Are there times when you think your pet has an extra dose of eau de animal? If that's the case, think twice before rushing your smelly furball to the bathtub or booking an appointment at the groomers. Veterinarian Hugh Stanley, at Dr Hugh's Veterinary Hospital, untangles some misconceptions and offers helpful advice on when to bathe your pet.
For furry felines that may smell as if they have been hanging around the litter box a little too long, reaching for cat shampoo may not be the best solution.
'I have reservations about washing cats. For one, they are meticulously clean and they usually detest water,' Stanley says. 'They can get very stressed. Some cats tolerate it very well, but the majority don't.'
Stanley has witnessed cats scratch and bite a groomer during a wash session. And, on rare occasions, snub-nosed cats such as Persians can develop breathing problems from stress and die as a result, the veterinarian says. Many groomers will not accept cats unless they are known to be 'very relaxed'.
If the cat has something stuck to its fur, Stanley says it's fine to groom them with a wet brush and remove the dead hair.
Baths with soap and water for smaller pets such as hamsters and chinchillas are a no-no, Stanley advises. Hamsters have essential oils in their fur that can be washed out with shampoo. Then, if the little critter catches a cold, it can be fatal. Unless it's a toxic substance on its fur, hamsters will clean themselves.
While chinchillas shouldn't be washed with water, bathing with dust is a natural behaviour in the wild. Washing with dust keeps a chinchilla's fur clean, healthy and soft. However, regular sand or powder won't do the trick, while store-bought chinchilla dust for bathing absorbs dirt and oil from the fur.