Yes... We Clean That Too (And Why It Matters)

Your dog comes home fluffy and fresh, but the real work happens in the places most people never think about. We talk through the side of professional dog grooming that isn’t glamorous: deep cleaning ears that smell “off,” brushing teeth that are coated in plaque, checking paws for burrs and foxtails, and dealing with the under-tail hygiene that can make the difference between comfort and a full-blown skin problem.

We’re joined by Shannon and Tanya from Hound Therapy in North Texas, with Sophia Yvette guiding the conversation from the studio. Together, we break down why groomers end up wearing a lot of hats beyond “stylist” including skin and coat care, early detection for fleas and ticks, and spotting hot spots, yeast buildup, scabs, and irritation hidden under thick fur. We also explain why some breeds are simply higher risk, like cocker spaniels with ear infections, flat-nosed dogs with fold buildup, and double-coated breeds where you can’t easily see the skin.

You’ll also hear practical, plain-language cues to watch for at home: scooting, chewing toenails, persistent licking, or sudden itchiness that seems to come out of nowhere. We clear up the confusion around anal glands, what groomers can do externally, when a vet may need to step in, and why staying on a consistent grooming schedule turns “gross details” into real preventive care.

Subscribe for more honest pet grooming advice, share this with a dog parent who thinks grooming is just a haircut, and leave a review with the weirdest thing you learned from the conversation.

To learn more about Hound Therapy visit:
https://www.HoundTherapy.com
Hound Therapy
3509 E Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
469-367-0009

Transcript

Welcome And What We Cover

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to Tale Talk Grooming Chronicles with Health Therapy, the podcast where we talk all things pet grooming, daycare, academy, and more. Hosted by Shannon and Tanya of Health Therapy, serving pet owners across North Texas. We're here to share expert tips, hilarious pet stories, and the inside scoop on keeping your furry friends happy and healthy. Our motto, humanity over vanity. And don't worry, we don't fight. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

From unexpected messes to behind-the-scenes cleaning that keeps pets healthy, Shannon and Tanya break down the parts of grooming most people never see and why those details matter more than you think. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host and producer back in the studio with Professional Groomers at Hound Therapy, Shannon and Tanya. Hi, ladies. Great to be back with you today. How are you both doing?

SPEAKER_03 1:07

We're great.

SPEAKER_01 1:08

Thank you so much. Great. Well, let's dive right into this

The Hidden Dirty Work Of Grooming

SPEAKER_01 1:13

one. Yes, we clean that too and why it matters. Can you walk us through what that means and what it looks like?

SPEAKER_02 1:22

Yeah, let's let's I mean ever let's start with everybody loves you know their dogs to be cute and fluffy and they think that what we do is just glamorous, you know.

SPEAKER_03 1:34

Play with puppies all day.

SPEAKER_02 1:35

Yeah, we play with dogs all day. Which which is we do. Most of them don't like playing with us when they come until after they're done. So uh we do all of the things that, you know, it's you go to your hairdresser or you know, your barber, or you go someplace and um, you know, they they wash and dry your hair and you leave. Here we do we do everything. We don't have a separate manicurist and a separate massage therapist. We don't have a colonoscopy guy here. We don't have uh a dermatologist on site. You know, we are all of those things. We are the sight and the ears. So once your dog has been to all of these places, our job is to take care of their skin and their coat, um, which, you know, skin irritations, hot spots, anal glands. Uh we pick off bleeds and ticks, uh, which is ooh, that's one of my creepy crawlies.

SPEAKER_03 2:32

I don't think creepy crawlings.

SPEAKER_02 2:33

Right. Uh we've seen cuts, nicks, abrasions, bruises, you know, we we've seen uh wounds that have it healed properly, um, dogs that have you know parasites. We've even taken uh what was that? That's another HBG. What was the worm? Uh it was like the worms. Uh it we squished it out either. We have worms. It's just it's so gross. Some of the things that we do. Um, and I would say a lot of the things that we do are just kind of gross. And you know, we're starting kind of some new people that come in with with the bathing process. And you know, when you explain it to them, you know, their ears smell really bad, their skin smells really bad. Um, just dig in there until you get it clean. And we're we're also dentists. Yeah, their teeth are really bad. Can you can you brush their teeth and spray their teeth? So, you know, we're doing all of the health and wellness from the cute little puppy that you see when it goes home to you know, where it came from. You you bring it in and it's it's it it's important to know that you know, we do all of the we clean everything, you know, the the mouth, the teeth, the feet, the sores, the eye burgers, the scabs, under the tail, um, you know, all of it. So it's it there's a lot that people um expect that just happens here and then they go home and it's just magically done. Which it's not, it's not magic. It's yeah, I mean most people look at me like I have, you know, a magic wand. Three heads when I tell them, no, just get in there and take it out. Nope, you're gonna lift up his tail and squeeze his butt. You know, it's they're like they don't want to do it. And for us, it's just normal. So it's everyday life. And and it's something that we do and we include in all of our services for that reason. So when you're taking your dog to the groomer, um, you know, and and you ask what's included or you assume that just that bath brush is done, not every grooming salon will do that, notice those or see them. We do believe in the education, uh, not only with us ongoing, but with our client, you know, our client communication and education throughout, because a lot of people just don't realize

Cleaning That Prevents Bigger Problems

SPEAKER_02 4:50

it.

SPEAKER_01 4:50

So, how does proper cleaning help prevent infections or long-term skin issues?

SPEAKER_02 4:58

So just I would say just like with you, um, you know, um, for instance, I got I got bit on the face the other day and it's and it's on my lip. Um if there's nothing you can do for it, there's no stitches, there's no sutures, there's nothing. You get a big scrape or cut. Um, oftentimes it's just keeping it clean. So if you have that same kind of concept, uh, you know, through your dog, if your dog has got open wounds, you don't want to have them groomed. But if they're healing and they're scabbing over and you're like, mm-hmm, you know, and they're looking to, especially if they've got sutures or something, it heals and it it stretches and it dries it out, but it's holding that skin together on top of scabs. So it can help relieve a lot of discomfort by just cleaning those areas. And it's really difficult to do at home. Um, you know, putting some neosporin on it. There, there's we have tables uh and uh the know-how to kind of um help alleviate and relieve. Uh, a lot of people don't realize what's under their dog's coat. They don't know that their dog has got yeast uh buildup or that it had fleas or ticks or that it had, you know, a hot spot. Some owners are very conscientious for that, but a lot of owners are not. So it helps by doing on a regular basis because we can we can it allows us to notify anybody who comes in, hey, look, be aware on watch over this.

SPEAKER_03 6:20

I I find it more normal of the double-coated breed owners that don't realize they have hot spots and stuff like that. They just see their dog as itchy, but they don't really understand why. Because a lot of time they can't see down to the skin.

SPEAKER_02 6:31

Right. It's just there's so much hair. Uh, and sometimes we don't see it until it's getting dried. Right. Which that's why you come here.

Breeds, Coats, And Risk Factors

SPEAKER_01 6:42

Well, this may sound like a rhetorical question, but are there certain breeds or coat types that require more detailed cleaning than others?

SPEAKER_02 6:52

You know, that's a yes and no problem. I would say, so yes, there are certain breeds that definitely have, you know, a higher risk of problems. Cocker spaniels are prone to ear infections. Um, you've got chows and in your double-coated breeds, you know, that are more prone to hot spots. You've got um uh any long, droopy, you know, kind of a hound type dog. You've got your flat-nosed dogs, right? That they get a lot of buildup in between their folds. You can get um uh this flat-nosed dogs, just in general, uh, tend to have more problems. Any white dog, and I don't know why that is, but the whiter they are, the the white, the that's something with the skin. Yeah, that milky white coat usually means a really pink skin. So you it you those typically have more issues, at least skin-related. Uh terriers, certain terrier breeds. So there's certain breeds that have specific just known properties. Others, it is just genetics, complete uh or random. Yeah for that. Well, it's it's just kind of hit or miss. Yeah, it's and it's a lucky, especially if you've gotten a pound dog or you know, you've rescued somebody, you just don't know, you don't know what you're getting. So um some of those dogs, and same with us, you know. I have really good teeth. Um, you know, my kids didn't get really good teeth. Uh nobody else in my family other than my dad had really good teeth. We have my dog has never has needed a dental, she's seven, she's got amazing teeth. Um, another dog will come in and be two years old, and the you know, the teeth are just covered in plaque. So it's a lot of that is just genetics too. I mean, you just it's it's luck of the jaw, unfortunately. Um, but but being aware and and staying on top of your dog's health, getting them groomed, getting all of those things done, it's definitely gonna help you to know what your dog specifically is prone to.

Warning Signs Owners Should Notice

SPEAKER_01 8:52

Wow. Now, are there certain um indications that owners should look for that indicate their dog needs a deeper cleaning, or are there certain ages where some of these skin conditions start to arise?

SPEAKER_02 9:06

The age usually doesn't matter for skin conditions. It's um I don't I take that back. I don't normally see it in puppies a year and under.

SPEAKER_03 9:15

Um it usually starts in like their adulthood to senior.

SPEAKER_02 9:19

So from two and up. And and certain dogs can change at seven or at two or at four. Um, but I don't see a lot of if I see something early on as a puppy, it's usually going to be something that's chronic and it tells me it's more genetic. Yeah. Um, the other thing that I see is like you know, dogs will scoot, they'll scoot on their butts and they're always, you know, or they're chewing their toenails. Uh, that's you know, your dog is doing usually uh something that looks unusual that they don't normally do during seasonal times. Um anal glands, for us, people always ask, you know, what what are the anal glands?

SPEAKER_03 9:55

Um is and a lot of people are embarrassed to ask.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

Yeah, or they're scooting and they don't know what they don't even know, right? They just don't know. So um it's some dogs do express them naturally. It's usually the little dogs that need them expressed. We do an external expression. A vet will do an internal. Um, and you know, we don't force the issues, sort of speak. Um, but that's one of the the biggest things that if they do get compacted, they can, you know, they can um rupture and it can be bad, uh, or it can cause a hot spot because it'll lick and and chew and itch or a horrible smell. Uh so those are that's something that we do on a regular basis. Um, we do check their nails, we do check their pads so they don't get stickers and and burrs that just web bad into their little feet. Um foxtails. Yeah. So I would say that those are some things that are um an everyday thing that people just don't, yeah, they're they're not sure about it, but it it's a reason to come in and get done sooner so that we can do a preventative in advance. Or it may be something that you just have never heard of before.

SPEAKER_01 11:06

Well, thank you both for breaking that down for us today. It's always eye-opening to hear what really goes into keeping our pets healthy, and we will see everyone back here next time.

Booking Info And Goodbye

SPEAKER_00 11:20

That's a wrap for this episode of Tale Talk with Hound Therapy. Ready to book your pets next Groom Daycare Stay or Grooming Academy tour? Call us at 469-367-0009. That's 469-367-0009. To schedule an appointment or visit us online at www.houndtherapy.com, serving North Texas with expert pet care. Until next time, keep those tails whacked.