A Grooming Calendar for Dogs and Cats

Grooming looks like a cosmetic job, but its real value is that it gets your hands on every part of your pet on a regular schedule. Lumps, ticks, sore ears, cracked pads, overgrown nails and bad breath are far easier to deal with when you find them in the first week rather than the sixth month. A pet that is used to being handled is also much easier for a vet to examine.

The calendar below works for most dogs and cats. Coat type, age and how much time your pet spends outdoors will shift it one way or the other, and your vet or groomer can tell you where your animal sits.

Daily: teeth, and long coats

Dental disease is one of the most common problems vets find in adult dogs and cats. Tartar builds up along the gum line, the gums become inflamed, and over time teeth loosen and can become painful or infected. Daily brushing is the most effective thing you can do at home, and a few times a week still helps if every day isn't realistic.

Most pets need to be introduced to it slowly, over a couple of weeks:

1. Let your pet lick a little pet toothpaste off your finger. Use a toothpaste made for animals. Human toothpaste isn't meant to be swallowed, and some contain xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.
2. Once that's accepted, lift the lip and rub your finger along the outer surface of the teeth and gums for a few seconds.
3. Switch to a soft pet toothbrush or finger brush, angled toward the gum line.
4. Focus on the outer surfaces of the back teeth and the large canines, where tartar builds up fastest. Most pets won't allow the inner surfaces, and that's fine.
5. Keep sessions short and end with praise or a meal.

If brushing isn't possible, look for dental chews, diets and water additives carrying the Veterinary Oral Health Council seal, which means the manufacturer submitted trial results showing they reduce plaque or tartar.

Long-haired breeds such as Persians, collies and doodle crosses also need a daily brush. Mats form fastest behind the ears, in the armpits and under the collar. They pull on the skin, trap moisture and can hide sores, and a badly matted coat often has to be clipped off completely.

Weekly: brush, look and feel

Short-coated dogs and most cats do well with a weekly brush, more often during the heavy shedding seasons in spring and fall. A slicker brush works on most coats, an undercoat rake helps double-coated dogs, and a metal comb finds the tangles a brush skips.

Turn the weekly brush into a once-over. Run your hands along the body and legs and note any new lumps. Many vets follow a simple rule for these: a lump larger than a pea that has been there for a month is worth having checked, usually with a quick needle sample. Part the coat to look for fleas, flea dirt or ticks, especially after time in long grass. Check between the toes for grass seeds and look at the pads for cracks.

Then look in the ears. Healthy ear canals are pale pink, with little wax and no strong smell. Redness, dark discharge, a yeasty odor or frequent head shaking are reasons to see the vet. To clean visible wax, use a vet-approved cleaner on a cotton pad and wipe only what you can see. Cotton swabs pushed into the canal can pack debris deeper or injure it. Dogs with floppy ears, and dogs that swim, tend to need more frequent checks.

Flat-faced breeds such as bulldogs and pugs need their facial folds wiped and dried weekly, since moisture trapped in the folds leads to skin infections.

Every three to four weeks: nails

Most dogs and indoor cats need a nail trim every three to four weeks. Dogs that walk a lot on pavement may wear their nails down naturally. If you can hear clicking on a hard floor, the nails are too long. Overgrown nails change the way a dog stands and can curl into the pad, and a cat's claws can do the same.

1. Hold the paw gently and press the pad to extend the nail.
2. On pale nails, find the quick, the pink area containing the blood vessel, and cut well in front of it.
3. On dark nails you can't see the quick, so take thin slices. Stop when the cut surface shows a pale ring with a dark dot in the center.
4. Don't forget dewclaws, which never touch the ground and can grow into a circle.
5. Keep styptic powder or cornstarch nearby. If you nick the quick, press it on for a minute to stop the bleeding.

If your pet won't tolerate it, a vet nurse or groomer can trim nails in a few minutes, and a grinder is an option for dogs who dislike clippers.

Every one to three months: baths

Most dogs need a bath somewhere between once a month and every few months, depending on coat, skin and how dirty they get. Bathing too often strips natural oils and dries the skin. Use a dog shampoo, since human products are made for skin with a different pH, and rinse thoroughly, because leftover shampoo itches.

Most cats keep themselves clean and rarely need a bath. The exception is a cat that has stopped grooming. A greasy or matted coat along the back and near the tail often means a cat is overweight, arthritic or unwell and can no longer reach, and that is worth a vet visit in its own right.

A few times a year: haircuts and dental checks

Breeds with continuously growing coats, such as poodles, shih tzus and Yorkshire terriers, need a professional cut roughly every six to eight weeks. Double-coated breeds such as huskies, golden retrievers and German shepherds shouldn't be shaved short. The undercoat helps protect against heat and sun, and it may grow back patchy or uneven.

Ask your vet to look at the teeth at every annual exam. Many pets eventually need a professional cleaning under anesthesia, which removes tartar below the gum line that no toothbrush can reach and lets the vet check each tooth properly.