With the chill of winter still in the air, you may be tempted to think that you’re doing your pet a favour by holding off on his or her grooming until spring. But grooming is just as important during the winter months as it is throughout the warm days of summer. During the winter months, dogs’ and cats’ undercoats need just as much attention as the topcoat does in summer, if not more.
Underneath your pet’s top coat of fur is an undercoat, a bit like a woolly sweater. This layer of fur is what helps keep your pet warm in the winter and cool during the summer. Without regular bathing and grooming, their undercoat is likely to become dirty, matted and wet, especially if your dog spends any time outdoors.
Like a wool sweater, if the undercoat is not brushed to remove dead hair so it’s allowed to breathe, it can take forever to dry and can become tight and knotty as the dead hair entwines with the new hair. It is uncomfortable and, after a while, your pet will start to get that ‘pet’ smell! An unkept undercoat can also trap dirt, debris, parasites and nasty bacteria against your pet’s skin, causing dermatological issues and other health concerns.
Once the days start to get warmer, if your pet has not been groomed regularly you will have twice as much hair to clean up as your pet’s coat sheds and gets ready for summer. Ultimately, it’s not just the length of your pet’s hair or his or her stylish cut that matters when it comes to grooming, it’s the care of his or her undercoat during the winter that makes such a difference.