Wiggle Wags Pet Salon

01/28/2025

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Sometimes owners believe it is best to not groom their pet in the winter months so they "will be warmer". However, not grooming your pet in the winter can have the opposite effect.

Pets with coats that are groomed on a regular schedule, should be kept on schedule throughout the year. Every spring we see it in our salons. Dogs who are on a regular grooming schedule, but haven't been in for months simply because it's cold outside. The coat is matted and/or pelted and the poor pet gets shaved to the skin. Owners are upset because they don't understand that a blade must pass 'under' matting, it cannot go through it. Sometimes there are injuries or skin infections discovered underneath all that mess which leads to veterinary visits.

Keeping fur bearing breeds groomed means excessive undercoat does not build up allowing the coat to do it's job. The guard coat reflects wetness and cold, while the undercoat holds warm air near the skin.

For hair bearing breeds, it's okay to groom a bit longer for winter warmth, but dead undercoat still needs to be removed. However, 1/2 inch of extra coat keeps your pet no warmer. You will need extra inches if you are growing for warmth and that may mean more frequent grooming to prevent matting.

Is winter grooming really necessary? Absolutely it is!

01/18/2025

Can you use dawn or people/baby shampoo to wash your dog? Please don't! Pet skin and human skin are different and have different needs. Human shampoo can do more harm than good. Dawn is much too harsh on their skin and strips all the good oils from their coat.

01/17/2025

Warm weather is around the corner, and so are fleas and ticks. Flea and tick prevention is best used year round. Ticks come out of hibernation any time temps are above freezing. Ticks spread Lyme disease. Fleas are irritating and sometimes cause severe allergic reactions. It is much easier to prevent these pests, than it is to get rid of them! Please never use hartz or Sargent's brand products. Your vet has several options, or we can help with over the counter recommendations. The best treatment is prevention, but if found, a topical flea control should be applied. A bath should not be your first go to. The topical products needs the oils in your dog's coat to work, a bath removes some of those oils. You must wait 48 hrs before or after a bath for best results when using topical flea treatments. A product called Capstar starts working immediately to kill all adult fleas and can be used with topical flea treatments. It works the same as the flea bath, without delaying other treatments.

01/16/2025

What to do if your dog gets sprayed by a skunk? Keep these products on hand, as time is important. You have 12 hrs for the best results to remove the skunk oil. Don't get them wet first! Also, flush eyes with eye cleaner or saline. And please follow this treatment with a good quality pet shampoo and conditioner. The hydrogen peroxide can be very drying to the skin.

01/15/2025

Does your dog have have runny or crusty eyes? If so, they should be cleaned daily. Flea combs can be used to remove crustys. Sometimes softening with a damp towel makes it easier to remove. Pet eye wipes can help remove bacteria and discharge to prevent irritation. Keeping the area clipped short makes home maintenance easier.

01/14/2025

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01/14/2025

Do you need to clean your dog's ears at home? In most cases, regular grooming visits are enough to maintain your dog's ears, but not always. Some dogs are more prone to wax and dirt build up and infections. Home cleaning should be done between grooms if your dog is prone to waxy ears or ear infections, or if your dogs swims.

01/13/2025

With chilly temps coming, please keep them inside!

01/13/2025

01/10/2025

Do cats need grooming?
Yes they do! Regular nail trimming prevents overgrown claws and snagging on things. Brushing reduces shedding, hairballs, and matting. Shorthaired cats should be brushed weekly if shedding is an issue. Long-haired cats should be combed through every couple days, daily if especially prone to matting (like Persians).
What about haircuts? Many cats get clipped down, most often due to matting. If your cat is prone to matting and doesn't tolerate brushing, shaving should be done every 3 months to prevent matting. It's better to prevent it, then have to shave because of matting. Cats have very thin skin and mats pull the skin into them. Shaving matted cats comes with more risk of injury. Bathing as needed, although not all cats tolerate baths.

01/09/2025

How often should you brush your dog?
Short/medium coats - weekly
Medium/long- twice weekly
Long/hard to maintain coats- every other day to daily. With dogs requiring regular haircuts, focus on ears, face, tail, legs.

Most common areas to mat are ears, face, tail, armpits, collar/harness area, rear feathers. Legs tend to tangle more during the winter because of the snow.

Always brush regularly when dog wears a harness, coat, or sweater. Friction causes tangles. Never bathe a matted dog without proper tools to blow them out and brush them, bathing tightens the mats.

01/08/2025

Can you believe this guy is only 6 months old? Ozzy is going to be one fluffy guy!

01/08/2025

How often should you have your dog groomed?
Short/medium shedding coats (pits, labs, shepherds, huskies)- every 6-12 weeks. Nail trimming may be needed in between if you are waiting the longer time.

Medium/long coats with feathers (goldens, Aussies, border collies)- 6-10 weeks.

Long or hard to maintain coats, dogs requiring regular haircuts (doodles, poodles, shih Tzu, Pyrenees, yorkies, etc) - 4-10 weeks. The longer the hair or harder to maintain coats should be groomed more often, with frequent home brushing.

01/06/2025

Types of brushes. If you are unsure what to use on your dog, just ask! A detangler spray, like Biosilk for dogs, is also very helpful when brushing your longer haired dog or during dry months to help with static.

01/05/2025

01/04/2025

Riggs likes to show off his big fluffy chest after his groom. He comes in every 8 weeks or so for a bath and a de-shed.