The pampered, pedigreed purebreds competing tomorrow and Tuesday in Madison Square Garden’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show are famous for being perfectly primped — especially the gorgeously groomed Afghans and poodles. But shampoos and blowouts aren’t solely for champion K9s. Manhattan mutts need wintertime grooming too, experts say.
Contrary to what many people think, dogs don’t need less grooming in cold weather. “If anything, they need it more,” says Christina Meek, the in-house pro groomer at Brooklyn’s District Dog.
Long-haired dogs (and cats, too) might be trimmed or even shaved down in the summer, but in winter their hair should be allowed to grow out, to keep them warm in the cold. But long coats can easily get tangled and matted, which overheats the pet, causing health problems.
“Grooming to prevent and remove mats is important to let the animal’s skin breathe,” explains Dr. Elizabeth Higgins of the Humane Society of New York. “Mats are painful for the pet, especially if they form close to the skin and if they’re left for too long. Pets will scratch at the mats, which causes skin irritation.”
Ideally, long-coated pets should be brushed out at home every day to prevent matting, but three times weekly is a minimum must. “It helps remove the dead hairs that cause matting,” Meek explains. “With short-coated pets, regular brushing and combing means they’ll have shinier coats and shed less.”
Vets and groomers agree that grooming stimulates the natural oils in a pet’s skin and coat, so they feel less itchy during the winter months, when their fur is ravaged by the cold outdoor air, as well as the hot, dry atmosphere indoors. Grooming also cuts down on dander and shedding, whether a pet has long fur or short.
As far as bathing in the winter, pets’ skin suffers from dryness just like the human skin and scalp, so they should be washed just as often as they are in warm weather.
“Long-haired dogs should get a bath every six weeks, while short-haired pets can go two to three months, depending on the individual pet,” Meek says. “Some are a little stinkier than others, just like people!”
Whether you clean Bowser yourself or bring him to a pro, wintry weather still demands at-home maintenance. Meek recommends using EarthBath wipes to spot-clean Spot in between grooming sessions. “Salt is definitely an issue, because it irritates the skin when it splashes up from the sidewalk,” Meek says. Plus, snowy romps in the park mean dirty slush splashes all the way up a dog’s legs and belly. So in stormy weather, it’s OK to bathe dogs as often as every two weeks or even weekly — especially if they have white coats.
Be sure to use extra-emollient pet beauty products, she adds. Those containing oatmeal are especially gentle and soothing to pets’ sensitive skin, as are all-natural pet shampoos and conditioners. Avoid chemical ingredients such as sodium laurel sulfate and parabens, which dry out the skin even more. Brands that maximize moisture are Quadruped Pet Care (what Meek uses on her K9 clients) and Tropiclean Spa.
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