Reisa Stone: Why Bother Grooming Your Pet?

What's the point of grooming your pet? 

For long haired pet, the answer is obvious. It doesn't take long for their coats to become a tangled, matted mess that attracts dirt and foreign objects. Skin infections lurk beneath, and accumulated body fluids can create an almost unbearable odour.

Your long haired pet may or may not require professional grooming. If you're diligent with daily detangling and brushing, they may be just fine. But let a few days go by...

Why groom short haired or any pets? There are a number of reasons:

-To distribute skin oil through the coat, which keeps it beautifully shiny
-To run your hands over your pet daily, catching bumps, bruises, heat, swelling, ticks or burrs before they can turn into something nasty. There are cases where cancer or an ingrowing foreign object did not have to result in a miserable death, if it had been caught early with routine inspection
-Grooming is a bonding ritual throughout the animal kingdom. The act itself draws the two of you closer, and may prevent or even solve some problem behaviors
-It contributes to muscle and skin tone. Skin is the largest organ of the body. Grooming helps keep it healthy
-To create a feeling of well being in both of you. Physical touch releases endorphins, the "feel good chemical," in both pets and humans
-To brush away loose hair that otherwise ends up on your clothes and furniture
-To clean debris that causes irritation to delicate tissues, such as eyes, nose and genitals. Imagine having something in your eye, and not being able to work it out.

Enjoy your daily grooming session. Make it a special time for you and your pet!

By the way, if you're wondering if there's more you can do for rescues and shelter pets: Groom them! They may have never received this type of attention in their lives.

In a future blog post, I'll discuss grooming tools and methods.

Kind regards,
Raisa Stone
Expert Animal Communicator
www.reisastone.com

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