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Bathing
Normally, dogs should not be bathed more than twice a month. The
meticulous owner who keeps his animal thoroughly combed out at all
times may find that the dog's appearance can be maintained rather
creditably by bathing it only once a month. On the average, however, it
will be found more advantageous to abide by the bi-monthly routine.
It has often been erroneously suggested that it is not advisable to
bathe puppies before they are four to six months old. If human infants
can be bathed soon after birth, then does it not seem foolish to
believe that to bathe a puppy—relatively so much stronger than a human
infant—is dangerous? This belief seems based on the mistaken notion
that puppies that are bathed when they are too young will get
distemper. The fact is that if a puppy is improperly dried after a
bath, and is permitted to go out into the cold air, it might catch a
cold and thus be more readily susceptible to distemper. However, if the
animal is completely dry before being permitted outside, no harm will
ever come of a bath regardless of the age of the animal. It is often
even advisable, and sometimes necessary, to bathe a very young puppy,
especially if it is very filthy or laden with fleas. It is thus
perfectly safe to bathe a dog, regardless of age, provided that the
simplest common-sense precautions are taken. And the essential one is
that the animal must be thoroughly dry before being exposed to the open
air.
The following bathing technique will give the best results. First, comb
out all loose and matted hair with a fine-toothed
metal comb. Next, place the animal in an empty tub and tie the pet in
such a way that, should the person who is giving the bath be called
away for a moment, the animal is not free to hop out of the tub and
make a general mess of the household. If you are a cautious person and
are afraid of getting soap in the animal's eyes or ears, you may at
this stage put a drop of mineral oil in each eye and plug the ears with
absorbent cotton. But in most cases this refinement is neither
necessary nor desirable. If soap happens to get into the dog's eyes, it
can readily be washed out. As for the ears, if they are quite filthy,
the simplest way to get them clean is to wash them thoroughly with soap
and water. When rinsing the ears, the dog's head should be turned
downward so that the flow of water can drain out of the ear rather than
into it. By shaking its head the animal will get rid of any water that
happens to remain.
The animal should be soaked with lukewarm water from a light shower
spray. The animal will shake less and will be easier to handle if the
head region is done last. The soaking is followed by lathering the
animal with a fine, nonirritant, non-medicated ordinary soap or shampoo
or special commercial dog preparation. Then the animal is thoroughly
rinsed and dried.
The thoroughness of this final rinsing cannot be overemphasized. If
even a small quantity of soap is left on the animal, a severe
irritation of the skin may ensue. In fact, improper rinsing of dogs
during bathing, veterinarians have found, is one of the commonest
causes of eczemas. In rinsing an animal, not only should the shower
spray be depended upon, but the bather should dig into the dog's hair
with his fingertips to assist the action of the spray.
After the animal is dry, the hair should be combed out again. If this
procedure is rigorously followed, the animal's coat will take on a
sleek, silken appearance that will be very satisfying to both owner and
dog.
In any discussion of bathing, the question often arises: What about dry
shampoo? Bran, corn meal, Fuller's earth, and many other preparations
have been recommended as dry shampoos for dogs. A moderate quantity of
the selected material is rubbed into the animal's coat and then combed
out with a fine-toothed comb. This seems to have a cleansing and
deodorant effect. It is useful for dogs that have a neuro¬tic aversion
to soap-and-water baths. But, at best, the dry shampoo cannot replace a
soap-and-water shampoo. True, it is better than no shampoo at all, but
the fact still remains that if a dog gets dirty enough to warrant
giving it a bath, nothing better than soap, water, and good old "elbow
grease" have ever been invented.
While bathing your animal, you might apply an antiseptic which will
destroy any fleas, lice, or ticks that the animal might harbor, and
will tend to prevent their recurrence. The chemical which gives the
most consistent satisfaction is called malathion and details about its
use should be obtained from your veterinarian.
Sometimes, in spite of every effort to maintain the cleanliness of the
dog, the pet may still acquire an unpleasant odor before the next
bathing time arrives. A tablet is now manufactured that will subdue or
get rid of these odors. It is made from certain extractives of
chlorophyl—the chemical which gives life to plants—and is similar in
principle to the various types of wicks that are commonly used to
control household odors. Your veterinarian will be very happy to tell
you about it.
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