In this week’s issue here’s what we are sniffing out

• The in-between time and what you can do

• Be my safe Valentine

Betwixt and Between

When your dogs are young, most of them see a groomer regularly, probably every 6-12 weeks depending on the style of cut they get and how stinky they get between grooms. (Hopefully!) If not, this is your reminder to call the groomer. When I see clients after they’re no longer able to tolerate a traditional groom, I try to extend the time between haircuts out as long as possible. Some clients see me every 8 weeks if their coats grow quickly, but I see most of my clients every 3 months on average… longer if we can eke out another month or two. Some medications or medical conditions cause coat growth to slow, and I believe certain breeds are prone to less growth of coat as they age.

I visit clients who need me between those longer-spaced grooms to trim in front of eyes, paw pads, rear ends, and do nails. But if you’re not in an area where you have a senior dog specialized groomer, there are some things you can do to help maintain your dog’s comfort between grooms. These little tasks will also make groom day a tiny bit easier, so your dog can get back home more quickly to his comfy bed.

So here we go:

1. 👀 Clean corners of eyes regularly. Many breeds generate a lot of eye gunk in the inner corners of their eyes. Shih Tzus, Poodles, Maltese, Yorkies, I’m looking at you! This tends to increase with age. And if I had a dollar for every Shih Tzu who didn’t want the area in front of the eyes cleaned or trimmed, I’d be on a beach in Hawaii somewhere, retired. Small digression… for those who love the breeds who develop this eye discharge, I would really recommend getting the dogs used to have that area of the face cleaned up regularly when they’re young. It’ll make everyone’s lives much easier when they’re old. When they’re young, the groomers can deal with that, but it would be nice if the dog tolerated it for the groomer as well. When the dog is old, it becomes a necessity between grooms, so if you lay the groundwork early, it pays off in the pup‘s old age. Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox…

   How to do this:

   • On a daily basis, use a damp paper towel, corner of a damp washcloth, a damp facial cotton round, or tiny flannel pad to gently wipe the inner corners of both eyes. I recommend something more than a damp tissue because even a damp paper towel has more texture to it than a tissue, which is smooth when wet. The extra texture will help create more friction to pick up the goo.

     *VERY important: if your dog has a history of eye infections or discolored green or icky yellow eye gunk, do not use the same wiping material on both eyes.

   • 1-3 times per week, use a flea comb to gently comb through the hair on the inner corners of the eyes. Make sure the hair, or the comb, is damp. Doing this on dry hair that has dry eye gunk will hurt! Place a warm wet compress on the corner of the eye to dampen the crusty, then dunk the flea comb in a little bowl of warm water before gently combing through. Do not be too aggressive in combing because you can cause skin tears or rashes. The skin can move a little tiny bit but if you see it pulling away from the eyes, you’re working too hard. I recommend a flea comb like this because the metal teeth are a little safer. Plastic teeth on a flea comb are easy to break and for some reason, I feel like they actually pull harder too.

   • If you need just a little more help, this no rinse facial shampoo works well. Do the compress, then gently rub in a dot less than the size of a pea on the corner of the eyes. Give it a minute to work its magic and then use the flea comb technique.

   • It’s best to start this with a clean slate, so I recommend beginning the routine right after a groom. The first week there may be nothing to comb or wipe out, and that is PERFECT! Pair it with a yummy treat afterward and you have yourself a mini training session. Do not start this process when your dog has caked crusty pancakes of eye goo under the eyes. That should be handled by a professional.

2. 🧽 Clean under the tail. Especially in older dogs who are not getting haircuts as regularly, your dog’s rear end can get poopy as the hair grows longer. It’s a fact of life. It is no fun for your dog and can lead to serious problems that require vet care.

   How to do this:

   • A few times a week, lift the tail and give your dog’s rear end a thorough but gentle wiping. You don’t have to buy fancy wipes to do this. Just use an old washcloth wet with warm water, one teeny tiny drop of soap or shampoo, and toss in the washer. If your washcloth is sudsy, you’ll have to rinse, which is why I recommend a single drop.

3. Check your dog’s paw pads. Denver is having a weird, spring-like winter so far. This week I found mud balls in all eight of two different dogs’ paw pads. Once or twice a week, feel around and in the crevices between pads for mud, gum, burrs, twigs, mats, etc. You might be surprised what you find. And trust me when I tell you… nothing that lives between the toes makes your elderly dog’s feet feel better. Old age is hard enough, achy feet make it much harder! Mud balls can be soaked out if your dog will allow. Soak the foot in a warm bowl of water, put a glove on, and use your fingers to gently remove the mud as you’re able. Try not to pull too hard on the hair; that’s a sensitive area. It may take time and patience. If you are one of the 5 people I know who are comfortable shaving paw pads, do that every 4-5 weeks, but if you aren’t, don’t take it on without a quick lesson. It’s very easy to nick a paw pad.

   Pro tip: from now on, get all the dogs in your life used to having their feet handled when they’re young! Your groomer will love you more than you’ll understand.

   Managing these three items will go a long way to making your geriatric dog’s daily life more comfortable, and his groom days a little smoother! In any situation where you’re trying a new grooming task, I highly recommend using positive reinforcement only. These treats, or something like it, are a good way to go. Look for something very yummy, low-calorie, and quick/easy to chew!

Be My Valentine (But Don’t Make My Dog Sick)

Valentine’s Day is approaching, so guard your chocolate! Hopefully, we all realize chocolate is toxic to dogs, but accidents happen this time of year. Be sure you’re careful in case any valentine of yours delivers a wrapped box of chocolate without knowing how dangerous it can be for dogs. One year, someone brought us a gift which we put under the tree. Of course, our beagle mix broke into it and ate all the chocolate. Luckily it was mostly filled milk chocolates so she was fine, but I’ve been terrified of that ever since. When people who don’t have dogs bring us gifts they get opened right away or stored safely out of reach till the holiday.

According to this VCA Animal Hospital article, “The darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more dangerous it is to dogs. Cocoa beans have the most theobromine, followed by unsweetened cocoa powder, then, in order from most to least, baked unsweetened dark/baking chocolate, semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate with the least theobromine. Even if the dose of theobromine is not toxic, dogs can still develop vomiting, diarrhea, or pancreatitis from the fat and sugar in chocolate.”

🐶 Sniffing Out Senior Dog News 📰

#️⃣ 20 Dog Statistics All Pet Lovers Should Know in 2025

🗞️ Good news to start 2025: These state laws are now in place for animals in the U.S. 

🌭 Elderly Dachshund who spent life on the streets happy to now have a family

🏷️ Zoetis updates Librela label after post-approval data

Senior Dog Humor 🤣 

How did we do with this week’s newsletter?

• High Paws

• Pooped in the House