Did you know there are between 74 and 96 million pet cats in the United States? Depending on their breed and lifestyle, a percentage of these cats will need professional grooming for a variety of reasons. Many cats do an outstanding job grooming themselves, however, if the cat has emotional or physical issues or is unable or unwilling to self-groom, a skillful and talented pet stylist is crucial to the cat’s general health and well being.
An Eye Opening Situation
A product that you may have on your retail shelves right now could be in the middle of a big controversy. Epiphora, excessive tear production in pets, often results in unsightly and sometimes smelly brownish-red staining around pet’s eyes.
Summer’s sweltering heat comes as a welcome relief from the grips of the tough winter that much of the United States suffered through recently. Snow suits have given way to swim suits and we slather ourselves with sun screen instead of sweaters, jackets, gloves and hats.
What is a “Lick Lesion”?
When dogs lick over and over at the same spot they eventually cause sores that veterinarians refer to as “acral lick dermatitis” or an “acral pruritic nodule”. These are itchy, thickened, centrally ulcerated or “raw” areas of skin, typically on the legs and forepaws, caused by excessive licking and complicated by bacterial infection and scarring.
At first it seemed just a tough bout of kennel cough, so we updated Bordetella vaccines. Yet every day we got worsening information. Was it the canine influenza (H3N8 virus)? The usual flu vaccines were the only treatment available. Symptoms were a distinctive cough, lethargy and inappetite.
It’s the same old story: Charlie the cocker comes in to your shop every week with sticky, stinky skin and you are handed a prescription shampoo meant to make him better. Except he never gets better.
Many of us have seen “bad skin” come through our shop at one time or another and have been frustrated by the lack of improvement. I interviewed seven veterinarians and asked them about the most common skin issues they see. The unanimous answer was secondary bacterial infections resulting from scratching. They also stated that 95% of all visits for allergies were merely extremely dry skin.
Ringworm is one of the most over and under diagnosed conditions in veterinary dermatology. Dermatophytosis (ringworm) is a fungal infection of the hair, superficial skin, and occasionally nails. Contrary to the common name for dermatophytosis, “ringworm,” it is not a parasite and worms are not the problem!
The best quality of life is what all pet owners want for the furry members of their families. Pain diminishes the optimal enjoyment of life, but would you know when your pet is suffering?
In the 15 years I have been grooming, one thing I learned is that accidents can and do happen. We do not plan them, but we work with live animals. Being prepared to perform first aid promptly will reduce the pet’s pain and speed healing.
First aid is the prompt care of wounds prior to any necessary veterinary treatment.
It may seem baffling to you that veterinarians will emphasize and re-emphasize flea bite prevention for pets when neither you nor the owners have ever noted the presence of fleas or “flea dirt.” It is sometimes difficult to convince pet owners to consider flea bite allergy as the primary trigger for their dog’s itching and hairloss on the rump or tail when owners insist that “My pet doesn’t have fleas!”
Regular grooming goes a long way to help achieve that “healthy shine” pet parents like to see on their beloved pets, but grooming is just the beginning. Diet is actually the single most important factor affecting coat health.