How to groom a senior dog at home

A grooming table asks an arthritic dog to stand still on a hard, raised surface, which is the hardest thing you can ask of it. Groom on the floor instead, on a rug, a rubber-backed bath mat or a yoga mat, so the feet do not slide. Let your dog lie down for brushing, nails and ears, and coax it to roll with a treat rather than lifting its legs. Sit beside it, so you are not looming over a dog that may not see or hear you coming.

Gather everything first, so you never leave an old dog waiting while you hunt for the comb: a soft brush, a wide-toothed comb, nail clippers or a grinder, styptic powder, cotton pads, a towel and treats. The AKC's home-grooming guide says to have styptic powder on hand before any nail work and to leave anal sac expression to a groomer or vet. Plan on five minutes or less per session, and stop when your dog shifts, sighs or tries to get up.

The weekly hands-on check is the most useful thing you can do for an old dog's skin. The AKC advises running your hands over the whole body once a week, including the armpits, belly, behind the ears and between the toes, noting new lumps or changes in old ones, and says every new lump should be examined by a veterinarian. Older and overweight dogs are more likely to grow soft, fatty lipomas, the AKC adds, but you cannot tell those apart from anything else by touch.

VCA lists masses, open sores, abnormal scabs and hair loss with scratching among the changes worth reporting in a senior, and notes that mats can hide skin tumors, one more reason to keep the coat brushed. It also calls periodontal disease common in older dogs, so bad breath, red gums or food dropped while eating belong on the list. VCA recommends a vet exam at least twice a year for seniors; bring your notes, and do not wait for that visit if something grows quickly or opens into a sore.

Most of a senior's care stays at home: the brushing, the weekly check, the wipe-downs and, if your dog tolerates it, the nails. The rest is easier on an old body in our studio on Eastern Ave, where no evaluation is needed. A bath with blow-dry and brush-out runs from $55 to $95 by size, and the groomer can work in short stages with rests. When a stiff dog needs help to stay up, the $20 behavior or handling surcharge pays for the extra time and hands.

Travel tires an old dog, too. If your senior already comes for a $33 half day of daycare, the groom can be added to that day, so there is one drive instead of two, and a daycare dog can ride the Pup Van for $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea. The AVMA's cold-weather guidance notes that cold can worsen arthritis and that icy ground causes injuries, so on an icy morning call the front desk about moving the appointment rather than walking a stiff dog across a frozen lot.