Michelle Knowles MPAe, ICMG, MAAe, CCe

Michelle Knowles will be joining us for our upcoming podcast. Find out all about what she stands for below and don't forget to tune into the podcast to hear more! 

Proper Skin Care is Important for Animals Too!

The pet industry is coming around to the fact that skin health is not just “all in the gut”. Skin holds around 20% of the immune system in canines and it is widely misunderstood by the majority in the grooming industry. It has been my mission to bring education about proper skin care for land mammals into common knowledge so that the animals that we love and care for can be healthy on the outside as well as on the inside.

Ingredient knowledge and product selection is the foundation of a therapeutic grooming session. The order of operations is also important when applying these products. Dogs with internal conditions that affect the coat, in general, do not have to look like they have an internal issue. When the skin is supported externally, this takes the burden off the internal body to supply nutrients to the skin. The education of groomers is just as important as giving them the tools to also educate the client. Educated clients ask better questions and in most cases understand the procedures needed to help make their pet feel better.

Aesthetician work is also tied closely to behaviour and handling. Many pets that have skin issues feel uncomfortable. This can lead to fearful and/or aggressive behavior which must be dealt with when giving therapeutic treatments. Learning how to understand the language of the animal, which is mostly non-verbal, will greatly improve the quality of life for the groomer, the client, and ultimately the pet. Grooming requires a lifetime of participation; the pet on your table is someone’s best friend, why not make a new friend with every pet you groom.

Michelle Knowles, MPAe, ICMG, MAAe, CCe, owner of All Things Paw, and The Herbal Paw Apothecary, has over 34 years of experience as a private and professional pet care provider. Michelle is a Certified Master Groomer and a Master Pet Aesthetician. She has apprenticed, volunteered, worked, owned, and managed salons, kennels, zoos, and veterinary hospitals across the country. Michelle has also trained in Tuscany, Italy in therapeutic work, hand stripping and advanced dermatological care.

She was also the North American Iv San Bernard consultant and rep for a decade, wrote the foundation of their skin care program, and taught cosmetology and aesthetician work at The Whole Pet Academy. Michelle has broad experience in pet skin and coat care, extensive experience with fear and trauma recovery, elderly pets, and a focus on managing allergic/dermatological disorders.

Michelle is certified through NDGAA and IPG, teaches advanced pet aesthetics at The Meditative Grooming Academy, and All Things Paw Academy, mediates on the Master Groomer Council of Best Practices, and is a nationally recognized speaker in her field.

www.allthingspaw.com

michelle@allthingspaw.com

FaceBook: ATPMichelle

Instagram: allthingspaw

YouTube: @theherbalpaw

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