Last time we covered how to successfully restrain your pet for a bath.   Today we will cover more in depth information on the bathing process itself.

Your prep work is the first step to getting your pet clean.   This includes trimming your pet’s nails.   You can use guillotine type trimmers, scissor action trimmers, or even a Dremel drill to sand down the nails.

Your veterinary technician or groomer can teach you how to do this.

Next, apply eye lubricant to the corneal surface to protect your pet’s eyes. Most shampoos can cause corneal burns if there is accidental contact with the eyes.

Use a tear free shampoo if you don’t have complete confidence that you can avoid the eyes. We frequently have to treat eye ulcers after a pet is groomed by its owner, -- and sometimes even after a professional grooming. Accidents do happen!

The next step is to make sure your pet is de-matted prior to bathing.   You will need a brush or comb appropriate to your pet’s coat.

There are many types of grooming tools -- for example, slicker brushes, greyhound combs, flea combs, dematting blades, shedding rakes.

Ask your vet or groomer which will work best for you.

To continue, wet your pet from the back of the head to the rest of the body. Once thoroughly wet apply shampoo down the back and spread through the entire coat. Next apply some shampoo onto your hands and spread it along the underside of your pet. Use your fingertips (not your nails) to massage (lightly) the shampoo into the skin.

Start the rinse with gentle water pressure to avoid upsetting your pet.   You can gradually increase the water pressure as you continue.   Be sure to rinse all of the shampoo off, all of the shampoo, as any residue can irritate the skin or cause nausea if your pet licks it off.

The last step is to clean your pet’s ears. Use cotton balls and an ear cleaner recommended by your vet.

Most cleaning solutions contain a drying agent to evaporate any water that may have gotten in your pet’s ears.   This will prevent ear infections and keep your pets ears healthy.

To dry your pet use clean towels or a hair dryer. If you use a hair dryer be careful not to burn your pet’s delicate skin. The final touch is a good brushing to fluff up all that clean fur.

Voilla!   You have a fresh smelling, clean pet to cuddle with.