The credit crunch may have put the kybosh on beauty parlours for your pampered pet but some aspects of grooming are essential for dog and cat health, and doing the duties yourself helps you spend some quality time with your furry friend.

Not only does grooming keep your pet looking dapper, it also offers a good opportunity to check for any health problems your animal may have. Parting the fur helps you spot fleas, ticks, skin irritations, sore or bald patches and lumps, which you may want to check out with your vet. You may have your pet covered with pet insurance but any vet will tell you that prevention is so much better than cure.

Regular grooming will keep your pet's coat clean and healthy and prevent dirt build-up and matted patches that can make great breeding grounds for nasty infestations. Brushing also helps stimulate skin cells, allowing natural oils to circulate in the coat and new skin to grow.

All dogs and cats should ideally be groomed once a week or at least once every fortnight, with long-haired breeds often requiring a brush through every other day.

The first time you attempt to groom your dog or cat, make sure they have been out for a walk, been fed and recently relieved themselves so they're less likely to wander off half-way through. And be gentle - some areas are more sensitive than others, and these will differ from animal to animal so take some time getting to know which spots to go easy on.

Comb in the direction of hair growth, starting from the head backwards. Focusing on and around the head first will win your pet's trust, rather than going for an area they can't reach or don't expect you to. Cats, especially, like their face being rubbed, so this will calm them down ready for a good grooming session.

Comb small sections at a time, tackling knots, tangles and matted hair with finer combs and warm water. You may have to trim extremely matted sections with scissors. If your pet has fleas, comb through with a fine flea comb using warm water and a flea shampoo or solution. Comb over a white piece of paper or card so that you can see the critters and keep a bowl of warm soapy water next to you in which to dispose of them.

When bathing cats and dogs, make sure to use animal-specific shampoos as human ones use a different PH and often harsher detergents. Brush your pet before bathing so they don't malt in the bath, and prevent water getting into their ears with cotton buds.

How often you bathe your dog depends on their breed, how much time they spend outside, their age and any medical conditions they may have. As a general rule, bathe your pooch when it has been rolling around in something nasty, if it has a distinctive 'doggy smell', which could be caused by an odour from the coat, ears, mouth, feet or anal glands, if they have dandruff or allergies or are carrying fleas or lice.

If you really don't fancy trying to get your cat in the bath, spritz their coat with warm water and cat coat conditioner or shampoo and brush through, remembering to rinse afterwards.

Sainsbury’s offer a range of financial services including pet insurance, life insurance, savings accounts, personal loans & home insurance. Visit www.sainsburysbank.co.uk for quotes and more information.