When you see a collie on the street, the first thing you usually notice is how healthy and gorgeous he looks. Before you can even tell what the demeanor of the collie is like, it’s their magnificent coat that gets your attention first and foremost. And while it might seem like a superficial detail, the health of the coat of your collie can tell a lot about their overall physical condition. To make sure you’re keeping your collie and their coat healthy, here are some things to keep in mind.

Why It’s Important

It’s very important to keep the coat of your collie in good health for a number of reasons - some obvious, some not.

Here are the ones that you need to keep in mind:

Cleaning the coat will eliminate problems like fleas and ticks - When you take the time to clean the coat of your collie, you will notice when there are fleas or ticks that have taken hold. This will help prevent the diseases that these pests can create in your collie. Cleaning the coat will minimize the dirt and bacteria that your collie may get into - If you have a collie that likes to get into everything, taking the time to clean the coat will help prevent dirt and germ buildup that can lead to health problems.

Cleaning the coat will remove painful burrs that may have gotten in the hairs

Cleaning your collie will help to keep the coat full of shine and free of snarls and knotting

The more time you take to ensure that you are cleaning the coat of your collie, the more likely you are to be able to keep it healthy, rather than to have to deal with larger problems later on.

What You Need to Do to Prevent Problems

Depending on the variety of coat your collie has, you might need to do a lot of maintenance for the coat or very little. Smooth coat collies don’t require quite as much physical maintenance, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything at all.

Here are several things that every collie owner can do to help create a healthy and shiny coat:

Regular brushing - With a coarse brush, you will want to brush your collie’s coat at least once a week, more if he is a rough collie. This will pull out any debris or tangles, making washing all the easier.

Regular bathing - While most breeds do a good job of keeping themselves clean, others will require that you clean them on a more frequent basis. If your collie likes to get dirty in the mud, you will want to make sure you are using a good quality shampoo (as recommended by you vet) whenever the collie is dirty. Quick cleaning of gums/teeth, paw pads, ears, and around the eyes is recommended in between bathing.

Dry bathing - There are also ways to dry bathe your collie for those times when a bath just isn’t possible. Many nice sprays and powders are on the market that do a great job in a pinch!

Flea and tick treatments - If your collie spends a lot of time outdoors, you will want to make sure they are getting preventative treatments. Since they only have to be administered occasionally (typically once a month), they are often a good investment of your time for the problems they will prevent. Be sure to avoid any medicine that the collie is sensitive to, such as ivermectin.

Grooming - You might want to take a longer haired collie to a professional groomer to help you with your collie’s coat. They can often trim and groom it to be in accordance with your desires in the look of the collie or in order to suit the needs in terms of coat management.

When to See the Vet

The coat of your collie can be a great indicator in terms of the overall health of your collie. Because you now know how to take care of it, you can begin to look for problems as you go through the various steps. Things like ticks and fleas can become major medical problems, so if you spot either on your collie, you should call your vet to see if there’s anything special you need to do. If you find a tick, for example, and there is a red ringed rash in the area, you might want to bring your collie in immediately to make sure there isn’t any sign of further infection.

You may also want to bring your collie into the vet if you have bathed the collie, yet they still give off a foul odor. This is generally a sign of a deeper bacterial infection in the collie that is manifesting itself through the smell. When you notice anything out o the ordinary, you will want to make sure you ask the vet.

Remember, your collie’s coat is not just about their appearance, but good health always look good too.

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Author:

Grant Eckert is a writer for VetRxDirect. VetRxDirect is a leading provider of Pet Medications | Pet Medicine

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