Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

THE SKIN AND COAT • 105
Clockwise from the top center: metal comb, electric clipper (blades are in the
center), Dremel tool, rake, flea comb, scissors, thinning shears, nail clipper, and
slicker brush.
• Electric clipper. This is used for trimming or to shave down a matted
coat. Different size blades are used on different types of coats. Care must
be taken not to cut the dog’s skin.
• Nail clipper. Nail clippers come with either two cutting edges or a single
blade that clips down like a guillotine.
• Dremel tool or nail grinder. A Dremel can be used to carefully grind
nails down to an acceptable length.
• Nail file. Handy after cutting nails to round the edges.
• Towel. Toweling shorthaired breeds will remove loose dead hair. A wipe
with a damp towel may be all the grooming your hairless breed needs.
Rubbing with a towel tends to tangle long hair, though.
It is important that the bristles on the brush and the teeth on the comb be
the right length for the dog’s coat. For example, if the coat is thick and the
bristles and teeth are too short, the top coat may look smooth for a time but
the undercoat will mat. Eventually the top coat becomes involved and the
dog may have to be shaved. On the other hand, if the dog has a thin undercoat,
grooming with tools that have long bristles and teeth can scratch and
injure the skin.