The Complete Guide to Pet Grooming

People usually look up pet grooming when something changes: a coat starts matting, a smell lingers after a bath, nails click on the floorboards, or an ear looks a bit red. Small problems can quietly turn into sore skin, infected ears, cracked pads, or painful dental disease if they’re missed for weeks at a time.

Good grooming is less about “looking neat” and more like a regular bushwalk check—hands through the coat, eyes on the skin, and a steady routine that suits the animal in front of you. The sections below focus on what to do at home, what to avoid, and when it’s safer to hand the job to a vet or a professional groomer.^{1, 2}

Why grooming matters (beyond looks)

Grooming removes loose hair, dirt, dead skin and grass seeds, and helps prevent knots and mats that pull on the skin. It’s also a natural moment to notice what’s new: a lump, a sore spot, a patch of hair loss, fleas, ticks, redness between toes, or a change in the eyes or ears.^{1, 2}

Know what you’re grooming: coat, skin, and tolerance

How often you groom depends on coat type, lifestyle, and how your pet copes with handling. A short, smooth coat may only need occasional brushing; long or double coats often need more frequent work to prevent mats and manage shedding.¹

Start with a quick scan each time:

• Skin: redness, scabs, dandruff, odour, moist spots, or parasites
• Coat: knots forming behind ears, in armpits, under collars, around the tail base
• Comfort: flinching, head shaking, pawing at ears, avoiding touch

Tools that do the job (and why they matter)

Choose tools that match the coat. The goal is to lift loose hair and untangle gently, not scrape the skin.

• Brush/comb: a slicker brush and a comb help find small tangles early; a bristle or rubber brush suits many short coats.⁴
• Nail clippers or grinder: pet-specific tools are safer and easier to control.
• Shampoo: use a product made for dogs or cats; human shampoo can irritate their skin.³
• Good light and a non-slip surface: reduces slipping and sudden panic.¹

Setting up a calm grooming spot

Pick a quiet, well-lit area with a towel or non-slip mat. Keep everything within reach before you start, so you’re not stepping away mid-task. Use small breaks, steady handling, and food rewards if your pet finds grooming difficult.¹

Brushing by coat type

Short coats

Short coats usually do best with gentle, regular brushing to remove loose hair and spread natural oils through the coat. The pace is slow and even—like smoothing sand, not raking leaves.¹

Long, thick, or mat-prone coats

Long coats can mat quickly, especially where there’s friction. Work in small sections. Use a comb to find tangles close to the skin, then a slicker brush to tease them out. If mats are tight against the skin, painful, or widespread, it’s often safer to book a groomer or vet than to cut them out at home.⁴

Brushing technique that protects the skin

• Brush in the direction of hair growth, using light pressure.
• For tangles, hold the hair near the skin with your fingers to reduce pulling, then work from the ends back towards the base.
• Stop if the skin looks red, the pet is resisting strongly, or you’re tempted to use scissors close to skin.

Bathing: choosing products and keeping it low-stress

Baths are for dirt and odour, not for “routine cleanliness” at all costs. Over-washing can dry the skin. When you do bathe, use pet-specific shampoo and rinse thoroughly—leftover product is a common cause of itchiness.^{1, 3}

Bathing steps that help most pets cope

1. Brush first to remove loose hair and tangles (mats tighten when wet).⁴
2. Use lukewarm water and keep it shallow.
3. Avoid the eyes and ears; use a damp cloth for the face if needed.¹
4. Rinse longer than you think you need to.
5. Towel dry well; keep your pet warm while they dry off.¹

Nail trimming: small, regular, and careful

Long nails can split, catch, and change the way a pet walks. Check them often, including dewclaws, and trim only a small amount at a time to avoid the quick (the blood vessel and nerve). If you’re unsure, ask your vet to show you once, in person—the angle makes all the difference.¹

Safer nail-clipping routine

1. Start when your pet is relaxed; handle paws briefly, then reward.
2. Trim a thin slice from the tip, then reassess.
3. For dark nails, go extra slowly; the quick is harder to see.
4. If you don’t feel confident, stop and book a vet or groomer.

Paws and pads: the quiet trouble spots

Paw pads collect grass seeds, burrs, salt, sand and small cuts. Check between toes and around pads, especially after long walks or time in scrub. Trim excess hair between pads if it traps debris, and see a vet if there’s persistent licking, swelling, or a limp.¹

Dental care: the part many pets can’t “self-manage”

Dental disease (periodontal disease) is extremely common in pets, and it often starts under the gumline where you can’t see it. Many dogs show signs by around three years of age, and small dogs are often affected earlier and more severely.^{8, 9}

Home toothbrushing helps, but it doesn’t replace a proper veterinary dental assessment when disease is present. If your pet has bad breath, red gums, visible tartar, or pain when eating, book a vet check rather than trying to “scrub it off” at home.⁶

A note on “anaesthesia-free” dental cleaning

Non-anaesthetic dental scaling is widely cautioned against by veterinary dental authorities because it can’t safely clean under the gumline or properly assess disease, and may give a false sense that the mouth is healthy.^{6, 7}

Ears and eyes: less fiddling, more observation

Healthy ears often don’t need regular cleaning. If there are signs of trouble—head shaking, scratching, discharge, redness, swelling, sensitivity, or a strong smell—see your vet. Putting products into healthy ears can sometimes cause problems rather than preventing them.¹

Eyes should look clear and bright. New redness, discharge, squinting, or one eye held closed is a reason to seek veterinary advice quickly, because eye problems can worsen fast.¹

If your vet has advised ear cleaning

Use only a vet-recommended ear cleaner, follow the label, and never insert cotton buds into the ear canal. Fill the canal as directed, massage the base of the ear, let your dog shake, then wipe what comes out from the outer ear with cotton or gauze.^{1, 10}

Professional grooming vs home grooming

Home grooming suits regular brushing, basic bathing, and routine checks—especially when started early and kept gentle. Professional grooming (or your vet) is often the safer option when:

• mats are tight to the skin or widespread
• your pet becomes distressed or defensive during grooming
• you need clipping close to skin, around eyes, ears, or sanitary areas
• there are skin infections, ear problems, or painful nails

Some tasks look simple until they aren’t. A steady professional hand can prevent cuts, torn nails, and the kind of stress that makes future grooming harder.²

References

1. RSPCA Pet Insurance (Australia) – Guide to dog cleaning and grooming
2. RSPCA Pet Insurance (Australia) – How often should you groom your dog?
3. RSPCA Knowledgebase – Can I use human shampoo to wash my pet?
4. ASPCA – At-Home Pet Grooming: Top tips and recommendations
5. American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) – Healthy Mouth, Healthy Pet: Why dental care matters
6. AAHA – Your pet’s dental care (including anaesthesia-free cleaning guidance)
7. American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) – Anaesthesia-free pet dental cleanings: know the facts
8. The Animal Medical Center – Periodontal disease in dogs
9. Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) via Vet Voice – Dental disease in pets over age 3 (media release)
10. RSPCA Victoria Shop – PAW Gentle Ear Cleaner (directions and precautions)