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If you have a cat, you may be wondering if your cat needs to be bathed and groomed like your dog. The answer is yes! So, what is cat grooming, do you need to groom your cat and why does your cat need to be groomed?
While cat’s do groom themselves, they can develop mats, knots, tangles, flea issues, and shed just like your dog. Unlike dogs, because a cats instinct is to lick themselves clean, they can develop hairballs in their digestive track which can lead to health problems.Â
These problems can be worse if you have a medium or long haired cat such as a Maine Coon or Persian cat. Grooming your cat can help solve all of these problems and many more.Â
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Cat grooming is similar to dog grooming only more dangerous! Not only do most cats hate being man handled, they come equipped with teeth and claws and they are not afraid to use them.Â
Start training your cat to enjoy being brushed and bathed when they are kittens, then when they are adults, they might tolerate you grooming them. If you feel that you do not have the time to commit to do lots of grooming, then look into a short haired cat breed such as a these popular short haired cat breeds.Â
The Cat Fanciers Association has detailed info about each breed here.
If you have a medium to long haired breed like I do (Maine Coon) you will be in for a lot of grooming. Cat grooming includes bathing, nail clipping, combing/brushing, ear cleaning, shaving and wiping down your kitty’s face.
The video below is a great overview of cat grooming basics for a new owner.
There are many reason you should groom your cat. Not only is it good for their health, but it can help them to look amazing. Grooming your cat is the perfect time to check out their overall health, from their eyes to their claws and ears.Â
You will be able to feel and look all over to see if there are any issues developing. Additionally, grooming your cat can be a great way to spend quality time with them.
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There are a few steps you need to complete to make sure you’ve fully groomed your cat.
#1. Bathing
#2. Trimming Nails
#3. Combing and BrushingÂ
#4. Cleaning Ears
#5. Shaving
Thankfully, you do not need to bathe a cat in water very often, unless it has a condition. Please discuss how often you should bath your cat with your vet.
Whether your cat is indoor or outdoor, they may have fleas! If this is the case, then you would need to purchase a quality flea shampoo that is made specifically for cats. DO NOT use a dog flea shampoo on your cats as they contain ingredients that are poisonous and could kill your cat! You can check out our flea shampoo reviews; we reviewed one from Adams that is cat safe!
Then you brush off the residue and BAM no more fleas. Try to have a helper handy when giving your cat a bath in water and make sure the door is closed so they can’t escape!
Cats use their claws not only to defend themselves, but to climb and perform all of their awesome acrobatic acts. If your cats claws are getting caught in things, maybe its time for a trim. Definitely get your cat used to nail trimmers when they are a kitten.
What can happen if you don’t trim your cats claws? If the claws get too long, they could be more likely to scratch people and furniture. Also, they could tear and develop and infection or they might become ingrown and hurt your cat.
I believe that cats back claws, used for balance and jumping should not be trimmed unless absolutely necessary. Even then, ask your vet. Additionally, outdoor cats need their front claws to defend themselves against other cats and animals.
 
How often should you brush your cat? Well, that depends. If your cat is a short haired breed, you can brush them 1-3 times per week.Â
If they are medium to long haired, you will need to brush them more often, at least once per day with a metal comb with long teeth to make sure that you are getting right down to the skin where matts and tangles begin to form. This will prevent future tangles and matts from forming on your kitty.
My Maine Coon is not very cooperative, which stinks because she sure is hairy! So we brush her various parts at different times. 30 seconds on one side, then a break. 30 seconds on another side, then a break. Slowly, she has gotten more used to it. Try that technique on your cats and let me know if it works!
Also, regardless of their hair type, during shedding season (spring and summer), you will need to brush them more to help prevent hairballs and other health issue from developing.
Your cat has great hearing but still may need help keeping their ears clean. WebMD says to watch for some signs that may show that your cat’s ears should be checked by a vet:
What do you use to clean a cats ears? You would use a natural product such as purified water or a liquid solution that is recommended by Vets and a clean cotton ball or soft rag. Never use a Q-tip.
Some matted cats, or show cats, or maybe just for fun cats, have their fur shaved. The most famous is the lion cut! Some cat breeds have 2 or 3 different layers of fur and to prevent the layers from matting, then must each be combed out to remove dead hair and tangles. If grooming your cat becomes to much for you, this may be an option. Discuss with your vet and your groomer.
NO! Your cat’s whiskers are a tape measure of sorts….your cats whiskers let them know if they can fit their body into tight spaces.  The whiskers typically grow out to match the width and height of your cat’s body. If you cut them, your cat could get themselves stuck in a space too small for their body.
If you have a cat that is difficult to groom or just downright nasty, where can you take your cat to get groomed? You can find professional certified cat groomers take care of grooming your cat for you. They have tools and techniques that help to groom uncooperative cats.
View more about grooming your cat from the experts at the ASPCA!
Do you have any tips or tricks to groom your cat? Let’s us all know in the comments below! Don’t forget to share us on social!
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Your dog or cat can get dirty when they are playing outdoors. Pet MD – Antiseptic And Antifungal Medicated Shampoo for dogs, cats and horses can prevent dirt from getting on your dog, cat or horse.Â
Any external skin problems can be prevented using a good quality medicated shampoo. This antibacterial and antifungal shampoo can and will help solve your pets skin problems.
PetMD’s antifungal and antiseptic dog shampoo formula provides the same relief as the prescribed medicated shampoos but for much less. It’s one of the top rated antifungal horse, dog and cat shampoos available.
Let’s check out PetMD’s Antifungal Medicated shampoo for dogs!
If your pet is suffering from a variety of skin conditions such as red rashes, hot spots or inflammation then it would be good to use PetMD Medicated Shampoo to provide fast relief from these problems. This ketoconazole shampoo for dogs is over the counter, so no Vet prescription is required.
No matter if your dog is suffering from skin cuts, rashes, infections, abrasions or insect bites this medicated PetMD shampoo has all the necessary antifungal, antiseptic and antibacterial properties to get rid of all issues that your pet has with its skin.
This Pet MD Antiseptic and antifungal medicated shampoo for dogs is carefully developed for pets and is effective and safe to use. That means it is also an antifungal shampoo for cats! You don’t have to worry about unwanted side effects when you use good and reliable products from Pet MD.
This product is one of the best medicated and antifungal shampoos for dogs which specifically targets infections. Pet MD shampoo works instantly to provide soothing relief to your pet. You can even use this antifungal shampoo on your horses!
Using this antifungal shampoo for dogs regularly for three to four weeks will also improve the shine of your pets coat.  This antiseptic dog shampoo has deodorizing properties to help your pets smell great. It will also help in removing all dirt and grime on your pet’s fur and skin as it has deep cleansing properties.
PetMD has a whole line of pet products to help you take the best care of your pets from Pet MD Chlorhexidine Wipes to Antiseptic and Antifungal Medicated Spray to supplements for your pet.
View their products here: PetMD
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Let’s run a comparison with two other well known medicated dog shampoos on the market and see how they stack up.
| Picture | Name |
|---|---|
   | Pet MD Antiseptic |
  | Curaseb 4% |
  | Vetericyn FoamCare |
Let us compare the Pet MD – Antiseptic and Antifungal Medicated Shampoo with another popular pet-friendly shampoo, the Curasept Chlorhexidine 4% Shampoo for Dogs & Cats.
Both these medicated pet shampoos work well on dogs, cats and horses. They will help in eliminating all kinds of microorganism growth and growth of bacteria on the skin of your pets. They are also within the same price range.
Both these shampoos have antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Owners found that Pet MD is better than Curasept shampoo at treating acne problems in pets.
It works very well on insect bites and skin redness and helps in cleansing the underarms, finger folds, face folds and groin area. It has astringent properties that will help in quickly drying the affected area.
The second dog shampoo chosen for comparison is the Vetericyn FoamCare Medicated Shampoo. This is a foam based shampoo that is free from sulfates and offers very easy rinsing and conditioning. PetMD and Vetericyn are also within the same price range.
This shampoo is not antifungal or antiseptic, which are the main selling features of Pet MD medicated shampoo. Â
It will not help kill yeast and bacteria that are seen commonly to affect your pet’s skin. This shampoo will not help in treating your pets ringworm, hot spots, skin rashes and acne.
If you take a look at the comparison, you will clearly understand that Pet MD – Antiseptic and Antifungal Medicated Shampoo with Ketoconazole and Chlorhexidine is very effective in treating a wide variety of skin problems caused by fungi, bacteria, and yeast.
The shampoo is completely soap free and paraben free and therefore you need not worry about the use of any harmful chemicals in the shampoo.
It will not cause any burning to any cuts, wounds or the rashes on your pet’s skin when you are applying it. The shampoo is made to nourish the skin and to help keep your pets skin and coat moisturized.
This antifungal, antibacterial dog shampoo from Pet MD is the best you can use if you spot ringworms, acne, hot spots, rashes or any other skin infection on your dogs and cats.
With deodorizing and deep cleansing properties, this shampoo is worth trying on your pets to not only get rid of skin infections but to make them smell fine as well.
What Does Medicated Dog Shampoo do?  Medicated pet shampoo uses speciality medicated ingredients to attack the source of your pets itchy skin. They kill bacteria and yeast and with regular use, prevent it from returning.
Each manufacturer using their own formula of ingredients to create their medicated dog shampoo. However, most medicated shampoos have some of the following ingredients in common.
YES. Dog shampoos have an expiry date printed on the bottle. Because medicated dog shampoos are formulated with medical ingredients, they may expire sooner than regular dog shampoos.Â
Please don’t use an expired product on your dog, it may no longer be effective and may even make your dogs health issues worse. When in doubt, throw it out and purchase a new bottle. Read all about dog shampoos and expiry dates in our post HERE.
Each manufacturer has its own formula for medicated pet shampoo. This means that you must read the instructions on each bottle. Typically you would massage the shampoo down to your pets skin and leave on for anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes and then thoroughly rinse it off.
You may need to bathe your pet several times a week to begin with. Please read the instructions on the bottle, you don’t want to over bathe your pet, which may cause further skin issues.
Pet MD – Antiseptic And Antifungal Medicated Shampoo for dogs, cats and horses is once of the best shampoo that you can buy for your pets.
This shampoo will help in easily and quickly get rid of your pets skin infections and resulting itchiness. The best part about this medicated dog shampoo is that it is free from soap and parabens. This means that it will not dry out your pets coat and skin.
Have you tried medicated dog shampoos? Did they help your pet’s issue? Let us know in the comments below. Share us on social and subscribe to our email list for the most up to date pet advice.
PetMD not for you? Check out our latest post on the Best Medicated Dog Shampoos for Itchy Skin Reviews.
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