You bathe or shower every day or every other day, so it’s only natural to wonder how often your pet should need a bath. Bay Road Animal Hospital in Sarasota, FL, describes when it’s time to give your pet a bath.
When Your Pet Is Dirty
If your pet really smells or has gotten into something like paint or rotting garbage, then a bath is needed right away. You do not want to bathe your pet too often, because this can irritate your pet’s skin.
When You Have to Clip Your Pet
Longhaired pets need bathing before they get clipped. It’s much easier on the clippers for clean fur to be cut than for dirty fur. It also cuts down on any pulling of the skin that could make your pet understandably upset.
When You Need to Use a Medicated Shampoo
Your pet may come down with parasites or a skin infection that requires treatment with a medicated shampoo from your veterinarian. You may need to bathe your pet every day until the condition resolves. Follow the directions closely, because with some medicated shampoos, you’ll need to keep the shampoo on for a while before rinsing so the medication has a chance to work.
A Note about Hairless Pets
There are always exceptions to the rule, and in this case, the exceptions are hairless pets. Hairless pets of many species have become popular. There are hairless dogs, hairless cats, hairless guinea pigs, hairless rabbits, hairless hamsters, hairless rats, and hairless mice. They need to be bathed a lot more often than pets with hair or they may get skin problems. This is because hair usually soaks up skin oil. Hairless pets produce a lot of skin oil. Talk to your veterinarian about how often you should bathe your hairless pet.
Still Have Questions about How Often You Should Bathe Your Pets?
If you have further questions about bathing or grooming your pet and live in the Sarasota, FL, area, contact Bay Road Animal Hospital by emailing [email protected] or by calling our Bay Road West location at (941) 366-2275 or our Honore and 17th location at (941) 378-1236 or (941) 378-9542.
Veterinary Technicians
Missy
H
Head CVT
Missy first started at Bay Road Animal Hospital in 2003. She took the last few years off to pursue an interest in a specialty practice but rejoined the Bay Road team in early 2022. Missy received her AS Degree in veterinary technology from Penn Foster in 2013. With her many years of experience and advanced skill set she effortlessly moved up into our Head CVT position in August. When Missy is not working, she loves spending her time training her horses, participating in rodeos and spending time with her family.
Lela began working at Bay Road Animal Hospital in 1984 after she graduated from The University of Florida with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Forest Resource Conservation. While working at Bay Road, Lela received her AS degree in Veterinary Technology from St. Petersburg College. She is a Florida native and lives in Myakka City with her husband, two boys, and many animals.
Daniella joined the Bay Road team in 2018. She started as a veterinary assistant, then moved into a scribe position and is now a veterinary technician assistant. She is currently enrolled in school and working towards being a certified veterinary technician. She loves to provide the customers and patients with the best care and support she can.
Gabby joined the Bay Road team in early 2022 as a veterinary assistant. She recently enrolled in the Veterinary Technology program at Penn Foster and is now working more as a technician assistant to help further her education. Gabby lives on a small farm east of Sarasota and has a variety of pets ranging from dogs, cats and guinea pigs to sheep and goats to even a gecko named Chip. When Gabby is not working or completing schoolwork, she loves spending time with her family and friends.
Missy HHead CVT
Lela WCVT
Daniella L,CVT
Gabby R,CVT
