Professional Vs. At-Home Pet Grooming

There are many factors that contribute to the way you may groom your pet - breed, age, cost, and time management are all key components to consider. When some pets require more maintenance than others, it’s important as a compassionate pet owner to know when to leave certain aspects of your pet’s care in the hands of a professional.

What are the Benefits of Pet Grooming?

Before deciding your pet’s grooming routine, it is important to fully understand why regularly grooming your pet is important. The following list gives some examples of the benefits grooming can have for your pet:
 

• Maintenance of a healthy, shiny coat

• Promotes cleanliness and prevents disease/infection

• Preserves your pet’s posture and foot structure (regular nail trimming)

• Reduces shedding/molting

• Allows for you to monitor your pet’s health closely and prevent/detect health issues early on

Regular at-home grooming should form part of your usual weekly routine with your pet – even if you choose for your pet to visit a professional groomer from time to time. Staying on top of their grooming is one of the best ways of preventing problems from building up and being more difficult to deal with. It also means that any urgent problems are detected promptly before they can cause serious consequences for your pet.

Why Should you Consider Professional Grooming?

Many owners decide to either always engage the services of a professional groomer, or at least schedule semi-regular visits to give their pet a thorough, deep clean and perform the trickier grooming tasks, such as nail trimming. Here are a few of the benefits of choosing professional grooming services:

Budgeting and Time Management

Grooming your pet from home can be extremely time-consuming. With less professional equipment and abilities, the time it takes for you to groom your pet could be better spent spending quality time with them or even having some time to yourself. A professional groomer is not only more time-efficient but allows you to be utilizing your time more effectively and creates less mess at home.

For many pet owners, professional grooming can seem like an expensive luxury, however finding the right groomer can be affordable and worth the money spent. Of course, prices vary depending on the treatments required for your pet’s needs, but it doesn’t need to be a frequent expense. Most pets can go weeks between appointments (especially with some basic at-home maintenance in the meantime).

Abilities and Equipment

Many pets dislike some aspects of grooming and may be prone to resisting or even misbehaving during the process, making it increasingly more difficult to groom them. Professional groomers not only know how to best groom and care for your pets but also have a variety of equipment to keep your pet comfortable and to combat misbehavior and resistance. There are also particular grooming treatments available that can be difficult to carry out at home – such as coat trims and nail clipping.

Common Mistakes Made When Grooming at Home:

Whether you decide to groom your pet from home or are maintaining your pet’s cleanliness and well-being between appointments, it is important to research the best conditions for the treatments you are giving your pet. It can be wise to consult with your groomer or conduct some research on how best to care for your pet from home.

Here are some of our tips to get you started:
 

• Selecting the right shampoo for your pet can prevent irritation and discomfort and ensures you are caring for the specific needs of their skin and coat

• Incorrect application of soap can cause irritation in the eyes or infection in the ears

• Properly rinsing off your pet can help to prevent irritation or dandruff

• The water temperature being too hot or too cold may put off your pet from washing/baths

• The harsh spray of the showerhead may frighten your pet or cause rawness/dryness to the skin

• Brushing out knots/mats can be painful to your pet if not handled correctly

• Trimming your pet’s nails too short can cause bleeding and a risk of infection

• Bathing your pet too often can strip their coat of its natural oils and cause skin irritation/dandruff

For more information on professional vs. at-home grooming, call Liberty Pet Resort & Wellness Center at (770) 886-9936 to reach our Office in Cumming, Georgia.