Summer grooming is not the same as grooming during the rest of the year. The heat, humidity, outdoor activity, water exposure, and parasite pressure of a South Carolina summer create a distinct set of coat and skin care needs — and a grooming routine that was adequate in February needs to be adjusted for June.
This checklist covers every area of summer grooming for Murrells Inlet dogs, from coat maintenance to ear care to paw protection. Use it to assess your current routine, identify any gaps, and ensure your dog’s grooming keeps pace with everything the Grand Strand summer brings.
✅ Coat Care
Bathing Frequency
Summer typically requires more frequent bathing than other seasons. Outdoor activity deposits pollen, environmental allergens, salt, sand, sunscreen residue, and general grime into the coat more rapidly than in cooler months.
Summer bathing benchmarks by coat type:
| Coat Type | Recommended Summer Interval |
| Short-coated breeds (Labs, Boxers, Beagles) | Every 6–8 weeks professionally; rinse after beach or water exposure |
| Medium-coated breeds (Goldens, Spaniels) | Every 6 weeks professionally |
| Long-coated breeds (Shih Tzus, Maltese, Setters) | Every 4–6 weeks |
| Doodles and curly coats | Every 4 weeks — humidity accelerates mat formation |
| Heavy shedders (Huskies, Shepherds, Corgis) | Every 6 weeks with deshedding treatment |
| Allergy-prone dogs | Every 2–4 weeks to reduce allergen accumulation on skin |
Deshedding Treatment
Spring coat blowout season technically ends before June, but many dogs — particularly Huskies, German Shepherds, Corgis, and Retrievers — continue shedding actively into early summer. A professional deshedding treatment in June removes remaining loose undercoat, improving coat airflow and significantly reducing summer shedding in the home.
Check: Has your dog had a professional deshedding treatment within the last 6–8 weeks? If not, schedule one.
Mat Prevention
Summer humidity is one of the most aggressive mat-forming environments your dog’s coat will encounter. Moisture from humidity, swimming, beach visits, and rain enters the coat and — if not fully dried and brushed through — compacts loose shed fur into tangles that tighten over days.
At-home habits that prevent summer mats:
- Brush through the coat fully after any water exposure, once dry
- Pay extra attention to mat-prone areas: behind the ears, under the collar, in the armpits, behind the legs, and at the base of the tail
- Never brush a wet coat aggressively — allow it to dry first, or use a detangling spray on damp fur
- If a mat forms and resists gentle brushing, stop and let a professional handle it — forced brushing of tight mats is painful and damages skin
Check: Is your at-home brushing frequency keeping pace with summer conditions?
Coat Length
Double-coated breeds: Do not shave. The double coat regulates temperature in both directions and provides UV protection for the skin. Shaving removes these functions without improving cooling. (See our May grooming post for a full explanation.)
Single-coated and continuously growing breeds: A summer trim to a comfortable, manageable length is appropriate and beneficial. Discuss the right length with our grooming team — the goal is reducing heat retention without compromising sun protection for lightly pigmented skin.
Check: Is your dog’s coat at a summer-appropriate length for their breed type?
✅ Ear Care
South Carolina’s summer humidity creates prime conditions for ear infections — particularly in dogs with floppy ears, heavily furred ear canals, or dogs who swim regularly.
What to Look for Between Appointments
- Head shaking or repeated ear scratching
- Dark or discolored discharge at the ear opening
- Unpleasant or yeasty odor from the ears
- Sensitivity or flinching when the ear is touched
- Redness visible at the ear canal opening
Any of these signs warrants a veterinary visit — these are not grooming problems, they are medical ones.
What Professional Ear Cleaning Provides
At every A Dog’s Way Inn grooming appointment, ear cleaning includes:
- Removal of accumulated wax, moisture, and debris
- Visual examination of the ear canal
- Hair trimming at the ear canal opening in breeds prone to hair obstruction
- Detection and reporting of early infection signs
Summer Ear Care Habits Between Appointments
- After swimming or bathing, dry the outer ear and ear flap thoroughly — gently fold the ear open and allow air circulation
- Never insert cotton swabs into the ear canal
- For frequent swimmers, speak with your veterinarian about periodic ear drying solutions designed for dogs
Check: Is ear cleaning included at every grooming appointment? Has your dog shown any signs of ear infection this summer?
✅ Nail Trimming
Nails that are appropriate length in winter — when dogs may walk on pavement more — can become overgrown in summer when walking patterns shift to grass, sand, and softer surfaces that don’t file nails naturally.
Why Summer Nail Length Matters
- Long nails on beach sand and soft soil don’t wear down the way pavement does
- Overgrown nails alter gait and joint mechanics — a particular concern for senior dogs
- Long nails can split or crack on harder surfaces encountered occasionally
- Curved nails catch on fabric and can tear painfully
The Benchmark
You should not hear your dog’s nails clicking on hard floors. If you do, they are overdue for a trim.
Recommended interval: Every 4–6 weeks, included as standard at every A Dog’s Way Inn grooming appointment.
Check: When were your dog’s nails last trimmed? Are they clicking on hard floors?
✅ Paw Care
Paw pads take particular abuse in summer. Between hot pavement, beach sand, salt water, and increased outdoor activity, pads can dry, crack, and burn in ways that cause real discomfort.
Pad Inspection
Check your dog’s paw pads regularly during summer — look for:
- Cracking or peeling — indicates dryness or heat exposure damage
- Raw or discolored areas — may indicate burns from hot surfaces
- Foreign material between the toes — grass seeds, sand burrs, and debris embed easily in summer
- Swelling or sensitivity between the toes — can indicate infection or embedded material
Pad Conditioning
Dog-safe paw balms (Musher’s Secret, Paw Soother, and similar products) protect pads from heat and dryness. Apply before walks on warm days and after beach exposure.
Post-Beach Paw Rinse
Salt water and sand should be rinsed from paws after every beach visit. Both cause dryness and irritation when left to dry on pad skin. A quick rinse with clean water at the beach access point is sufficient.
Check: Are your dog’s pads in good condition? Has your groomer examined them at the last appointment?
✅ Skin Check
Summer’s combination of heat, humidity, outdoor allergens, and parasites makes skin monitoring more important than during any other season.
What to Look for at Home
- New or changing lumps, bumps, or swellings
- Areas of redness, scaling, or hair loss
- Hot spots — moist, raw skin patches that appear suddenly, often from self-trauma from licking or scratching
- Evidence of flea dirt (small black specks, particularly around the tail base and belly)
- Embedded ticks — check especially behind ears, around collar, in armpits, between toes, and around the groin after any outdoor time in wooded or grassy areas
What Professional Groomers Find
Professional groomers work with their hands across the entire surface of your dog’s body during every appointment. Skin changes that develop gradually under a coat — and go completely unnoticed during casual petting — are regularly found during professional grooming sessions.
Check: Has your groomer done a skin assessment at the last appointment? Have you noticed any changes in your dog’s skin or coat at home?
✅ Full Appointment Scheduling Recommendation
For most Murrells Inlet dogs during summer, the ideal professional grooming schedule is:
- Short and medium-coated breeds: Every 6–8 weeks
- Long-coated, curly, and doodle breeds: Every 4–6 weeks
- Heavy shedding double-coated breeds: Every 6 weeks with deshedding treatment
- Allergy-prone dogs or frequent swimmers: Every 4 weeks
Summer books fast at A Dog’s Way Inn — especially with grooming appointments added onto boarding and daycare stays. Schedule ahead rather than calling week-of.
📍 761 Pendergrass Ave., Murrells Inlet, SC 29576 📞 (843) 357-4545 🌐 adogswayinn.com
