Let's face it. Taking your pet to the vet can be a frustrating, sometimes traumatic, experience... for both of you. But did you know that you can avoid this stressful experience just by grooming your pet on a regular basis?

Believe it or not, keeping your pet's coat trimmed, brushed or combed can help to avoid disaster. I'd like to illustrate this point by telling you a true story.

I know a veterinarian who was trying to figure out why a small dog brought into his office couldn't take the smallest step without letting out a blood-curdling scream. The dog would just stand in one place, shaking, holding his mouth open in a peculiar, frozen grimace.

The dogs owners were inconsolable, as they were convinced the dog had contracted some rare, horrible, possibly-incurable disease.

After careful examination of the dogs paws, the vet ruled out any nails, thorns or other sharp objects that may have been embedded in the pads. There were also no broken bones or signs of external or internal injuries. This was one of the weirdest cases the vet had ever seen. [Read more...]