The Industry guiding body Pet Industry Association Australia (PIAA) with the RSPCA have issued a detailed statement to professional pet groomers in VIC regarding carrying out ‘Welfare Grooming’. Most dog lovers are warming up to this statement and welcoming the decision to groom elderly, matted, and anxious dogs requiring a clean-up.
In this article, we cover will explain to you the key points of ‘Welfare Grooming’ guidelines provided by PIAA.
Let’s first understand,
What Is Welfare Grooming?
Pet Industry Association Australia (PIAA) defines welfare grooming as grooming required by most domestic pets due to their coat or skin condition. Welfare grooming is a necessity for a selected dog breed. Such grooming differs from grooming done for cosmetic purposes. Suppose a person fails to provide timely grooming to their dog. In that case, it can cause serious welfare issues such as skin conditions, extreme matting, ear infection, body temperature regulation, and several other health complications, according to the Australian Veterinary Association. Pet owners should consider regular welfare grooming regularly to prevent such problems from occurring. Your pet will be at a huge risk if you do not seek a professional groomer for a regular grooming session. Therefore, you must provide timely welfare grooming to your pet.
What Pets Require Welfare Grooming?
Here is a list of categories of pet that requires welfare grooming:
- Dog breeds with double coats.
- Dogs that need welfare grooming due to their present coat or skin condition.
- Cats with long coats.
- Cats that need welfare grooming due to their present coat or skin condition.
Dogs That Require Welfare Grooming
Based on Breed
Only specific dog breeds need regular welfare grooming due to their coat. Pet owners should keep a practice of taking their dog to see a groomer at four to eight-week intervals. Maintaining a grooming regime for your dog is considered preventative care against any potential skin, hair, or health complications. The motive of such interval welfare grooming is to keep the dog happy and healthy before it causes any physical pain.
Here are some of the dog breeds eligible for welfare grooming:
- Curly Coat Breeds – Poodles, Bedlington Terriers, and Kerry Blue
- Combination Coat Breeds – Maltese Terriers, Lhasa Apsos, Shih Tzus, Silky Terriers, Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, King Charles Cavaliers etc.
- Long and Double Coated Breeds (heavy coat) – Samoyeds, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Chow Chows, long-hair Shepherds, Shetland Sheepdogs, Rough Collies.
- Short Double Coat Breeds (double coat) – German Shepherds, Huskies, Corgis, and Shiba Inus.
Based on Current Condition
Some dogs require welfare grooming due to their current condition. To name some:
- Matting that limits dog’s mobility
- Excessive matting around the sanitary areas, causing infection
- Matting around dog’s ears, eyes, and paws, thus causing infection
- Overgrown nails
Cats That Require Welfare Grooming
While cats keep themselves clean, there are times when they would require a professional grooming service. Cats with medium-long, dense coats are prone to matting, thus require grooming for a few reasons:
- Age or physical health restricting self-grooming
- Due to extremely dense and thick coat
- Health issues preventing self-grooming
- Coat or skin condition requiring regular care from a grooming professional
- Matted fur around the eyes, ears, and sanitary areas