A complete grooming plan for your Vizsla should include routine skin and coat care (brushing, bathing), nail care, ear care, and dental care. Good grooming will not only help keep your dog in top shape physically, but the time spent with your Vizsla will provide it with the psychological comfort that this breed craves.
As an added benefit, routine grooming and hands-on attention will assist in the early detection of external parasites, tumors, infections, or any other changes or abnormalities that may result from the germination of an internal disease condition.
Brushing and Bathing Your Vizsla
As a rule, if you brush your Vizsla on a daily basis, the need for bathing is minimal.
Routine bathing should be performed only on those dogs that are continually being exposed to excessive dirt, grease, or other noxious substances in their environment, and for those canines suffering from external parasites or medical conditions such as infections and/or seborrhea.
If a general cleaning is desired for an otherwise healthy dog, the best recommendation is to purchase and use a mild hypoallergenic shampoo that is designed for this purpose. These shampoos are readily available from your veterinarian or favorite pet supply store.
Remember, though, that if your dog is afflicted with any type of medical condition, the type of shampoo used should be limited to that recommended or prescribed by your veterinarian.
Prior to giving your Vizsla a bath, apply some type of protection to both eyes to prevent corneal burns if shampoo accidentally gets into the eyes. Mineral oil can be used for this purpose, but a sterile ophthalmic ointment is preferred. Such an ointment can be purchased from your veterinarian or local pet store.
Nail Care for Vizslas
Examine your Vizsla’s nails every three to four weeks and trim them as needed. Overgrown, neglected nails will snag and tear easily, causing pain and discomfort. Also nail overgrowth can lead to gait instability and joint stress, two complications that your hunting dog does not need.
To determine whether or not your dog’s nails are too long, observe the paws as they rest flat on the floor with your dog standing. If any nail touches the floor surface, it should be trimmed.
When trimming nails, use only a brand of nail clipper that is designed for dogs. If your Vizsla’s nails are clear, you should be able to note the line of demarcation between the pink quick (the portion of the nail that contains the blood supply) and the remaining portions of the nails.
Using your clippers, snip off the latter portion just in front of the quick. For those Vizslas with darker nails, use a flashlight or penlight beam to illuminate the quick portion prior to trimming. If this still doesn’t enable you to visualize the quick, trim off only small portions at a time until the nail is no longer bearing weight.
If bleeding occurs, stop trimming and have your veterinarian finish the job. Although ideally you want to avoid drawing blood when you are trimming your dog’s nails, don’t worry if you do so. Using a clean cloth or towel, simply apply direct pressure to the end of the bleeding nail for three to five minutes.
In most cases, this is all that is needed to stop the bleeding. For stubborn cases, commercially available clotting powder can be applied to the end of the nail to help stop the hemorrhage.
Ear Care for a Vizsla
Because the canine external ear canal is long, and because the earflaps of Vizslas are pendulous, routine care of the ears is needed to prevent moisture, wax, and debris from accumulating. This involves cleaning and drying the ears on a bimonthly basis.
Many different types of ear cleansers and drying agents are readily available from pet stores, pet supply houses, and veterinary offices. Liquid ear cleansers are preferred over powders, since powders tend to become saturated with moisture and trapped in the ear canal.
Most liquid ear cleansers contain both a wax solvent and drying agent (astringent) that clean the ear and dry it at the same time.
Before cleaning your Vizsla’s ears, take note of any signs of irritation. discharges. or foul odors. If one or all are noted, your pet’s ears should be examined by your veterinarian in lieu of cleaning. This is recommended as well for pointers that appear to be constantly shaking or tilting their heads.
The reason for this is that unhealthy ears may have torn or diseased eardrums, and introducing a cleansing solution into such an ear can spread infection to the deeper portions and structures within the ear.
Assuming your dog’s ears are healthy, begin cleaning by gently pulling the earflap out and away from the head, exposing and straightening the ear canal. Carefully squeeze a liberal amount of ear cleaning solution into the ear and massage the ear canal for 20 seconds.
Next, allow your dog to shake its head, then proceed to the opposite ear and follow the same procedure. Once both ears have been treated, use cotton balls or swabs to remove any wax or debris found on the inside folds of the earflap and the outer portions of the ear canal.
Caution:
To avoid serious injury to your Vizsla’s ear, never allow the swab to enter the actual ear canal.
Dental Care for Vizslas
It is estimated that tooth and gum disease (periodontal disease) strikes over 70 percent of all dogs by three years of age.
Not only do plaque-laden teeth and inflamed gums lead to halitosis (foul breath) and eventual tooth loss, but bacteria from these sources can enter the bloodstream and travel to the heart and kidneys, where they can set up an infection.
Infection of the heart valves and subsequent heart failure can all too often be traced back to periodontal disease. As a result, keeping your Vizsla’s teeth free of tartar and plaque buildup is vital in keeping its teeth and heart healthy.
Even though tartar accumulates much slower on the teeth of Vizslas than smaller breeds of dogs, you should still plan on having your Vizsla’s teeth professionally cleaned by your veterinarian every one to two years. Between these visits to the “dog dentist,” you should provide at-home dental care on a daily basis.
Toothpastes and cleansing solutions designed specifically for dogs are available from your veterinarian or local pet supply stores. For best results, use preparations that contain chlorhexidine, an antimicrobial agent that can provide hours of residual protection against bacteria that may attempt to colonize the tooth and gum surfaces.
Do not use toothpastes designed for use in humans on your dog; these can cause severe stomach upset in the dog if swallowed. A soft-bristled toothbrush or cloth should be used to gently massage the paste or solution onto the outer, and if possible, inner surfaces of the teeth and gums.
If in doubt, ask your veterinarian to demonstrate the safe and correct procedure for brushing canine teeth.
Special devices designed to help keep your dog’s teeth free of tartar can also be used to supplement your efforts at home. Certain rawhide, nylon, and urethane chew bones are specially designed to massage and clean your dog’s teeth while it is chewing on the bone.
In addition, flossing devices are commercially available that can help reduce tartar buildup more than with brushing alone. Ask your pet health professional for details on these and other methods for keeping your dog’s teeth and gums disease-free.
