Grooming is a crucial part of dog ownership. An adult dog may groom themselves often, which reduces your need to groom them. However, a senior dog may not groom as often because they may not be as flexible or have as much energy as they did when they were younger. To provide the greatest care for your senior dog, you should invest in routine grooming.
Cleanliness
Dogs will get dirty from walking, eating, playing, and going to the bathroom. Your senior dog may struggle to reach their behind, which can leave this area dirty after a potty trip. A great solution is to cut the hair around their private areas as short as possible. This trimming will reduce the chance of urine and loose stools from getting on their coat while going potty.
The mouth area is another place where you should prioritize a short cut for your dog. Senior dogs can make a mess while eating both wet and dry food. Wet food makes the biggest mess because it may get on and around your dog's mouth while they are eating.
Dry food becomes messy when your dog chews the kibble and then the kibble mixes with their saliva and gets around their mouth. So, even when your dog is on a full dry food diet, you should consider routine trimming around their mouth to keep the area clean and healthy.
Vision
Over the years, your dog's vision will likely worsen. While you cannot reverse this aging sign, you can make it easier for them to see with trimming around the eyes. A viable strategy is to get a dog grooming service as soon as you notice their hair starting to cover their eyes. This will reduce their chance of getting injured by bumping into things because of obstructed vision.
Injuries
Many dog injuries are discovered from an inspection of their body. You may look at your dog often, but a long and thick coat can make it tough to inspect thoroughly. Luckily, a dog groomer will look for potential problems on your senior dog's body before they begin cutting any hair.
Professionals can find problems such as redness, cuts, growths, and lumps. They will notify you about any issues they come across so that you can look into them further or get medical help.
Routine grooming will benefit your senior dog and give you peace of mind as their owner. Contact a dog groomer to make an appointment.
