Pets give us a lot of affection and give us moments of joy and happiness in our lives. However, they can be carriers of pathogens, capable of transmitting to other animals and human nodes a series of diseases. It is then of extreme importance to ensure the health and hygiene of our animals in order to reduce the risks to which they are exposed. A well-behaved pet, well-fed, well-vaccinated, unscrewed and living in good hygienic conditions, will hardly become a disease transmission vehicle.

Feeding has an important role here. A good quality feed diet is recommended and avoiding raw foods. In order to prevent disease appearance, some of them (disease transmitted to man by another animal) is important to provide good hygiene of the animal bed, from space where he eats, drinks and zones where urine and defecates. In addition, it is also important to maintain a continuous hygiene of the dog or cat, especially of the skin, eyes, mouth and ears.

Hygiene of skin and hair: bath and brushing.


• Why does the skin require specific care?

Pelé peculiarities of our animals:

The skin of dogs and cats is different from ours: it is thinner and has a distinct pH. Consequently suffers from a greater number of infections. Dogs and cats practically do not sweat. They present a very important sebaceous secretion for the balance of their skin, and which contributes to a good hydration and control of bacterial flora.

Finally, the vast majority is protected by a dense layer of hair, which can easily dirty or shelter parasites. It is for these reasons that the skin and the by our pets need private care: use of shampoos that respect the specifics of their skin and coat, brushing and regular washing. The first clue that something is not well with our animal is actually a skin problem. We can not look into them, but the skin, the body's largest organ, often warns us from that there is a problem with the skin or the reflection of an internal disease. The coat reflects the general health status and the nutritional level of the animal. The hair protects the skin from external lesions and functions as thermal insulation. To keep you bright and healthy it is necessary to have special care, which pass through the brushing, bath and shearing.

• The seasonal hair changes.


The fall of hair is an inevitable physiological phenomenon that occurs in dogs and cats. There is a very lush hair fall in the spring and another more discreet in the early fall to renew the coat to better adapt to temperature variations according to the season.

However, in our well-heated and illuminated day and night houses, natural rhythms disappear and animals tend to present a continuous change throughout the year. This is because the rhythm of renewal of the EO is influenced among other factors, at room temperature, being the fall of furest hair in the periods of heat and greater exposure to light. Hence it is normal for animals living in the house that changes it in a more gradual way, losing fur throughout the year, little at a time. The opposite occurs in animals living abroad, in which the hair changes occurs in a more intense way and a shortest period of time.

To limit the drawbacks of this change, which is the fall of hair, and in the impossibility of suppressing, it is convenient to regularly brush your animal to eliminate the dead hair. At the same time you should give you a special food supplement for the coat. Talk to the veterinarian about this medicine. If even so, your animal continues to have an exaggerated loss of parties or ripped from a scratching or licking intense, or because they have not grown again, it is necessary to consult your veterinarian.

• The bath.

Bath is an important procedure for your dog or cat's hygiene and is usually appreciated by most animals and respective owners. It is advisable to bathe pets periodically due to dirt, type of hair and race.

• In dogs:


All dogs should take a shower regularly, with an average frequency of 2 or 3 times a year, depending on their lifestyle (exposure to the heating) and the type of coat. For example:
- A dog living in the city needs frequent washes because it is very exposed to pollution and dirt of the tours.
- A dog living in the countryside, but that walks for muddy paths, it also needs frequent baths.
- A long dog should be washed more frequently than one by short.
- Animals with chronic dermatological problems (for example: Seborrhea, atopy) may need to bathe frequently but must follow the recommendations of the veterinarian.

Baths should not be very frequent. Avoid giving more than once a month. Dogs have thin skin and continuous removal of natural oils can produce dryness, irritation and facilitate the invasion of infectious agents. If you bathe your pet very often (for example: more than once a month), because of the smell, it is advisable to use a soft and moisturizing shampoo to compensate for the loss of indispensable "skin fats". If so he continues smelling, must be observed by a veterinarian. However, in certain situations dogs may need to clean or treatments with frequency shampoos. In these cases, the advice of the veterinarian should be carefully followed. Avoid the baths to kill the fleas and shit. Today I day there are more effective and less painful methods to solve this problem. Dry baths with talc-based products may have its usefulness by reducing the frequency of water use and release the dog from some dirt, but do not replace the traditional bath with shampoo and water that remains the most effective means of cleaning the.

• What about cats?


Cats are extremely careful with their personal hygiene, washing themselves when they lick, so a healthy cat does not normally need to bathe.

However, in case of need (dirt or dermatological changes) cats can be washed. Most cats like to play with the water, but in the bathing the situation is very different. To bathe can be a real torture for the cat and the owner also that does not leave there without taking with a scratching. So it's to avoid. The most important thing is to make a good furrush of the hair. When a cat does not deal with your hygiene, it is a sign that something is not well, and should take you to the veterinarian.

• What will shampoo use?

Use a specific chopst of dogs and cats. Do not use soap or human skin products because they are too acidic acids and irritate the skin. The pH of the animal's skin is tendentially neutral (pH 7) unlike the human that is acid (pH 5.5). The frequent use of inadequate shampoos will lead to a weaker, brittle and spleen hair and will intensify the peeling (dandruff), and may lead to a skin disease.

It is not advisable to bathe the dogs or kittens before the vaccination program is finished.

The dogs should only take a shower 15 days after the rabies vaccine. If however get dirty, you can clean it with wipes or use a dry shampoo.

During the bath it is important that:

- the water temperature is not less than body temperature. Use warm water with a constant temperature.
- If you avoid water between the ears of animals to avoid otitis.
- If you avoid the contact of the shampoo with the eyes of the animals.
- After the bath the animal should be very dry. Avoid washing it if later to the bath is exposed to cold or rain.

To bathe is fundamental that follow some important steps:

1. Material required: brush, bathtub, non-slip carpet, adequate shampoo and towel.
2. In the case of the cat closes the division where it will bathe for him not to run away.
3. Brush the coat carefully before bathing to remove the maximum hairs and disembark the hair to take off. If you do not untangle the before, after the bath becomes almost impossible.
4. Wet the hair with warm water in the shower or bowl. Avoid designing water for eyes and ears. Cats do not like to feel wet. You can put on the bottom of the tub a non-slip rug to prevent the dog / cat slipping.
5. Apply the shampoo spreading throughout the body. Massage gently in the short and short dogs and dogs in the dogs of the long to the appearance of foam. Do not forget the ventral zone and paws. Let it act for 10-15 minutes.
6. Thoroughly rinse with warm water. Insist in areas that feature injuries. If necessary can repeat the shampoo application.
7. Wrap the animal in a towel (hot if possible) to dry. Then you can use the regulated hair dryer for little heat. If the dog / cat scares with the hair dryer, let it dry completely in a hot place without air currents. Avoid excessive use of dryers, especially if the skin is dried or inflamed. If the dryer is emitting very hot air and if you have in contact with the skin too long you can burn it.
8. Finally brush it.

The bath should be a pleasant experience for your animal to not be traumatized. Regular caring with the coat are fundamental as they help promote skin and coat health and strengthen the affective bond between the animal and the owner. If dogs and cats are used to being brushed from an early age, they end up liking. Therefore, it is never too late to start care with the coat.