How Do You Know When To Bathe Your Dog?
Having a pet is not just enjoying their company in good times, since it is also necessary to take care of them both in times of danger and in their health and hygiene. This involves a lot of regular work, but it is definitely worth it.
If your faithful friend is a dog, you must be clear about when to bathe your dog, as a good state of hygiene is essential for their well-being, both physical and mental. Here we solve all the doubts regarding the subject.
The importance of bathing in dogs
Dogs run, lie on the ground and get dirty frequently, so they must be bathed so that they always look beautiful and elegant. However, your pet is not like you, who needs a bath every day. A dog is a different being, with needs different from those of the human being.
He cannot bathe daily, as that would be counterproductive to his health, he could even die as a result of a cold, especially when it comes to a puppy. Hygiene parameters in our species are very different from those of other mammals: don’t forget it.
That is why it is essential that you know when to bathe your dog, from what age, how often, with what kind of products, or simply, if you do not bathe him, with what you could replace his body hygiene. The bathroom of your pet depends on several factors that we will analyze below.
When to bathe your dog according to the type of hair
Dog hair is the main indicator of the state of hygiene and the need for cleaning. It is not very difficult to guess, since it is what is noticeable with the naked eye. The less hair the dog has, the less the impression of dirt will be, but if it has thick and long hair, this dirt will be the more noticeable, in addition to the smell it gives off.
Hair can tell you if it is necessary to bathe a dog more or less frequently. So, to know when to groom your pet, you can follow the following indications:
- Short hair, that is to say, not very abundant: the animal can be bathed once every 2 months approximately.
- Long and abundant: these specimens can be bathed once a month.
- Medium-sized hair: they bathe once every month and a half.
A good tip is to replace the bath, whenever possible, with daily brushing. With this, dirt can be removed, in addition to stimulating dead cells and distributing fatty acids from the animal’s skin.
The bathroom according to the lifestyle of your pet
The character of dogs is also different from one another: if yours is very active, plays, loves to lie on the floor and get dirty, you will know perfectly when to bathe your dog. The specimens that frequently carry out activities in open space, on the beach or on the hill, get more dirty than those that are less active or more homey.
Here it is necessary to remember that the soaps and shampoos that are applied to them could have opposite results to those expected. These products dry out your skin, in addition to reducing the natural oils in your body, which give your coat shine and texture. The natural ointments of the dog even protect it from dermatological diseases.
Other ways to know when to bathe your dog
In this life, not everything is governed by hard and fast rules. For this reason, sometimes it is necessary to consider whether or not it is appropriate to bathe the dog based on certain parameters. Some of them are the following:
- In the molting season, it is essential to brush the dog daily to remove dirt and knots. You can also take baths more regularly.
- If you see that the dog feels hot, especially in summer time, a cold water bath may be a good option.
- Bathe the dog if its hair smells bad.
- If you’ve been exercising, a mist of water will cleanse you.
- Sometimes dogs are curious: if yours has been in contact with toxic substances, give it a bath immediately and go to the vet.
- If it is dirty with grease or oil, it will be very uncomfortable and you will need to remove these substances from your skin to feel good: give it a bath.
When it is not advisable to bathe the dog
It is not advisable to bathe the dog when there are possible symptoms of distemper. In that case, the ideal is to take him to the vet. If the specialist confirms that the dog has distemper, do not clean it. This is a serious disease that, if complicated, could kill your dog. The dog needs drugs and rest, not temperature shocks in the form of baths.
Products to bathe your pet
When it comes to knowing when to bathe your dog, you must know that the pH of his skin is higher than ours. For that reason, it is advisable to choose a soap that respects that natural pH and never use products made for humans, since they are too acidic for them.
Lies about dog bathing
As with everything in this life, there is no shortage of musings and myths around the activity of bathing a dog. We tell you some of the most striking crazy things that are speculated about this act:
- That when you bathe the dogs, they lose natural oils from their skin and damage the pH. This is not true: it can only affect your health if it is washed excessively or if it is never done. It can also happen if the guardian uses human soaps on the dog, something we have already talked about previously.
- That water gets into their ears and causes otitis. If the washing is done carefully, this is not a problem.
- That if they smell perfume, they will be rejected by the other dogs. If you know when to bathe your dog, you will also know that it has a very powerful sense of smell and that, even though it smells good, under the essences its aroma is still that of a wild animal. Therefore, dog shampoos are not a problem either.
In summary, if you have a dog under your guardianship, bathe it, the times indicated and at the appropriate ages, always based on the instructions of a veterinarian. If you comply with their hygiene standards, you will have not only a friend with a long life and good health, but also with a pleasant hygiene for the whole environment.
