Pet groomers face seasonal challenges as winter loses its grip on much of the country. Get ready for mud, mats, and bugs now to prepare for the coming weeks. For starters, grooming customers who are not on a regular schedule tend to notice that their pets need grooming in the spring, so our calendars get extra busy. These not-so-frequent visitors, as well as the regularly planned dogs, may present you with the following problems to tackle.
- Grime. Many pets will be coming to be groomed, looking dirtier than usual. Warmer weather invites dogs to be out and about more with their humans and collect the mud and yuck exposed by thawing weather. You can tackle extra grimy coats with shampoos designed just for this reason.
Whitening shampoos can help combat stained light-colored coats and are good to have on hand. - Odors. Along with warm weather comes run-ins with more bad odors than at other times of the year. Pets may roll in unmentionable things or even have an unfortunate visit with a skunk. It’s good to have some products on hand to tackle tough smells.
- External parasites. Areas of the country that experience cold winter weather often also experience an upsurge in pets with fleas or ticks in spring. Since most pets are kept on prescription insecticide medications year-round, many groomers rarely see external parasites, but a few animals may arrive for grooming with hitchhikers on board. Having a quality shampoo for these occasions can save the day.
- Seasonal Shedding. “Blowing coats” will keep us busy this time of year. Using shampoos and conditioners that help release dead coat can save us time and energy. Invest in products with ingredients designed to make removing tangles and shedding hair easier for us and the pets.
- Excessive matting. Some pets that come in just a few times a year will need a nice, short clip to get under the mats that formed while their owners let their coats grow to “keep them warm” all winter. Be sure you have a few new clipper blades stowed away so you can power through the tangles. If you have not tried the wide blades, this might be an excellent time to take one for a test drive. Seasonal smoothie trims go faster when you use a wide blade.
Plan ahead for springtime grooming now to be sure that you will have the tools you need to tackle the challenges the season brings.
