but in winter, most humans and dogs reduce their outdoor activities. And even if you’re still diligent about taking your dog for walks in the winter, they are probably shorter in duration, and over more snow- and ice-covered areas, so the nails will not wear down as much as they normally would. It’s very important to keep the nails trim, because if the nails grow long such that you hear “click click click” on the floor when they walk across it, this makes it difficult for them to keep their balance on ice and snow. Dogs can fall on the ice too, and we wouldn’t want that!
  It’s also important to trim your dog’s fur around their paw-pads as excess fur attracts snow and iceballs to form, creating severe discomfort and pain to your dog. Hair that accumulates in the pads can become matted, and hold moisture from rain and snow, and even pick up rock salt and ice. Which is sort of like waking around with rocks in wet shoes? Sounds awful, doesn’t it? If your dog tolerates it, dog-sized boots are a great option to keep out the snow, ice, salt, and sand: all harsh enemies of little puppy paws. But if your dog refuses to wear booties, the next best thing is to keep a bowl of warm water by the door and give each paw a little soak and dry after returning from any outdoor activities: the warm water easily melts away the ice and snow and any loose dirt and debris is shaken loose before it can burrow deeper.

• Moisturizing Baths!!: Bathing your dog regularly is one of the most important things you can do for your dog in the winter, as a clean dog is a happy, healthy dog. During the cold winter months, many of us suffer with dry, chafed, and scaly skin due to the combination of cold air, wind, and interior dry air from our forced-air heaters. Even though they’re covered with a layer of fur, our dogs also feel the drying effects of winter, so it’s even more important to use a non-drying, highly moisturizing, gentle shampoo and conditioner. (We use them!)
  

Funny Halloween Costumes for Pets + How to have a fun but SAFE Halloween with your pets.

Halloween is a fun time to dress up your pets (although sometimes more fun for us then them). Here are a few good ( or at least funny), costumes we found and some things you can do to keep your pets happy and safe this Halloween…

• Don’t leave your pets out in the yard on Halloween: there are plenty of stories of vicious pranksters who have teased, injured, stolen, even killed pets on this night.

• Trick-or-treat candies are not for pets: chocolate is poisonous to a lot of animals, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed.

• Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin: pets may knock it over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned.

• Don’t dress the dog in costume unless you know he loves it. Otherwise, it puts a lot of stress on the animal.

• If you do dress up your dog, make sure the costume isn’t constricting, annoying or unsafe.

• Be careful not to obstruct his or her vision; even the sweetest dogs can get snappy when they can’t see what’s going on around them.

• All but the most social dogs should be kept in a separate room during trick-or-treat visiting hours; too many strangers in strange garb can be scary for a dog.

• Be careful your cat or dog doesn’t dart out through an open door.

While this can be a fun time for people and pets alike, remember that your pets are depending on you to keep them safe from the more dangerous goblins and ghouls that this holiday brings.

If you’d like to get a special Halloween grooming for you dog or cat, give us a call or book your pet grooming online!

Courtesy of
ASPCA

Healthy Cats!

We compiled a list of five important things for your cat’s health! As one of Salt Lake’s only mobile cat groomers, we can’t help but put GROOMING at the top of the list…

1. Grooming

While cats are very clean creatures with saliva containing natural deodorants and cleansing properties, they do need a little help every now and then, particularly if they have long hair or have quit grooming themselves for some reason. Some advocate a bath once in a while. This is your decision and may depend greatly on how cooperative the cat is. If you do decide to wash your cat, you should use a special cat shampoo ,something that will not irritate ther skin ad is non-toxic and warm water.  We use a biodegradable, organic ingredient shampoo and a gentle touch!

One of the best things you can do to help your cat with its grooming,  is regular brushing. It will help remove excess hair, which leads to hairballs for cats. If your particular cat has long hair, then it is essential to keep it tangle free. Brush often, most cats enjoy it!3. The Litter Box "Thing"

2. Litter Boxes

Cats are very fastidious creatures. They like their litter box to be clean. If it isn’t clean, they might start “going” elsewhere, and you certainly don't want to deal with that. A good, scoopable litter is great for easy cleaning on a daily basis. And daily cleaning means you can keep an eye on your cat’s health for early warning signs (e.g., abnormal frequency in peeing, odor changes, feces change, or blood in urine) and make sure any problems that arise are taken care of immediately.

It’s also a good idea to change the cat litter weekly, removing all the old liter and giving the box a thorough cleaning.

3. Vet is Not a Dirty Three Letter Word

Making an appointment with a vet is paramount when purchasing a new cat, especially if it hasn’t been spayed or neutered. Holistic vets can be advantageous because they use natural remedies, as well as trusted medication, to keep your pet in good health. 

Regardless of the type of vet, make sure you bring in your cat to the vet's office for its shots and once-a-year "wellness" checkup. Being proactive will allow the vet to catch any medical conditions or problems in your cat earlier, thus reducing potential exorbitant vet bills later on. 

Your cat is your best friend, so treat "kitty" like royalty.

4. The Essential Cat

Your cat has certain needs, some of those are basic: food, water, liter box, and bowls or glasses. Bowls are used for food, while drinking water from glasses make cats feel fancy and elegant. Carriers are also important, as are ID collars and microchips, especially if your cat spends time outside.

 Did you know cats can sleep up to twenty hours a day? But when they’re not sleeping, eating, or showing off in windows for passersby to admire, they are playing. Toys, therefore, are a great way for your cat (or kitten) to hone its hunting skills, stay fit, and not get bored while you’re away at work. 

A piece of colorful string, toy mice filled with catnip, ball, or laser pointer -- be careful not to direct it into the cat’s eyes -- are all good toys. Rotating the toys is also a good idea, as the kitty will enjoy rediscovering an old friend (or foe).

5. Chowing Down

Food and water are essential for any living being. Likewise, cats like their water fresh and clean. You can even splurge and buy water fountains that provide your cat with filtered, flowing water. Now we know what you're thinking, "I'm not spending that kind of money!" Don't worry. Just make sure they have access to clean water, allowing them to quench those parched lips whenever they please. 

It’s also a good idea to have a few special dishes for food. If you’re busy in the morning, just put the food in a clean bowl and save all the washing for later. However, it's important you only put enough food for the cat’s morning meal. If cats are given too much food, they tend to overeat. Remember, fat cats are made, not born (and who wants to end up on Dr. Phil because of a fat cat?). 

Dry food used to be recommended by many vets, but some have recently changed their minds and are encouraging an exclusive wet food diet, instead. If you decide to take this route, make sure you ask your vet for good brands, or head down to your local pet food store (holistic or otherwise) and see what they suggest.

We're Getting Great Reviews for Our Grooming Services!

We've been out here grooming dogs in our mobile shuttle now for 3 months!  We put a lot into making our service the best you (and your dog), have ever experienced and we're so proud of the work we do. 

Here's what people are saying about We Call It Puppy Luv's mobile grooming services.

"The mother and son team who groom my dog are kind, listen well and spend a great deal of time making sure the cut is perfect. I really appreciate every thing they do." - Susan

Awesome Job!!! Loved these two. Our German Shepards are a hand full and Sheri Handled it after the youngest got skunked! You guys are awesome! What a pleasant experience! - Cindy

"It was a great experience overall. Extremely friendly and courteous service. They encourage you to get involved in the process. They were great with accommodating the needs of my dog with her being a little older with some health problems. And being one dog at a time takes away much of the stress my dog normally goes through with all the chaos of a regular groomer. Showed up when they said they would and seemed to go to whatever extra mile they needed to in order for you and your animal to be as happy and satisfied as possible, including a pretty generous military discount Thank you for the wonderful experience! 10/10 would and will always recommend."  -Ryan

"Our standard Poodle Lewis Blackdog II had a full winter coat and was a mess. Sheri picked Lewis up and took the time he needed to make him look great and happy. We will definitely will be back. Thanks Sheri!"  -Greg

"They did such a great job with my dog Schuster! He was a bit of a challenge and they were incredible with him! Five stars! And highly recommend!!!"  -Shannan

"Great job Puppy Luv! Prompt, convenient and reasonably priced. Did an awesome job on my dog and she seemed less stressed than a regular trip to the groomer. Highly recommended!"  -Allen

"Puppy luv does remarkable work. Car rides make my dog anxious, so having the luxury of this service was great for both him and I. They did a great job and he felt and smelled amazing after! He usually gets dandruff after being bathed and he had no dandruff after using their shampoo and conditioner." - Ashley