Earlier than you set the appointment
When a human visits a hair salon or a spa, we usually know what to anticipate. The vibe is nice. The sounds and smells are, if not at all times nice, no less than acquainted. We are able to talk our desires and wishes. It feels fairly good to loosen up and be pampered for some time.
However put your self in your canine or cat’s place as your pet faces a grooming go to. Whereas your pet will expertise a lot the identical remedy as a human in a salon–wash, clip, blowout, manicure–she or he has no method of figuring out what to anticipate. There could also be canines barking, which may overstimulate your canine or completely freak out your cat. Unusual issues buzz loudly. Water splashes. Nothing appears to be like acquainted. The primary go to to a groomer might be scary on your pet. Think about them pondering “How is that this okay? Who’re these unusual folks? What are they going to do to me? Are you actually going to go away me right here?”
Pet Groomers have seen all of it, and there are so much of tales they might share. There’s loads of recommendation they’d like to offer pet house owners, however we’ve boiled it all the way down to 9 useful suggestions for making your grooming go to a pleasing success.
9 Ideas for a Nice Grooming Expertise
- Don’t simply make an appointment with the primary salon that comes up on a Google search. Go to first. Go to a number of salons if it’s important to. Once more, have a look at potential groomers via your pet’s eyes. You need to discover a place with a soothing environment and stylists who’re calming, skilled, and environment friendly of their work. Are you able to see the groomers at work? Is the salon clear? Or is it crowded and chaotic?
- Until you’re assured that your cat is okay within the presence of canines, discover a cats-only grooming salon. Folks have landed within the hospital with septicemia (blood poisoning) after being scratched by a frightened cat at a veterinary workplace or groomer.
- Even when your cat or canine has a brief, no-fuss coat, visiting a groomer ought to nonetheless be a precedence. Grooming isn’t just for appearances; it’s for well being upkeep. Groomers not solely bathe and trim your pet’s coat, however in addition they examine for pores and skin issues or lumps, they usually search for fleas and ticks. They clear ears and eyes and clip nails–one thing many pet house owners neglect to do.
- Be sensible concerning the lower you need on your canine. Chances are you’ll suppose you need to get a present trim in your cocker spaniel after watching Westminster, however are you actually up for all of the work it takes to keep up the look?
- Don’t feed your canine a meal earlier than a go to to the groomer. The potential stress could cause vomiting and diarrhea in a canine with a full tummy.
- Attempt to train your canine earlier than taking him to the groomer. A drained canine will seemingly be calmer and stand nonetheless for his groom.
- Between grooms, brush your pet commonly to maintain her coat shiny and wholesome trying and to forestall matting. Pay particular consideration to the groin, chest, underarm, and behind the ears. We can’t overstress how unhealthy matting is for canines and cats. Matts can pull hair painfully and may trigger an infection. In excessive circumstances, matting can lower off blood provide, strangling a limb and requiring amputation. If you carry a matted animal in for a groom, groomers incessantly add a major cost since working with matts provides a lot time to a groom. If it requires shaving, the hair is difficult to chop and really laborious on grooming clippers, to not point out the trauma your pet will undergo. Matting is BAD! BAD! BAD!
- Earlier than your first appointment, go to the spa along with your pet. Let him sniff round, meet the employees, and acclimate to the unfamiliar setting. Your first official grooming go to ought to ideally be quick–possibly a shower and a little bit trim. A full groom takes a very long time and is so much for a pet or an grownup canine to tolerate on the primary go to.
- Put together your pet at house. Within the days and weeks main as much as the primary grooming go to:
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- Follow touching your canine in locations {that a} groomer will. Gently maintain her tail, run your palms down her legs, grasp the hair beneath her chin for a number of seconds. Get her used to having her ft touched and her toes dealt with.
- Your pet will probably be up on a metallic desk on the groomers. Simulate this by lifting your pet onto a countertop, desk, or washer.
- Introduce your canine to instruments just like these the groomer will use. Set a blow dryer or electrical clippers on the ground and let him sniff. With out getting too shut or touching your pet, allow them to run for a number of seconds. As soon as your pet is snug with the sound, carry it a little bit nearer. To get them used to the buzzing vibration, you may contact an electrical toothbrush to his coat.
The Finest Likelihood for Grooming Success
By following this recommendation, you’ll give your pet a great shot at a profitable grooming expertise and the prospect to begin a contented, long-lasting relationship along with her groomer. Hopefully, a visit to the groomer will turn into as stress-free and nice for her as a visit to the spa is for her human.
