just completed grooming sapphie. it can be such a huge task, especially since she has rather thick fur... some of the things i did today include removing tartar from her teeth, trimming her coat of fur and cutting her nails.
have not been able to find animal dentist and have been removing tartar for her myself over the past years. it can be a very tricky business and i don't suggest anyone do it unless you are very familiar with your dog. sapphie listens to me and i could have my way with her. she would lie with her head on my lap, open her mouth and let me use a metallic object (usually a pair of scissors) to scrap her teeth. the difficult teeth are her molars... located rite at the back and usually i would need to pry her mouth wide open to be able to reach it. when she gets uncomfortable, she would try to close her jaws... (sounds familiar rite?) and i would usually place my thumb between her top and lower molars to let her bite onto it. this usually helps. and of cos, the tartar removal is not foolproof. not a dentist myself but i hope with whatever i do, i will be able to extend the lifespan of her teeth. and i think it is working cos she's already 8 plus and apart from one single molar that looked decayed, every other teeth are still very healthy. this as compared to some other dogs that suffer worn out teeth as early as 5 or 6 years of age.
as for her fur, that is a whole lot of different problem. she sheds a lot (especially her down hair) and it would layer the whole floor. so if i do not sweep my floor for a day or two, it would look like i have a new carpet in the house. that is the reason why i restrict her from going into my bedroom. and to manage this, grooming her regularly is needed. just earlier, i had trimmed her fur. now she looked like someone who has just walked out of the barber. nice and neat.
sapphie's nails can be a killer if not trimmed. many dog grooming books suggest that dogs' nails would naturally be trimmed if they exercise regularly. as for sapphie, this natural trimming is not sufficient. the natural friction against the floor from her daily exercise only end up with some nails being shortened. there are still those that need further trimming such as those of her first toe (that will never be in contact with the ground). and trimming toe nails are so important in order to prevent her from scratching you when she jumps on you!
perhaps in the next day or two, will give her a bathe. this should complete the overall grooming needed for her... at least for the next two weeks or so.
:-)
have not been able to find animal dentist and have been removing tartar for her myself over the past years. it can be a very tricky business and i don't suggest anyone do it unless you are very familiar with your dog. sapphie listens to me and i could have my way with her. she would lie with her head on my lap, open her mouth and let me use a metallic object (usually a pair of scissors) to scrap her teeth. the difficult teeth are her molars... located rite at the back and usually i would need to pry her mouth wide open to be able to reach it. when she gets uncomfortable, she would try to close her jaws... (sounds familiar rite?) and i would usually place my thumb between her top and lower molars to let her bite onto it. this usually helps. and of cos, the tartar removal is not foolproof. not a dentist myself but i hope with whatever i do, i will be able to extend the lifespan of her teeth. and i think it is working cos she's already 8 plus and apart from one single molar that looked decayed, every other teeth are still very healthy. this as compared to some other dogs that suffer worn out teeth as early as 5 or 6 years of age.
as for her fur, that is a whole lot of different problem. she sheds a lot (especially her down hair) and it would layer the whole floor. so if i do not sweep my floor for a day or two, it would look like i have a new carpet in the house. that is the reason why i restrict her from going into my bedroom. and to manage this, grooming her regularly is needed. just earlier, i had trimmed her fur. now she looked like someone who has just walked out of the barber. nice and neat.
sapphie's nails can be a killer if not trimmed. many dog grooming books suggest that dogs' nails would naturally be trimmed if they exercise regularly. as for sapphie, this natural trimming is not sufficient. the natural friction against the floor from her daily exercise only end up with some nails being shortened. there are still those that need further trimming such as those of her first toe (that will never be in contact with the ground). and trimming toe nails are so important in order to prevent her from scratching you when she jumps on you!
perhaps in the next day or two, will give her a bathe. this should complete the overall grooming needed for her... at least for the next two weeks or so.
:-)
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