Benefits of Grooming

Whether cat or dog, longhaired or short, all pets need regular grooming to keep their coats and skin healthy. Even shorthaired cats that keep themselves clean still require regular nail trims and benefit from regular brushing. Brushing stimulates the skin to shed dead skin cells and hairs. Regular brushing prevents hair from matting and controls shedding in the rest of the house. All animals need to have their nails trimmed. Long nails can break easily and bleed profusely. Walking on long nails can also make arthritis worse.

If you are not able to groom your pet at home or your pet needs more than just brushing or bathing, a professional groomer can groom your pet for you. A groomer can: trim coats, bathe, cut nails, clean out ears, pluck hair out of ears, express anal glands, and more. Long-coated dogs (and some cats) are much easier to care for when their coats are trimmed. Long hair forms mats more easily, which pull at the skin and can be very painful. Mats and excessive hair between toes can cause slipping on hard floors and increase the amount of dirt and yard debris tracked into the house. Long hair on the face can obstruct vision as well. Some dogs develop excessive ear hair that needs to be plucked frequently. Excessive ear hair makes some dogs more prone to developing ear infections. All breeds of dogs may need to have their anal glands expressed on a regular basis to prevent anal gland impactions.
Hillsboro Veterinary Clinic is proud to now offer professional grooming services. Heather Wilson, previously of GroomCrafters, is available for grooming appointments. If you would like to schedule an appointment to have your pet groomed, please call us at (503) 648-4117.