By Gabrielle Oehlmann|
When you get a dog there are so many things to consider. How much should you feed them? How many walks do they need? How often should they be getting a bath?
There are so many things to get right, but when it comes to bath time there is one mistake dog owners are constantly making, according to a vet and dog grooming expert.
Veterinarian Dr Cliff Faver who specialises in pet hair and skin health, says many owners are not using conditioner when they wash their dogs, which he says is a big no-no.
"Conditioning is a must, and that's an area that a lot of people overlook," he tells 9honey.
READ MORE: Vet's tips for encouraging a fussy dog to eat
"They just shampoo and they don't condition."
While it is important to wash a dog thoroughly with shampoo to ensure it is squeaky clean, Faver says shampoo can strip the moisture from a dog's skin and it is important to use conditioner to replenish that moisture.
"If we're just shampooing a dog, that's great for cleaning but it strips the oils," Faver says.
"And then what happens is if we don't replace it with a good conditioner, then eventually … we're gonna start having dry skin, we're gonna start having irritation, we're gonna start having infections."
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Faver explains that if a dog is properly moisturised, "the oils serve as a skin barrier that keeps the bacteria, the dirt and the fungus away".
But if that oil is stripped away with shampoo and not replaced with conditioner, that essential skin barrier is broken down, leading to a "perfect Petri dish to grow all sorts of bacteria and, and create problems" like skin infections.
By moisturising a dog with conditioner, we can "put those oils back in there and take care of that and recreate that barrier."
Not to mention, just like it is for humans, dry skin is incredibly itchy and uncomfortable for dogs.
READ MORE: How to know if you're overfeeding your dog
Faver, who is the founder, owner and chief veterinarian of Animal Health Services, is bringing his pet expertise to Australia this November to present his seminar 'Hair and Skin 101 – The Basis of all Grooming'.
He is passionate about educating dog groomers and dog owners alike about how best to look after our dog's hair and of course their skin.
"We have to realise that the skin is the largest organ in the body," Faver says.
"So it's important that we take care of it."
Tickets to Dr Faver's seminars can be purchased here.
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