What every pet parent should know before taking their pet to the grooming salon.
Call to schedule an appointment. Pet Stylists are very busy people, and many times will not be able to take your pet on a walk-in.
Nail clippings are usually the exception. Since it only takes a few minutes to trim your pet's nails, if you are patient and are willing to wait
until the stylist finishes up what she/he is doing, then chances are very good that your pets nails will be done on a walk-in.
Start taking your pet to the groomer as soon as it is old enough to go. About six weeks is a good age for a puppy's first wash and brush.
Seeing as there are very loud noises in a salon, your pet should become accustom to this as soon as possible. (hint, run a vacuum often,
or other loud appliance at home. It will help with his/her stress level).
Many of the big companies that offer pet grooming in their stores, aka PetCo and Petsmart, no longer allow for pets to be sedated during
their grooming. If you must sedate your pet for grooming, it is best if you take your pet to a private salon, or ask if your vet does grooming.
Try to be as honest with your stylist as you can about your pets health and age. Senior pets and pets that have health conditions may
require special treatment. Including having two stylists in the salon at the time. Most stylists are happy to aid your pet in whatever way
is necessary, but they have to know what to expect.
A lot of stylists are now only grooming dogs, but will still clip nails on cats, rabbits, birds, Guinea pigs, etc. Ask your stylist before make
an appointment for "Snowball" and then showing up with your cat. The stylists of the big name companies are only trained in grooming
dogs.
Do not become alarmed if you come to watch your pet being groomed and see their is a muzzle on him/her. It is for the safety of the
Stylist as well as for your pet. Many pets will try to bite the stylist if they are not familiar with her, or they will try to bite or lick the
equipment.
Remember that stylists are working with living animals. If you have dropped your pet off at the salon, and are told to come back in two
hours, then get a call telling you that it may be an extra hour until your pet is finished, do not become alarmed. There are several
reasons for this to happen. Your pet didn't dry as quickly as the stylist may have thought. Your pet may have needed a break before
continuing the grooming process. A stylist may have not shown up, and there is only one person working in the salon. Yes, it can be
annoying, but try not to worry.
The way your pet acts for you at home, may not be the way your pet acts at the salon. Many very well behaved pets have come in and
became nervous at the salon. It takes a few visits to a salon before you pet will become comfortable.
To avoid your pet's hair from getting too matted, try to brush them at home, and take them to the groomer every 6 to 8 weeks for
longer haired pets. Every 12 weeks for shorter haired pets.
Though sometimes pets come into a salon with mats that need to either be cut or shaved out, if you are told that your pet needs to
be shaved completely due to matting, keep in mind the stylist is not saying this because she/he enjoys shaving your pet, but because
there is no way to save the pets hair. Mats can cause skin irritations and sores to develop under the matt. For good of your pet
keep them as matt free as possible.
Toe nails bleed a lot. On many pets, epically with black nails, it is very hard for a stylist to see the vein that is in your pets nails. If
a stylist accidentally cuts that vain, there is a lot of blood. However, all stylists have a "quick stop" powder by their tables at all times.
It stops that nail from bleeding. Don't be too concerned. It is nothing serious, and your pet will be just fine.
Tell your stylist if you pet may or may not have a treat. Many salons keep treats around to help keep your pet calm. Just inform them
if your pet may have the treats that are being given.
Most pet owners love to watch their puppy's first groom, and while many stylists are just fine with this, don't plan on staying with your
pet every time you take them to the groomer. Stylists will usually ask the pet parent to leave while their pet is being groomed,
because it excites your pet to see you, making it almost impossible to groom your pet.
Never take it personal if a stylist calls for you to come pick up your pet, without the groom being finished. All it means is that the
stylist couldn't work on your pet. There are a number of reasons for this, but mostly it's for the safety of the stylist and pet. The most
common reason is that your pet is trying to bite the stylist through a muzzle, or will shake it's head so violently that the pet risks
injury to it's neck. The second most common reason that a pet is "sent home" is due to health conditions that the stylist didn't know
about.
Most stylists do not use a muzzle unless your pet is trying to bite. In fact, stylists prefer not to use muzzles because they love "pet
kisses".
All salons require that a pet have fresh water near it at all times. If you feel that your pet did not get water, tell the owner of the salon,
or the store manager. The salon can get into big trouble for not giving pets fresh water.
Many people bring pets that they just adopted into a salon. Therefore they really wont know all about a pets health or their new pets
exact age, or even the pets behavior. The new pet parent should take their new pet to the vet for the first grooming, just to be on the
safe side.
A stylist is free to refuse to groom for any reason. But usually don't unless the pet can't be worked with, or the pet has bitten a stylist.
Accidents do happen. Cuts and clipper burns do sometimes happen. If this happens to your pet, remember that the stylist didn't go
out of his/her way to hurt your pet. Also remember that if an injury does happen to your pet, the salon will pay for any vet that you
chose to take your pet to.
Pet stylists are human. They make mistakes. Anywhere from an accidental injury to an accidental hair cut. However, please keep in
mind that they do what they do because they love pets. Pet grooming is hard, back breaking work, they don't do it for the money.
They do it for the love.
