The pet grooming industry has grown rapidly, and in many ways, that is a good thing. Cleaner coats, better parasite control, and easier maintenance for pets in busy households. But grooming has quietly shifted from being a basic aspect of care to something more aesthetic, more frequent and at times more aggressive than necessary. The problem is not grooming itself. It is how we are beginning to think about it.
Most pet parents view grooming as a routine service. You book an appointment, drop your pet off, and expect them to come back looking neater, more “put together.” What often gets missed is that grooming is not separate from health. The skin is an active organ. The coat has a function. Every decision made during a grooming session affects both.
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Summer tends to magnify these decisions. The heat makes us uncomfortable, so we assume the coat must be doing the same to our pets. The instinct is to remove it. A short coat should equal a cooler pet. In some cases, it is necessary, but as a blanket rule, it is flawed.
A dog’s coat, particularly in double-coated breeds, acts as insulation. It protects against both cold and heat by trapping a layer of air close to the skin and reducing direct exposure. When this coat is shaved down completely, that protective function is lost. The skin is suddenly exposed to heat, sunlight, and environmental irritants. We then see secondary problems. Sunburn, patchy regrowth, and coats that do not return to their original texture. Dogs that are still uncomfortable despite being shaved.
This does not mean grooming should be reduced in summer. It means it should be smarter. Managing the coat is far more effective than removing it. Regular brushing to remove the dead undercoat improves air circulation. Controlled trims do not compromise protection.
There are situations where shaving is the right decision. Severely matted coats are uncomfortable and restrict airflow. Certain medical conditions require close clipping. Some coat types benefit from regular trimming. But these are decisions that should be individualised, after running it by your veterinarian.
Frequent baths are often equated with better hygiene, but over-bathing strips natural oils and disrupts the skin barrier. This is particularly relevant in humid climates where the skin is already under stress. A mild shampoo, used at appropriate intervals, is enough for most pets. What matters just as much is drying. Damp skin, especially in folds, ears, and between toes, is a common starting point for infections that appear after grooming.
There are also parts of grooming that are often overlooked. Ear cleaning is one of them. Done well, it prevents problems. Done too aggressively or too frequently, it can irritate the canal and predispose it to infections. Nails that are too long affect posture and movement. Nails that are cut too short cause pain and make future grooming sessions stressful.
One of the more subtle shifts we are seeing is over-grooming driven by aesthetics. Weekly baths, frequent trims, styled coats. It photographs well, but it is not always aligned with what the animal needs. Many dogs do not require that frequency. Most cats, unless medically indicated, do not require routine bathing. When grooming becomes too frequent, the skin does not get a chance to maintain its natural balance. This is when we see dryness, itching, and sensitivity.
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There is also the question of behaviour. Not every pet enjoys grooming. Some are anxious, some are in pain and react because of it. In these situations, rushing through a full grooming session often makes things worse. Shorter, well-paced sessions, sometimes spread over multiple visits, are far kinder.
After grooming, watch for excessive licking, scratching, redness, head shaking, or a change in behaviour. These are indicators that something did not go as planned. The goal of grooming should not be to make your pet look a certain way. It should be to keep them comfortable, functional, and healthy.
Nameeta Nadkarni is a veterinary soft tissue surgeon and pet blogger from Mumbai.
