Cleaning Your Pet:

There was a time when people bathed their dogs only when their odor became intolerable. However, things have changed quite a bit; now that people live in smaller apartments and have become more aware about the kind of health problems that their pets may face, if pet health care and hygiene is not given attention.

Earlier, it was more common for people to keep pets because of the help they provided in everyday chores. Now days however, they are kept because of the companionship they offer, at least in most instances. A responsible pet owner knows that maintenance of proper hygiene is required to have a healthy and happy pet. Depending on the kind of pet you have, the washing and cleaning routine might be different.

There are various kinds of pet cleaning products available for different kinds of pets. If your pet is furry, with a long coat, the pet may need to be washed more frequently and more rigorously. Accordingly, there are specially formulated shampoos for both, cats and dogs that are easily available. If your cat or dog is suffering from a specific ailment, it is even possible to obtain a shampoo which is especially medicated for itchy or infected skin.

Today, there are several different pet grooming products and accessories, ranging from different types of hydro baths, tubs, brushes, and other grooming accessories that you can use to keep your pet clean. Apart from this, specially formulated medicated talcum powders, deodorants, and sanitizers, are also available to keep the pet smelling fresh between baths.

It is important to realize that the pH level of the skin of our pets is very different from ours. Hence, human products are not suitable for use on pets. You even have different products in the market for long coated, and short coated animals. These products may also be categorized by the skin type of the pet.

Most animals take to water well, and therefore grooming them is not a very huge task. However, smaller animals and cats, may not be too fond of a bath, and therefore it is of utmost importance that these pets be bathed from the time that they are young itself, to get them used to the idea of bathing.

The frequency of bathing a pet depends on why you want to bathe it. Most animals have a self cleaning mechanism where the dirt and grime is carried off to the end of the hair, from where they are finally flicked off. If your pet is especially active and likes to play around a lot, chances are that it may get more dirty often, and hence may require bathing, more frequently.