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1. Your dog will look his best. You'll be proud to walk down the street.
2. Her coat will be healthier and more comfortable.
3. Giving her a regular once-over allows you to disover problems like tumors, rashes, cuts or parasites before they become serious.
4. Grooming gives you special time with your Shih Tzu, a regular time to connect.
Even if you take your dog to a groomer on a regular basis, she will feel and look better if you do regular maintenance at home between visits.
The Right Equipment
Be sure to use the proper tools. If you use the wrong tools, you could be ineffective, struggle more that you have to, or worse, damage their coat. You can always ask the breeder for advice or your groomer.
Tips
1. Good nutrition plays a huge role in the coat's appearance. Always feed a high quality dog food. Many people also use special products like veterinarian-prescribed foods to keep their dogs coat and skin well lubricated.
2. Mist your dogs coat with a little water as you groom her. The water helps prevent hair breakage.
3. If your dog's coat suddenly becomes dull, he may be ill or have a tapeworm. Consult your veterinarian.
Tangles
1. Spray the tangled or matted area with detangle spray. Work in the spray with your fingers. Then let it sit for a few minutes.
2. Try to loosen the snarl with a slicker brush. For your dog's comfort, be sure to hold her skin above the tangle while you work. Sometimes you can hold a comb vertically and split mats that way by pulling the comb down through the mat.
Try to get out all tangles and mats before you bathe her as water only tightens mats further.
Be extremely careful if you have to resort to cutting out a tangle or mat. Dogs often get stabbedd in the process. Always hold the scissors parallel to the skin to prevent injury. It is very difficult to see where a mat ends and teh skin begins. If you must cut, don't cut anywhere near the skin. If your dog's coat is a mess, you're probably better off letting a professional handle the situation.
Removing Foreign Matter
Gum: Start w/ ice or nail polish remover and then carefully clip out the gum with scissors.
Paint: Use paint thinner or turpentine, but keep these solvents away from the skin.
Oil or grease: Try mechanic's hand cleaner, then shampoo the area.
Long Hair
1. First, brush the entire coat with a pin brush. Hold up a portion of the coat at a time while you brush downwards on the par underneath.
2. Then go through the coat with a large, wide-spaced undercoat comb. Use same step as above.
3. Make a final pass with the wide end of a smaller toothed comb. This time, just comb downwards through the coat.
The above is general information always ask your veterinarian about the care of your Shih Tzu puppy or dog!
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