Pet Grooming

Regular grooming for all pets is essential to maintain healthy coats and keep a check for any skin problems or unwanted guests. 3 or 4 times a week is recommended and long- haired pets need more maintenance than short- haired. As grooming is a good way of bonding with your pet then care should be taken to make the whole process enjoyable for both of you. Careful choice of equipment suitable for your pet's hair type is the first step.

A visit to a grooming salon is also recommended especially for those breeds that need a seasonal trim and claws or nail clipping.

Ancol has two ranges of grooming products, Heritage is the wooden handled, traditionally designed range and Ergo with its super comfortable handle and great hi tech benefits.

Grooming products are also available for small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

 

Combs

These come in a variety of different styles where the pitch of the comb defines whether it is fine, medium or coarse. The smoother or shorter the pet's hair then the finer the pitch of the comb. It may be useful to invest in a double sided comb which has two grades in one.

A moulting comb has a combination of fine tooth pitch and wider tooth pitch which is very good for trapping loose or dead hair for pet's going through the moulting phase. With warmer centrally heated houses this tends to increase the frequency of pet's moulting.

The very fine combs are usually referred to as flea combs and as the name suggests is an essential tool for finding and killing small infestations in the neck and tail areas.

Brushes

A large choice to select from including wooden handled. Plastic handled, nylon bristle, Nylon and pin cushion[easily recognised by the plastic nodules on the end of the bristles making the brush look like a pin cushion].

As long as the brush feels comfortable then it will be OK to use but generally the harder the brush the more suitable for longer haired breeds.

Slicker

Similar to brushes but the pad has a series of metal filaments[or rubber] which are used for removing unwanted hair especially for longer haired breeds of dogs and cats.

Care is needed, especially when grooming cats that too much pressure is used as this could damage the skin.

Slickers have fine and medium course filaments and come in small or large sizes to match the size of the pet or intricacy of the job in hand.

Knot Hook

The sharp blades of the knot hook or knot buster are designed to cut through any knotted hair to facilitate combing and brushing.

It is recommended that these are used or the knot carefully cut away to prevent unnecessary pulling or discomfort to your pet.

Cats especially have a very thin layer of skin which can be easily damaged if due care is not given.

Shedding blades

A good device for thinning out very thick dog coats.

Undercoat or rakes

A wider comb like device for getting down to the undercoat and getting rid of the unwanted hair that could result in matting if not removed.

Correct Grooming

The correct process of grooming is usually a light comb to locate any problem areas, followed by a brush and treatment to any matted areas. It is usual to start from the neck and work down to the tail and flank areas. To remove knots brush the hair back towards the neck and gentle remove by using a slicker or knot buster. For severely matted areas carefully cut away the clump of hair followed by a gentle brushing.

Your equipment will alter with the type of coat your pet has. With cats it is generally long haired or short hair but with dogs the coat type might vary between smooth, wired hair, double coats, dense short hair or curly hair. It would be recommended that expert guidance is requested from a grooming studio if you are unsure of the best grooming techniques for your pet.


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