Cold-Weather Pet-Grooming Guide

Chilly temperatures and thicker coats pose special challenges when it comes to grooming your pet

- Julia Szabo

The Catskills region of upstate New York is renowned for being a winter wonderland during the cold months. But along with the seasonal pros—including snow sports and blazing wood fires—come a few cons: bone-chilling dampness and dry, itchy skin in both people and pets.

Pets with long hair are especially prone to health problems caused by cold dry air and matted fur, as Ulysses Rosenzweig, DVM, of Argos Animal Hospital in Boiceville, N.Y., in Catskill State Park, knows all too well. “It’s important to keep pets well-groomed all year-round,” he emphasizes. Otherwise, the vet cautions, coats will become matted, resulting in skin infections and other issues that require veterinary intervention. A good grooming regimen can prevent the development of serious health issues.

That said, cold weather in any region of the world presents special challenges to proper pet grooming. “Grooming in winter is even more important than at any other time of year,” contends Jodi Judson of All Groomed Up, a pet grooming service based in Saugerties, N.Y. “The snow and overall wetness wreak havoc on animals’ skin,” says Judson. “If the coat becomes matted, the skin stays moist underneath, creating a breeding ground for bacterial infection—but you’d never know it under all that hair.”