What Can Happen If You Put Off Your Dog’s Grooming?

15th January 2024 by Sarah

If you’re a proud dog owner, chances are you want to keep your furry friend in great condition, which should involve regular trips to the grooming salon.

Having said that, when life is throwing a million and one hurdles your way, it can be tempting to delay some of life’s less pressing responsibilities.

Dog grooming may come under this category, but not seeing to this could create a range of issues. In this blog post, we’ll cover three of the most common issues that can arise from not taking your dog to the salon as frequently as you should.

Matted Fur

Perhaps the most common complication seen in dogs not groomed regularly enough is matted fur. Mats are dense, tangled clumps of fur that can form in areas where hair rubs against itself, and dogs are more prone to this when their fur is excessively wrong.

As well as being unsightly, not to mention uncomfortable and painful for your dog, matting can lead to skin irritation, harbouring moisture and creating an ideal environment for bacteria and fungi.

Matting commonly occurs around the ears, neck, and underarms, so getting your dog groomed regularly will ensure these areas are properly manicured.

Eye Issues

One of the biggest risks with not getting your dog groomed as often as you should is hair growing in and around their eyes. This is especially so with long-haired dogs.

As well as preventing them from seeing properly, long hair around a dog's eyes can lead to a plethora of issues, the most serious of which is infection. Hair that isn't regularly trimmed can lead to irritation, putting them at risk of eye Infections.

If left untreated, these can escalate into more severe problems, and in some breeds, it’s not uncommon for some dogs to eventually go blind.

This is why regular grooming is imperative for your dog’s ocular health, as it’ll help prevent these eye-related complications and ensure your pooch can see the world around them!

Long Nails

One of the cornerstones of a good grooming package is nail clipping, which is crucial for not only your dog’s comfort but also their foot health.

When a dog’s nails are allowed to grow too long, this can create all sorts of issues, from pain in the foot to problems walking. In some particularly bad cases, the nails may start to grow inwards which can cause infection and immense pain for your pup.

So the next time you take your dog to the salon, make sure you get their nails clipped as part of the treatment.

Overheating

If your dog has excessively long hair, they’re more prone to overheating. This is especially true in the warmer summer months when many dogs are at risk of becoming too hot. This is an even bigger concern lately, with the increasingly high temperatures making life uncomfortable for our four-legged friends.

Regular grooming will keep your dog’s coat at the right length, and it'll also brush away dead or excess hair, leaving the coat less dense and helping to regulate your pet’s temperature.

So those are three possible complications that come from not grooming your dog regularly enough. As you can see, not staying on top of your animal’s grooming needs can have some pretty disastrous consequences, so it’s important to take them to their local dog salon regularly to keep their fur in tip-top shape.