Dogs are playful and active pets. They love physical activities as much as playing with the members of the family. Yet, some dogs don’t like getting a bath and would simply run away seeing you getting them prepared for a bath.
Still, dogs need to be clean to stay healthy, happy, and enjoy activities with them throughout the day. But keeping them clean could be a challenge for some, especially for dogs who don’t like the idea of having a bath. If this is your problem, just continue reading to gain more insights and tips to clean a dog without bathing. Also, you can read here some tips on how to effectively train a cat.
Use Waterless Shampoo
Little do people know that a good mixture of baking soda and cornstarch eliminates dog smells. This is an excellent homemade remedy that dog owners can easily create in their house using simple ingredients. After mixing them up, you can put it on their towel to massage it on their coat for a couple of minutes. Just make sure to cover every part of their body, including their belly and paws.
After a few minutes, all doggy smells are gone with this waterless shampoo. You can mix this powdered shampoo and store it for a long time, so you can give your dogs a regular cleaning.
Clean Their Bed Regularly
A dog’s bed is where they spend a large portion of their life, especially during sleeping time. And whatever’s creeping or lurking in their bed, be it bacteria or fleas, it will go straight to your dogs if they are left uncleaned. So make sure to regularly clean their beddings at least once a week or whenever necessary, as dogs can thrash or put dirt on their beddings. If you want to keep your dogs clean, keep their beds clean as well.
Give Them A Healthy Diet
Dogs need to have a good healthy diet to be truly clean from the inside out, like gastrointestinal clean. Giving them a poor diet can cause them many internal problems and make their wastes smell bad. This will quickly produce dog smells on your pets if regularly provided over time.
You need to be careful with their diet and always look out for their nutritional needs. It is always better to spend a little more penny on a healthy diet than to spend big on a vet clinic for gastrointestinal treatments. Plus, a healthy diet makes your dog clean and smell good.
Brush Their Fur Regularly
Whether your dog has short or long hair, they need to be brushed regularly to remove dirt and tangles that build up over time. If you are worried that this might consume time, brushes can only take five to seven minutes. So you can actually do this every day to guarantee your dog is free from any pests attaching to their coat.
Oral Care
Dogs may have stronger teeth than humans, but still, they need to be taken care of and have proper oral care. Dogs’ teeth are more prone to plaque and dental bacteria build-up since they love to chew almost anything they can grab with their mouth.
Some dog owners tend to forget this oral hygiene to keep them clean, but this is actually one of the critical parts that need to be cleaned. Most dog disease comes from what they eat, accidentally or not. So to avoid this problem, brush your dog’s teeth daily.
Use Pet Wipes
Pet wipes are a great cleaning tool for your dogs. These are affordable and almost available to every pet store and even groceries. You can use them to wipe off the dirt from their coat, belly, and paws.
This is easy to use and portable, making them perfect when you are traveling with your dogs and need a cleaning kit. So make sure to keep a little more of these handy pet wipes for your loving pets.
Clean Their Ears
This is a part of the dogs that are often neglected when cleaning them. And ear infections are common to dogs, especially with big long ears, as wax and bacteria tend to build up there over time. So when cleaning your dogs, you need to include this on your list that needs to be kept clean regularly.
After knowing the proven ways to keep your dog clean, you may also want to read this interesting post regarding hippos if you’re a genuine animal lover.
Get Them Checked by a Vet
While there are some things that can be easily done at home to keep your dog clean and healthy but they should be regularly given a health check by the vet as well. The reason is that sometimes a dog owner cannot spot an alarming disease with the naked eye.
A vet in that respect can run x-rays and other checks to help solve the issue before it turns into a serious health concern. The majority of owners ignore this basic factor to avoid the expenses but vet checkups go a long way interms of the dog’s health.
Brush Regularly
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Matting can be painful and lead to serious skin infections. Ticks, fleas, dander, and dirt can easily hide the matted coat and result in an abscess. To avoid such a situation, you should ensure that you brush your dog regularly.
This is especially the case with dogs that have long hair such as collies and golden retrievers that should be brushed every other day. However, dog breeds with relatively less and short hair may need a good brushing atleast once every week.
Brushing depends on the area you live in and the daily activities of your dog. If the area tends to be dirty and the dog likes to play in the backyard everyday, you will need to brush it regularly.
Trim the Nails
Apart from the fur, bacteria and other potentially harmful factors can also hide inside the nails. If you hear your dog ticking while walking on the floor, it means the nails have to be cut. Long nails can be painful and make it difficult for the pets to walk.
While cutting the nails, make sure that you calm the pet first. Some dogs tend to get nervous. Therefore, only try when he is either tired or relaxed.
FAQs: Tips for Keeping Your Dog Clean
Here is a look at some common questions asked about keeping your dog clean.
1. How can I keep my dog clean all the time?
There are several ways of ensuring that your dog remains clean all the time. For instance, you can blow dry their fur daily to remove any dirt and dust. Clean the paws of the dog before it enters the house. And use good quality shampoo to get rid of stubborn dirt and grime.
2. Should I wash my dog everytime he gets dirty?
Depends, if the dog is too dirty and covered with mud and soil, you should definitely give him a bath. However, if wet wipes and a simple rundown using a sponge can do the trick, then you can say no to the bath. But keep in mind that your dog is going to need a wash atleast once a week regardless of being dirty or not.
3. What happens if you never bathe your dog?
A dog receiving no washing or bathing is more vulnerable to skin infections and diseases as compared to the one that does. Bathing your dog removes ticks, fleas, and other external factors that directly influence the dog’s health. Therefore, if you own a dog, bathing is crucial for its skin as well as long-term health.
Conclusion
Owning a dog can be an exciting experience as long as you keep it clean and healthy. There is no doubt that a dog is a man’s best friend and with that said, every owner should ensure that they offer the best to their dog in terms of food, hygiene, and grooming. Therefore, following the tips mentioned above will surely help keep your dog neat and clean for years to come.