The Dog Hygiene Routine To Start This Spring, According To Vets

There is something so satisfying about spring cleaning, giving your home a hard reset and literally dusting off the detritus of a long winter indoors. It feels good to get everything all fresh and clean again, and it helps you get back in a routine to keep it up. If you happen to own a pet, now is also a great time to spring clean them — get that summer haircut, clean those stinky ears, and brush those teeth.

Every spring, I subject my dog to a “spa day” during which she gets a bath, a nail trim, her ears cleaned, and her teeth brushed. She hates it all, but it helps us get all her hygiene and care routines back on track — we always fall off the wagon in the winter. Scary Mommy asked veterinarians all about pet hygiene and how often we’re supposed to do all their care tasks so that once you spring clean them top to bottom, you can keep it up throughout the year.

How Often To Bathe Your Dog

For breeds with continuously growing hair, like poodles, a shorter summer cut can help them stay cool and reduce the chance of matting, says Dr. Carly Fox, senior veterinarian in the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center’s Emergency & Critical Care Service. One note: You should not clip dogs with double coats like huskies or golden retrievers, “as their coat plays an important role in temperature regulation and protection,” Fox says.

If your dog hasn’t had a bath in a while, go ahead and give them a good scrub while you’re at it.

“How often you bathe your pet depends on factors such as breed, activity level, and any underlying skin conditions or allergies. For a long-haired dog without skin issues who is moderately active outdoors, bathing every two weeks with a regular pet shampoo is usually sufficient — though more frequent baths may be needed if they get particularly dirty or enjoy swimming. Short-haired dogs without skin problems generally do well with a bath once every one to two months,” says Fox.

How Often To Brush Your Pet’s Teeth

If you’ve never brushed your pet’s teeth before, now’s a great time to start that routine. Brushing regularly helps reduce plaque buildup, prevent gingivitis, and increases the likelihood that your pet will keep all their teeth. This is true for both dogs and cats.

“Ideally, you should brush your dog or cat’s teeth every day,” says Fox. “While that can be challenging for many pet owners, even brushing every other day or a few times a week is far better than not brushing at all. And if you haven’t started yet, it’s never too late — your pet will still benefit.”

“Plaque can harden into tartar, which is difficult to impossible to remove with brushing alone, in as little as 24 to 72 hours, so if you're not brushing daily, you're already behind the curve on prevention. Over 80% of pets have dental disease by the age of 3, so start as soon as you can,” says Dr. Stephanie Liff, a veterinarian at Pure Paws Veterinary Clinic and vet advisor for Spot & Tango.

How Often To Trim Your Dog Or Cat’s Nails

When your dog is standing, their nails should be short enough that they don’t touch the ground. Any longer and they may start to affect your dog’s gait, Liff says, leading to loss of traction or arthritis over time.

How often they need to be trimmed depends on their activity level — the nails can grind down naturally from walking on sidewalks, for example — and their age. If your dog doesn’t walk on concrete much, you might need to trim their nails roughly once a month, Fox says. Most dogs prefer having their nails filed down rather than cut, so Liff recommends purchasing a dremel if you intend to trim at home.

“Cats, on the other hand, have retractable nails, but they should still be kept short enough to prevent them from catching on fabric or, in more severe cases, growing into the paw pads,” Fox says. Just keep an eye on their nails and trim as needed.

While you’re checking out their nails, make sure the fur between your pet’s paw pads is short and clean, Liff recommends. It’s easy for burrs or other items to get trapped or matted there and make your pet uncomfortable.

How Often To Clean Your Dog’s Ears

You’ll want to ask your vet how often your dog’s ears need to be cleaned, because the answer is pretty individualized. Dogs with floppy ears and allergies are more prone to ear infections than others, Fox says, so weekly cleaning might be helpful for them. Other pups might just need the occasional rinse with an ear cleaning fluid, say, once a month.

“I recommend cleaning dogs’ ears every 10 to 14 days, especially for dogs prone to ear infections,” says Dr. Jordyn Zoul, a veterinarian at Seaside Veterinary Hospital in Georgia and vet advisor for Spot & Tango. “Cleaning more frequently than this can actually backfire. The ears can get bogged down with too much liquid. Even ‘quick-drying’ ear cleaners can cause fluid buildup, given the vertical nature of a dog’s external ear canal. Try to wipe out any excess liquid with a piece of gauze wrapped over your finger.”

Keeping Up With Your Pet’s Heartworm, Flea, & Tick Prevention

If your dog or cat isn’t on monthly flea, tick, and heartworm prevention meds, there’s no time like the present to start. Set a calendar reminder so you never have to think about it again! Just give them their meds when prompted each month.

“These medications also help treat common intestinal parasites, such as hookworms and roundworms. This is why year-round use is often recommended — not just during the summer months. Think of it as a monthly GI cleanse,” Fox says.