Grooming is an essential health maintenance activity that is critical to the welfare of many pets. It makes our companion animals look good and the simplest home grooming can leave them feeling good and smelling lovely, too!

Most pets require some degree of grooming, which can include basic hygiene care such as bathing, brushing, trimming hair, clipping, cleaning ears, and trimming claws. Inadequate grooming can lead to pain and discomfort for the animal and other threats to animal health and their well-being. For example, when animal claws aren’t adequately trimmed, they may change the gait of the animal and make walking uncomfortable/challenging. The claws may grow in a circular pattern and penetrate the pads on the underside of the feet causing painful wounds which in turn might make them antisocial. Remember that overgrown claws can alter the normal anatomic position and function of the feet. Additionally, some long-haired dog breeds or mixes are particularly vulnerable to severe hair matting. This may cause medical conditions such as skin irritation and infection, recurrent or chronic ear and parasitic infestation.

There are diverse reasons why a pet owner may not maintain their pets grooming needs, some of which may be unintentional (e.g. lack of services, lack of knowledge regarding pets grooming needs)or due to circumstances beyond their control. Still grooming  omissions of care may meet legal definitions of animal neglect and have serious consequences for individuals who are unable or unwilling to provide adequate care. For example through veterinarians, animal welfare organizations, and other community programs in Kenya.

In our next release, we will discuss how to groom your pet at home.

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