Grooming is good for your pet and it’s good for you, too. The extra attention a pet receives during grooming is often just what your pet needs to reduce or eliminate stress related problems from loneliness and
separation anxiety. Dogs, cats and birds love receiving attention from their owners during grooming. And studies have shown that petting your animal lowers both his blood pressure as well as yours.
Grooming is also a good way to assess your pet’s health. You can see the condition of his fur or feathers and look for signs of fur or feather loss. You can look for parasites and check his skin for dryness or flakiness. You can check for signs of over-grooming such as excessive licking, flank sucking and feather plucking.
Check with your vet first to determine if there are physical causes for questionable signs and symptoms. It is always best to rule out physical causes first. However, it is also wise to consider if stress is causing your pet’s loss of fur or feathers, excessive scratching and licking, and over-grooming.
