Grooming Your Pet

As good pet owners, we all know that proper care of our pets is essential for their good health and well-being. Visits to the veterinarian, proper diet and exercise are essential parts of this plan, as is the grooming of your pet.

Whether you choose to do the grooming yourself or take your pet to a professional depends on several factors, which include your dog’s breed and coat type, your lifestyle, and your budget.

Breed and coat type: Many breeds, such as the Poodle, the Bichon Frise, the Maltese, and many others, have high-maintenance coats that truly need the experience of a professional groomer to stay in top shape. Many a new pet owner has been surprised at how quickly the coat of one of these breeds can become matted beyond saving, with the result being a complete shave-down. These breeds require home maintenance as well as professional grooming, unless the visits to the groomer are very frequent, such as every two weeks. Brushing at home is essential for nearly EVERY breed; as a professional will only groom your pet, on average, every 6-8 weeks. Therefore, it is necessary to brush the dog at least a few times per week, taking care to use the proper type of brush, and brushing all the way to the skin. Don’t forget ears and tail! Also, the average pet owner is not willing to invest the hundreds of dollars in equipment that is needed to properly care for one of these breeds. Professional clippers, shears, and high-velocity dryers are only a few of the tools we use every single day to transform pets into beauties!

Lifestyle: “Busy” is a word that describes nearly every family today, with parents working, kids in school and with activities that take up, it seems, nearly every minute of the day. But having a pet as a family member means that we need to consider their health and overall appearance as well. There are many ways a groomer can lower the daily maintenance required in the grooming of your pet. First, choosing the appropriate breed for your family is the most important place to start; but beyond that, many different styles of haircuts exist to make your job easier, brushing to a minimum, and shedding under control. We recommend what we like to call a “medium short” haircut on those breeds whose hair can grow very long (Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Poodle, Bichon, Yorkie, etc.). This means that you can still have the pretty coat that makes these breeds so beautiful, while keeping the upkeep to a minimum. We are happy to work with you to find a style that suits your lifestyle and the pet’s appearance and coat type. Also, both short and long-haired dogs will benefit from de-shedding treatments and frequent toenail trims. Busy families are the ones who most appreciate the services of a professional.

Budget: Professional pet grooming can be expensive. However, if you work with your pet groomer, it will be much less so, as the frequency of the visits will be much less, and there will be no extra “special treatment fees” for a pet who may be terribly matted. This involves very frequent home maintenance, including brushing, bathing, and ear cleaning. Perhaps older children or teens could be enlisted, with supervision of course, to take over this chore. We believe it promotes bonding with the child’s pet, and offers awareness of the responsibilities of lifelong pet ownership. We will be more than happy to show you the proper brushing techniques for your particular breed, and to recommend the type of brush and comb you will need. We also offer between-grooms toenail trims; it would be advisable to call before coming to the clinic for this, to ensure that the groomer is available.