What kind of Grooming?
Just like every breed of dog, the Bullmastiff requires grooming. Grooming can include ear cleaning nail trimming brushing, dental and eye care. Grooming also strengthens the bond between you and your Bullmastiff and gives a great opportunity to do routine checks for fleas and ticks. Grooming needs to be started from an early age especially nail trimming but you will need to know how to do this correctly so your Bullmastiff doesn’t become afraid of nail trimming when he or she is an adult or you could find you need to take a trip to your vet every time your Bullmastiff has his nails trimmed.
Nail Trimming
As I have mentioned above nail trimming is important dew claws particularly can be dangerous and do need to be trimmed regularly. Bullmastiffs that live on hard surfaces don’t require trimming as much as a dog that lives on a soft ground e.g. grass. If by accident you do manage to cut your Bullmastiffs nail too short and causing your Bullmastiff to bleed, dab the bleeding nail in cornflour to stop bleeding.
Ear Cleaning
Routine cleaning is necessary for Bullmastiffs, to prevent ear mites and allergies. To clean an ear successfully usually require two people one to restrain the Bullmastiff the other to clean the ear. Ear cleaning is a simple procedure but if you are unsure ask your veterinarian. There are many good ear cleaning products but you will need to be careful as to which one to use as some leave moisture deep in the ear canal causing yeast and bacterial ear infections. Cotton balls are ideal for cleaning, refrain from using cotton tips if they protrude the ear you could cause a lot of damage to your dog’s ear. Signs of ear problems are redness, constant scratching, head shaking and odor. If your Bullmastiff shows any of these sign consult your veterinarian.
Eye Care
Cleaning the Bullmastiffs eyes usually only requires a dampened cotton ball in warm water and a gentle wipe.
Bathing
Bathing your Bullmastiff is not the easiest of tasks due to their size. Be careful not to over bath your Bullmastiff by doing so you can strip them of their natural oils. I have found the easiest way to bath a Bullmastiff is to use a bucket of warm water to the water I add a non-soap product, submerge a towel ring out excess water then rub the Bullmastiff down. This is an ideal way of avoiding over bathing but essentially it is a good idea to give your Bullmastiff a thorough bathing at least once a month by a hydro bath. Warm baths are also ideal for accelerating seasonal molting.
Brushing
Bullmastiff requires brushing at least once a week to rid dead hair, but when a Bullmastiff molts you will find your brush will be put into overtime. A Bullmastiff can vary in molting from three weeks to two months. Bullmastiffs usually molt through Autumn and spring and unfortunately, molting can give a moth-eaten appearance. If you are showing your Bullmastiff molting can be extremely off-putting, we have found a few good products on the market that do help to strip knives and blocks try to strip the coat at least two weeks prior to a show. Or a very warm bath will accelerate molting. Worn areas on elbows and hocks can be avoided by using raised platforms in kenneled areas.
Dental
Obviously, marrow bones are natures toothbrush for canines, but we do also recommend brushing your dog’s teeth to eliminate other diseases. For further details about brushing please use the links below. Do not use toothpaste that is only intended for human use.
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