Bath time doesn’t have to be an unpleasant experience for pets. All it calls for is a positive approach from you. If you stay calm, they’ll be calm – and keep the dog biscuits at the ready when bribes are called for.

These Tips Work For Us

• Ideally, don’t wash your pet in the bath – a wet tile floor could result in you or Rex slipping dangerously. An outside basin or a hand-held shower works best.
• There are no hard and fast rules regarding how regularly pets should be cleaned; some people do it fortnightly, others tackle it biannually – and cats keep themselves clean anyway. Just bear in mind that if you brush your dog every day, you won’t have to bath him or her very often.
• If you bath your dogs regularly, choose a shampoo suitable for regular use that won’t strip their skin of its natural oils.
• A walk in the wild that leads to ticks on the fur calls for an immediate bath with a suitable shampoo. Leave it on for 10 minutes and use this time to massage your pet’s body with a rubber brush.
• Most dog shampoos are not suitable for cats, particularly those that contain chemicals designed to remove ticks and fleas. This could, in fact, be lethal for cats.
• Keep your dog’s ears dry to prevent infection. You can do this by plugging the ears with generous wads of cotton wool.
• Don’t dry your pets with a hairdryer, as their skin burns easily. Instead, use a towel and then wait 10 minutes before drying off the remaining moisture with a second towel.
• Wait about three or four days before applying anti-flea or tick drops, such as Frontline or Avantix, as the skin’s natural oils first have to spread through the fur again. This also aids the distribution of the drops. REMEMBER Always closely follow the manufacturer’s instructions when applying drops.

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