When it comes to giving your dog or cat a bath, even the most well-researched pet parents can make mistakes, and that doesn’t make you a bad owner! Every pet has specific needs and levels of comfort during bath-time, and it’s your job to be perceptive to what those are, especially if your pet doesn’t like water.
But, no matter the pet, there are some bathtub mistakes that are very common. Here are 5 of them, along with tips to help you avoid them and keep your pet happy and clean!
Not protecting eyes or ears from water
One of the first things you should do before giving your pet a bath is plan to avoid getting water (and soap!) in their eyes and ears. Even if your pet enjoys playing in water, getting unwanted water in the eyes or ears can mean game over in the bath. Mostly it’s just really uncomfortable for your pet, but in some cases moisture in the ears can cause gnarly infections.
The easiest place to make a mistake here is when you’re washing your dog or cat’s face. Instead of running water over your pet’s head, try using a wet washcloth. Some people will even go as far as putting cotton balls in their pet’s ears to protect them, especially with cats that have exposed ear canals, compared to many dogs who have floppy or folded ears as natural protection.
Forgetting to pay attention to water temperature
Aside from eyes and ears, it’s not fun getting water anywhere on your body if it’s too hot or too cold! Paying attention to the water temperature is essential to ensuring that a bath goes smoothly, especially if your pet is uncomfortable around water.
When you’re distracted with soap and trying to keep your pet in the sink or tub, it can be easy to turn the faucet on the wrong way. Burning your pet with hot water or shocking them with a freezing spray is something that they will remember forever, making it harder to get them to cooperate next bath-time.
Not taking time to find the right shampoo
Many pet owners assume that their own shampoo will do the trick when it comes to bathing a pet. But dogs and cats have unique skin that is easily dried out by shampoo meant for humans.
For most dogs and cats, anything marketed for pets or with an oatmeal base will work well. The best way to find out what is right for your pet, though, is to talk with your veterinarian in case your pet has underlying skin conditions that need to be considered or treated with medicated shampoo.
Drying your pet improperly
Drying your dog or cat off thoroughly is one of the most important parts of giving a bath. Failure to dry your pet off will cause discomfort and chills. During the winter, chills can cause your pet to fall ill.
A fool-proof way to do this without scaring your pet with the blow-dryer is to use a towel. A blow-dryer can be really helpful if it’s cold, but pay attention to how your pet reacts to it. If it’s obvious that your dog or cat is uncomfortable with the blow-dryer, don’t use it.
Yelling or punishing your pet during bath-time
Whether you are bathing or drying, you should NEVER yell at or punish your pet during bath-time. While an uncooperative pet can be really frustrating to deal with, taking that frustration out on your pet will only make them hate bath-time more, making it even more difficult to get them to cooperate the next time around.
Instead, use positive reinforcement to praise your dog or cat when they are cooperating during bath-time. Keep treats handy to let them know when their behavior is acceptable, or to simply distract them. Avoiding your own negative reactions to the experience will increase the likelihood that your pet remembers a positive experience in the bathtub.