PIck-up and Communication: A Reminder

As spring gets into full swing, grooming salons become a busy place! The increase of muddy yards means a lot of dogs need frequent baths. Dogs who are left a little longer for the winter will start to come in for those short spring hair cuts.  As soon as the stay-at-home orders lift, everyone will want to get their pets in for a good clean up! Groomers might be stretched a little thinner than normal trying to accommodate owners and pets alike.

Since we run a very small salon, we have a very limited space to hold onto pets after their grooming has been completed. We just wanted to take a brief moment to remind you that we ask you to be here within one hour of receiving the call letting you know your pet is ready to go home. Our day is a tight dance. We are counting on Fluffy going home so we can clean her kennel and use it for Bob who is expected to arrive shortly after Fluffy leaves. If Fluffy is still here when Bob arrives, we might not have a place for Bob to hang out!

If you know you might be a little late picking Fluffy up, just let us know! Let us know when you make the appointment so we can have an extra kennel available just in case. We do have crates at our homes for our own dogs we are happy to bring in if needed. If something comes up after you have made your appointment, give us a call or shoot us a text message to let us know. We will do our best to accommodate or we will let you know if it would be best to reschedule for another day.

The same goes for dropping off early. We ask that you arrive no more than 10 minutes early for your appointment so we have time to check Fluffy out and clean her kennel. If Bob arrives too early, we might not quite be ready for him! Again, communicate your needs and we will let you know how we can best accommodate them!

We understand things come up. You might not know until the day of your appointment that you need to drop off early or pick up a little later. Just let us know a soon as you can so we can figure something out! Communicating also eliminates the worry factor as well. We do genuinely worry about our clients when they do not show up on time! Was there an accident? Is there a traffic jam? Did someone suddenly become ill? Did the doctor appointment not go well and someone now has to be rushed to St. Louis for specific testing with a specialist? Your groomers are definitely two “Worst Case Scenario” worriers! Let us know what is going on so we don’t stress your pup out!

We anticipate being busier than usual once we are able to reopen.  If you can, please schedule your pet's grooming appointment on a day and at a time where you are not likely to be busy during their service.  This way, you can be ready to come get them as soon as we call.  It is looking like we will be completely booked for at least a few weeks when this is all over.  Help us keep things running extra smoothly so everyone can get the services they need as quickly as possible! Thanks! 

All Dogs Need Grooming

When we think of dog grooming, we tend to think of show dogs with their beautiful, flowing fur or their perky poms and top knots. Poodles and Shih Tzus immediately pop into most peoples’ heads as examples of grooms. Scruffy terriers with their carefully hand stripped coats might join the mix. And who can forget a perfect Schnauzer cut too?

Grooming goes far beyond styles for the show ring. It even goes beyond hair cuts in general. All dogs need to be groomed. Even short haired and hairless dogs will benefit from a bath, brush, and deshed treatment. Why? It is pretty simple!

Just like humans, dogs shed their skin cells in a 21 day cycle. The new cells form under the skin and mature over this period of time. Once they reach the surface, they hang around for a while before dying and shedding off, revealing healthy new cells underneath. The process happens in a never ending cycle starting the day they are born. It happens with humans too! Unlike humans, the skin surface for a dog is under a layer of fur. This can prevent those old cells from sloughing off in a timely manner. Dogs may develop itchy dandruff, flaky patches, yeast infections, or a host of other problems if they are not able to shed this skin.

Shedding hair can become a problem for even shorter haired pets. All dogs shed. Even so called “non-shedding” breeds like poodles and bichons shed. They simply shed less since their hair has a much longer growth cycle. Their kinky fur also tends to hold that shed fur in, potentially creating mats if it is not brushed out on a regular basis. Any dog with hair longer than an inch or two in length is at danger of developing mats. The longer the hair, the more easily it tangles. But even shorter haired dogs can have shedding problems. Their shed fur can impact into their coat, creating a thick, tight, hard to remove layer of fur and dander.

The good news is that grooming helps to solve both the problems of proper skin overturn and shedding! A proper bath with quality, pet specific shampoos and conditioners along with a good blow and brush out will help all the excess skin cells blow away. The shedding hair will come out as well, preventing any mats or impacting. You pet’s coat will be softer, shinier, and brighter after a bath. They will feel amazing too! Regular appointments will help to keep their nails in tip top shape as well!

Even hairless dogs and cats will benefit from a good scrub. They might not have as much hair to shed, but their skin is still prone to build-ups. They can develop black heads and zits. A moisturizing bath and an exfoliating scrub can greatly reduce the problems!

Help even your short haired buddies feel their absolute best by getting them on a regular grooming schedule. They will absolutely adore all the attention they receive in the salon and at home afterwards too!

Continued Education: Why Is It Important?

We all know our doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers, and even veterinarians do continued education courses every year. We have all heard about trade shows for everything from the automotive industry to all things home and garden and even science and technology. Did you know there are trade shows and continued education courses for groomers and other pet professionals as well?

Its true! Trade shows and classes happen all across the country all year long. There are single day, specialized classes hosted by groomers and salons that cover very specific topics such as how to groom a specific breed or how to achieve perfect faces. There are small, 2 day, home town type shows as well as huge, week long expos! There are grooming competitions for all breeds and breed groups. There are creative grooming competitions as well where groomers show off their dying and scissoring skills. There are classes taught by the captains of the industry on everything from breed standards to breed cuts to techniques for using clipper combs to hand scissoring to handling cats and even information on skin and coat health. There are certification courses for things like safety and sanitation and first aid. The trade floors hold more products than you could ever ask for! New shampoos and conditioners, the latest and most updated equipment, bows and bandannas, scissors and brushes, grooming wear like smocks, pants, and aprons, and even things like leashes, collars, and toys for the awesome pups in your life! There are often folks who sharpen blades and shears as well as folks who can give you all the information you ever wanted about nail grinding accessories and electric tables. A day or week at a good expo can be a groomer’s dream come true. Yours truly dreams of going to Super Zoo in Las Vegas some day!

It isn’t all fun and games though. Mostly it is, but there is a serious side to these expos too. Those classes I mentioned before can be vital for groomers of all skill levels. Even the most seasoned groomer can learn a thing or two by attending seminars.

Each year, we attend a grooming expo in the St. Louis area. We spend our time at the show in order to gain new knowledge we then use to help your pets have the best grooming experience they possibly can! Even though we have spent almost a combined 25 years in the pet industry, Stacey and I admit that we do not know everything there is to know. While we have diverse backgrounds and training, there are still “holes” in our knowledge. Attending these trade shows is one of the best ways to “fill in the blanks” as it were.

We have taken classes on things such as Asian Fusion grooming to learn how to make those adorable round, teddy-bear looking faces. We have taken classes on using clip-on combs to achieve a natural looking hair cut. We have gained tips and tricks for making poodle top knots absolutely perfect. We have learned how other salons operate and taken some of what they do to make our salon what it is today. We have gained new knowledge about the cycle of skin growth, how shampoos and conditioners affect a dog’s skin, and even how to keep our salon as safe and sanitary as possible. Every year, we look forward to the new knowledge we will gain so we can pass it along in what we do!

We understand that it can feel a little frustrating when you try to make an appointment somewhere only to find out the business will be closed for a few days. However, when we close for trade shows, please remember that we are going so we can provide the very best for your pets!

Trade shows aren’t the only places we learn though. In this day and age, everything you ever wanted to know about anything at all is available with just a few clicks of a mouse. YouTube is a great source for learning, though you do have to take any information gained with a small grain of salt since there is no way to really know a person’s actual qualifications and background. Even keeping this in mine, there are innumerable videos on tips, tricks, and techniques on everything from how to shave a reluctant poodle’s feet to how to achieve a perfectly layered yorkie style head in under 10 minutes. There are product reviews to watch. There are handling tips. There are just plain fun grooming videos of happy dogs and happy groomers!

Books and magazines play a role in a groomer’s continued education as well although these tools might contain out of date information almost as soon as they hit the shelves. The world moves so fast now that print can hardly keep up! However, printed books about breed standards and proper breed cuts will always have a place on a groomer’s book shelf. Many magazines will contain more product and tool reviews that can be referenced later on. Some will even have step-by-step guides for certain cuts or techniques that can be handy to have nearby!

We will never consider our education to be complete. There will always, always, always be new things to learn, new places to learn them, and wonderful new people to learn from. As we learn new things, we will be sure to bring them home to our little salon in order to create the best grooming experience possible for your furry friends!

Hema-What Now?

**This week’s educational blog will contain talk of blood and injuries. Though it will not be graphic and I will not include graphic pictures, if these things bother you, you might want to skip it!**

Hematoma. It is a word you have probably heard groomers, and maybe even your own doctor, use from time to time. It is often accompanied by a brief explanation of what a hematoma is. Many people still have questions though! So today, we are going to dive into what a hematoma is, how they form, what their relationship to grooming is, and how we can treat, or preferably, prevent them from happening.

What is a hematoma? By definition, a hematoma is a collection of blood outside of the blood vessels. In a way, it is similar to a bruise, however, a hematoma is much more serious. Bruises are caused by small breaks in small blood vessels which lead to minor leakage and the classic black/blue/purple/yellow discoloration of the skin. A hematoma is a much larger break in the larger blood vessels. This can lead to a pooling of the blood in the area near the break. Instead of turning into that classic nasty bruise, the skin will often be red and may appear to be inflamed. Many times, a hematoma is a serious issue that needs medical attention and sometimes even surgical drainage.

So how do hematomas form? What causes those blood vessels to break? In both humans and animals, they can be caused by injury. Generally, there has been some sort of trauma in the area. This can be caused by something like a car accident or a fall. They can also occur during things like blood draws, especially if the patient is on any sort of blood thinners or has an underlying medical condition.

When we talk about hematomas in grooming, they are generally caused by matted fur. The ears on floppy eared dogs are the most common place for hematomas to develop. When their ears mat up, the blood flow becomes restricted due to the skin being pulled tightly. As the groomer shaves off the mats, the blood rushes back in. This rush is not what causes the hematoma to form however it is a major contributing factor. As the blood rushes back in, the dog’s ear will then start to feel weird. Imagine your foot has been asleep for so long that you have gotten used to that tingly sensation. Suddenly, the sock that is too tight and causing the sensation is pulled off. Now you have the pins and needles feeling. You can’t help but twitch your foot around, trying to make it go away! The dog feels much the same way. They begin to shake their heads, often violently, literally trying to shake the sensation away. As their now super sensitive ears flap around, they smack against their own heads, causing further damage to an already compromised area. The blood vessels in the ears begin to pop through the combined centrifugal force and the blunt force trauma. This blood then either pools in the ear, causing a pillowy swelling, or it breaks through the flap at the tip of the ear and leaks out. This causes further irritation, causing the dog to shake it’s head even more. Neither scenario is one a groomer or owner wants to see!

In a non-grooming setting, hematomas can occur for a number of other reasons. The dog may have suffered from some sort of injury to their ears. They may have gotten water in their ears and have been trying to shake and scratch it out. They may also have an ear infection, mite, or flea infestation that is bothering their ears, causing them to shake their heads around. While it is not as common, even dogs with pricked ears like German Shepherds and Chihuahuas can suffer from hematomas. Cats can also develop hematomas as well!

How can we prevent hematomas from forming? It is a simple yet complicated task really. The simplest way to make sure your dog never ends up with a hematoma is to make sure their ears are as healthy as possible. Check their ear canals frequently for any signs of build up or strange smells. Yes, you should know what your dog’s healthy ear smells like! Strange odors can be the first indication of an infection. Treating an infection early can prevent a whole host of problems further down the road! Watch for excessive scratching of the ear and ear canal along with head shaking. These can also be an indication that something is wrong. Keep long-haired dogs’ ears brushed and combed to the skin. If you have trouble keeping up with longer ears, ask your groomer to style the ears shorter. Many long haired dogs look absolutely adorable with fluffy heads and short or shaved ears! This might be an option for your pup, especially if they enjoy running wild outside and come back with the whole world tangled in their ears!

At TLC Pet Services, if we think any matting on your pup’s ears might be tight enough to cause a hematoma to develop, we are going to ask you to consult with your vet for safe removal. We want everyone to be as safe as possible! If we do elect to shave off mats, there are still steps we will take. First of all, any shaving is done slowly, often in stages. By shaving the ear a third at a time, it gives the blood flow a chance to return slowly, lessening the risk of excessive shaking. Secondly, we will shave any matting off before be bathe your pup. This way, as soon as they are in the tub, we can rinse their ear flaps with cool water to help lessen the uncomfortable sensations. A towel or Happy Hoodie may then be wrapped around your pup’s head to hold the ears close to them. The light pressure from the wrap will further aid in the slow return of blood flow along with preventing them from flapping their ears all around. Thirdly, if at any point we feel that there is a risk of the dog shaking their head and developing something, we will not hesitate to wrap their head, give you a call, and ask you to please come take them to the vet! While a hematoma is generally not life threatening in most cases, early treatment will be best for faster healing and a better cosmetic outcome.

How are hematomas treated? Always consult your vet if you think there is anything wrong with your pets! In the case of a hematoma, the vet may take one of a few treatment routes. They may wait and see what happens if the hematoma is small. Sometimes, small pockets will reabsorb over time and require no further treatment. The vet may opt for drainage and placement of a drain tube to keep the area from refilling while it heals. If it is a large hematoma or it continues to reoccur after drainage, the vet may suggest the surgical option of opening the area, removing any clots, and finding and closing up any leaks to prevent further filling. The entire area is then sutured down, sometimes using buttons, to help the skin reattach and lay properly on the dog’s ear.

We strongly believe an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you are concerned about your pup’s ears matting up between grooms, let us know! We would rather modify Fluffy’s hairstyle now to prevent any problems than find out she has been to the vet three times because she developed a hematoma that just won’t go away!

How We Handle Nervous Nellies

Not every dog loves leaving the comfort of their home to come see the groomers. Sometimes, these dogs don’t like to leave the comfort of their homes for anything! While we all picture a happy-go-lucky, head-out-the-window, tongue-flapping-in-the-breeze dog when we think of taking our canine companions on a road trip, this isn’t always the case. (I live with two dogs who hate the ride but love the destination! Go figure!)

Nervous dogs exist. Some are nervous to the point of needing meds to help them through their daily lives while their people work with them to accept the world around them. Others can just be a little anxious when things change. All Nervous Nellies deserve a little extra kindness and understanding, which we definitely provide!

Most dogs will act like a nervous wreck when they walk into the salon. They are in a place they have a serious love/hate relationship with. They love seeing the groomers. They love the extra attention they get. They love how they feel afterwards. But then there is the bath, the kennel, the dryer, and the actual haircut process that they might not care for as much. Don’t even talk to them about nail clips! It is not uncommon for your pets to shake, shiver, and hide behind you when you drop them off. They play it up for their parents! They make it look like this is the most horrible place you possibly could have brought them too, maybe even worse than the V-E-T! However, as soon as you leave, most dogs will do a complete 180. They whine and cry as you walk out and down the steps. As soon as you are out of sight, the fussing stops, they turn to look at us, and they say “Hey! Hi! How are you?! I missed you!”

There is a small group of dogs who don’t have this turn around though. They might not fuss quite as much as when you are in the lobby, but they still act quite nervous even though they have been in to see us a dozen times. What do we do with these Nervous Nellies?

Well, we treat them much the same as we do every other dog! Nervous dogs need to learn to have confidence in themselves and in the world around them. Many times a nervous dog is not one that has been abused or had a bad experience with a groomer in the past. It is a dog who has been under-socialized. They didn’t get key experiences at the right times during their development. Or it could be that they suffer from chronic anxiety and depression just the same as many humans do. By not coddling them, cooing at them, and baby talking them, we can slowly start to help them know that grooming is no big deal!

Wait. Why no baby talk and extra cuddles? Isn’t that going to help the dog feel more secure?

Yes and no. There is no hard and fast answer. For some dogs, and extra snuggle will make them feel safe and sheltered. Other dogs will feel restricted and trapped. High pitched baby talk can have a similar effect. Some dogs will react positively because it is something they are used to at home and associate with good things. Others might associate high voices with small children which might make them even more nervous. Some dogs will also view this sort of treatment as a positive reward for acting fearful. They shake, they get extra attention. They cry and jump at their mom’s ankles, they get picked up and snuggled. Dogs are incredibly smart and can very easily manipulate humans into giving them what they want! While it is not entirely possible to reinforce the fear the dog might be feeling (rewarding fear does not make for a more fearful dog), rewarding the behaviors does mean that the dog will likely continue showing them!

Nervous dogs will always be handled with care and consideration. If they react in a truly nervous manner to anything such as the clippers being turned on, their feet being picked up, or even the grooming loops being put over their head, we step back and modify what we are doing. Nellie hit the roof when we turned on the clippers? We turn them off, distract her with a few pets and ear rubs, then turn the clippers on further away while also giving her positive attention. Now the clipper noise can be associated with good things like ear scratches! We might turn the clippers off and let Nellie sniff them, showing her that there is nothing to be scared of before moving them away and turning them on again. After a few repeats, most dogs will figure out that there is nothing to worry about. If Nellie tries to yank her paws away from us, we hold them gently while talking softly to her. We rub and massage her paw. As soon as she stops pulling, we let go and tell her she is a good girl. We don’t want to teach her that yanking away fearfully is going to give her what she wants. We want her to know that calm behavior is better! If putting her head through the loops causes her to panic, we will pick her up for a moment until she calms down and then put the loop over her while we hold her. She gets the reassurance she needs while we can put on the needed equipment to keep her safe.

Things like the bath and dryer can be hard for even the most well adjusted dogs. Being nervous by nature, Nellie is likely to have problems with one or both of them! We adjust the water temperature, pressure, and sprayer settings until we find something she will tolerate. It could be the shower setting and warmer water or the soaker setting with cooler water. If it takes an extra minute to rinse her because she doesn’t like higher water pressure, so be it. We can always start low and raise the pressure slowly until it is at a rate that makes it quicker and easier to wash her coat. Nerves for the dryer can be reduced by placing cotton balls in her ears, wrapping her head in a happy hoodie, using only one dryer engine, or just not using the dryer at all! While the high velocity dryer makes drying faster and makes the final groom look better, if Nellie is that nervous and fearful about it, we will just skip that step. We can let her dry in a kennel with a fan or kennel dryer and then fluff her up with our smaller stand dryer before her final cut.

Speaking of kennels, what if Nellie hates to be kenneled? What do we do then? Again, there are a few options we will try. First of all, we have two main types of kennels we use. One is the kennel bank which has solid sides, top, and back with a wire grate floor. These kennels have wire front doors so the dogs can see out but not to the sides and back. Some dogs prefer these as they feel safer and more secure in a “den.” The second type of kennel we have is wire crates. These are the crates with a solid tray on the bottom but open wire sides and tops. Some dogs feel better about being able to see all around them so they know what is going on. If we put Nellie in a wire kennel and she panics, we might try placing her in the kennel bank just to see if she feels better. Some dogs like to have a towel to sit on. We can arrange that too. If neither of those options work, depending on the day, we can try placing her in an exercise pen in the grooming area with us. This is made from just wire panels. It is larger than a kennel and has not top on it. Some dogs like it. Some dogs don’t because they are still enclosed. If none of these options work, we will talk to you about doing an express type groom where we groom Nellie straight through without stopping. This type of groom only works if she accepts either the HV dryer or the stand dryer though!

A nervous dog might also benefit from being groomed on a quieter day. While we cannot ever guarantee what days will be quiet and which days won’t, we can at least make more of an effort to not book dogs we know to be barkers on days with dogs we know to be nervous. In other words, we will make an effort to try! If Nellie’s appointments are pre-booked, it will be even easier to control who is there with her. She might benefit from being the first dog of the day or one of the last. We will always make the effort to figure out what works best for her!

While we modify our techniques for each dog, we will always make an extra effort for nervous dogs. We want them to know that the grooming salon is nothing to be worried about. They might take a little extra time, require a few extra breaks, or even require frequent, short visits to get used to it all, but we will always make every effort to help them feel happy and confident through the entire process!

(Hypothetically) There Has Been An Emergency! This Is What We Will Do For Your Pet!

You brought your pup to the groomer. You expect to get a call in a few hours telling you Prince is all ready to come home. Instead, you get the call no one wants to hear or even make: there has been an accident.

We strive to be the safest salon there can possibly be. We take great care and caution when working with your pets. After all, these are little living beings with their own thoughts, feelings, and moods. Bad days can happen to pets just as much as they can happen to people. We pay close attention to their moods and feelings so we can anticipate how the groom is going to go and if Prince needs a few extra breaks on any given day.

In the event of an emergency, there are certain steps we will take to ensure Prince gets the correct care. First of all, the injury will receive a fast assessment. Is anything bleeding? How severe is it? Is it a scratch on the surface in a sensitive area? Is it a small nick on a mole or wart? Was there already a scab we accidentally opened up? Or is it a fresh, deep cut? Is there any injury at all or has Prince simply collapsed? Is he having a seizure? Is he not breathing? What is wrong?

As with humans, there are some minor injuries that require only a band-aid and monitoring. A quicked nail hardly bothers most dogs and can easily be “fixed” with stypic powder AKA Quick Stop or even cornstarch or flour at home. A weeping wart is a skin issue that can open easily. Sometimes they soften and open in the bath tub. Sometimes they open just by the dog bumping them on something! These generally require no more than a quick cleaning and time to scab over before we continue grooming. (If you know of any bumps or warts on your pet, feel free to remind us of where they are and definitely let us know about any new ones you find so we can watch out for them!) Much like a weeping wart, a pre-existing scab can sometimes soften and fall off during the bath, leading to possible redness or even bleeding. Sometimes, a small scratch on a spot of dry skin or in a sensitive area can look horrible but in reality just needs a little time to settle down. We are not vets nor do we pretend to be! When it comes to minor lumps, bumps, dings, and pre-existing wounds, we will always advise you of what we found and let you know how we would proceed with our own pets. Should you feel that you want a vet’s opinion on the matter, we will be happy to help you with that as well. Remember, we will never, ever hide anything from you nor will we ever lie about it. If we caused a minor scratch on Prince’s belly because he zigged and we zagged while combing him, we will own up to it and let you know! If the wart above Prince’s eye started oozing in the tub again, just like it has done every other time he has been in, we will still let you know. If we found a bump with a small scab on his neck under his collar area during his blow out, we will let you know and even show it to you if we can find it again.

If the injury is something more serious, a cut caused by the shears or clippers, an accidental poke to the eye with a slicker brush, or even a quicked nail that will not stop bleeding, fast action is required. We will not hesitate to wrap a bleeding injury in a clean towel and whisk Prince away to a vet’s office. We keep a small travel carrier in the back atop our kennel bank. It is easily accessible in even the most dire emergency. Prince will be placed in the safety of the carrier before heading straight to one of our own personal vehicles. Larger dogs will be leashed to the seats in our vehicles to prevent any escapes. We have worked hard to build a relationship with several area veterinarians. These are vets we take our own pets to as well as local vets who have offered to help us whenever we need them.

We will do the same thing if Prince appears to be suffering for any medical condition. If he has collapsed and is not breathing, we will rush him to the vet as fast as we safely can. If he appears to be having a seizure that shows no signs of stopping, we will rush him to the vet as fast as we safely can. If he is having a hard time breathing, standing, if he appears to be “loopy” and out of it. Anything out of the ordinary, Prince will be rushed to the vet.

We will call you immediately using your primary contact, your secondary contact, and even your emergency contact numbers. In fact, as soon as one groomer is aware of the problem, the other will be calling first a vet to notify them of the situation and then you, the owners, will be called. We will leave a message at each number but we also will not stop trying to reach you until we either get you or we reach someone who knows where you are. We will stay at the vet with Prince until you arrive. If you or someone you know is unable to go to the vet to be with Prince, we will stay with him. If the vet says Prince needs to stay in their care for a little while until you can pick them up, we will update you and either wait for you at the vet’s office if you want us to or return to the salon knowing that Prince is in the best possible care. If you cannot get there and the vet says Prince is okay to go home, we will update you and bring him back to the salon with us.

Have you noticed the certificate on the wall by the door? Our owner, Stacey, is certified in pet first aid and CPR! Every two years, she completes a course and renews her certificate, making sure she is up to date with any new information out there so you can be confident that Prince is safe in her salon. This summer, Jess will also be earning her certificate! We feel that keeping up to date with this type of learning is, though not mandatory in the industry, essential for any and all personnel who work with and around animals. Should we ever hire another groomer or bather, they too will complete courses and earn their certificates if they do not already have one. By taking hands-on learning, you can be sure that we have practiced the skills needed in the event of an emergency.

How about the framed posters above our leash holders? Have you noticed those? Wonder what they are? These posters are basic first aid reminders. In the event of an emergency, these posters hold vital information on how to do certain things such as help a dog who is choking, the steps for CPR, how to make an emergency muzzle, and even how to recognize and stop various types of bleeding. While our CPR and first aid certification training covers these topics and more, Stacey feels that the reminders need to be there for everyone to see just in case. We all forget things sometimes, especially when we are stressed! These posters are small reminders about how to help the pets in our care should we ever need to.

Please know that even a minor incident like quicked nails can upset even the most battle hardened groomers! We never want anything bad to happen to any pet left in our care. Accidents make us feel like we are the worst groomers on the planet. They can make us question our entire career path. When I say we feel awful, it hardly describes the sinking, horrible feeling. If we have had to rush your pet to a vet for any type of an emergency, even one not caused by a groomer, we are likely to be crying and feeling just as low as we can possibly feel!

As always, if you ever have any questions about any of our emergency protocols, about who we would take your vet to in case of an emergency, or how we might handle a specific emergency, please do not hesitate to ask! We take great pride in what we do. We always want you to feel comfortable with us and our salon!

Safety and Sanitation Certified Groomers: What Does That Mean?

You have probably noticed us mentioning Safety and Sanitation Certification on this page before. It is something we take great pride in and something that definitely sets us apart from the rest! But what is it? What does it mean for your pets?

Our Safety and Sanitation Certifications through the Intellectual Groomers Association means that we have completed a fairly intense course on the subject and we have passed a knowledge quiz. The course covers nearly all aspects of cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing necessary to keep the salon environment as healthy as it can possibly be. We learned not only about various products which are human and pet safe to clean and sanitize, but also what daily, weekly, and monthly protocols we should have in place. We also learned about various aspects of tub, table, and emergency safety.

One of the very last things we would ever want to happen is a happy, healthy dog coming into our salon and then hearing two or three days later that they had to go to the veterinarian with an infection they likely picked up from us. It is so easy for things like fungal, bacterial, and viral infections to be spread through a busy shop completely by accident. No groomer would ever intend for a dog to become ill but we might not know that another client is! It only takes a moment of inattention for something like a fungal foot infection to be spread from one dog to another because a crate or table wasn’t cleaned and disinfected properly. Therefore, we have taken our new knowledge to heart and follow it to the letter!

Between every single pet, there is a lot of cleaning going on! The shammy towels we use as a first towel on your pet is placed in a vinegar solution which kills most of the common skin bacteria and fungus a pet might have. The wet towels we use on your pet are placed in the laundry bin. We NEVER reuse a wet towel on another pet. Period. A damp towel might be used to mop up water on the floor, but never on another pet. Yes, we do a lot of laundry all in the name of being sanitary! After your pup has been in our tub, not only do we rinse down and wipe out the hair, we also squeegee the water off the walls then spray them down with a peroxide based disinfectant. This is allowed to sit on the tub and walls until the next pet is brought over for a bath. Even though the cleaner is safe for pets and people, we still rinse the tub down before placing your pet in it. We do the same for the safety loops, the drying table, and even the dryer hose. Everything is cleaned and then disinfected before being used on the next pet. After your pet is done on our grooming tables, a similar process takes place. The removable table covers are vacuumed and placed in the laundry. The table top, even though it was covered the entire time, is sprayed down with the same peroxide based disinfectant. The grooming loops are sprayed and moved to the laundry bin. A fresh table cover is placed on the table top. A fresh loop is hooked up. Every tool that touched your pet is cleaned and disinfected before it is used on the next pet either with spray, heat, UV light, or ozone depending on the tool.

Have you noticed the cart between our grooming stations? That cart holds two of the most important disinfecting tools we have! We have a small heat sterilizer which we use for our shears. Any hair or dirt is wiped from the shears. They are then placed in the unit which contains small, heated glass beads. The high heat the beads are exposed to is then evenly transferred around the metal of our shears, killing any pathogens that might remain on them. The microwave-looking box is a sterilizer unit. This uses both UV light and ozone to sanitize tools which either cannot be exposed to high heat or that do not fit into the heat sterilizer. Clipper blades and attachments, combs, brushes, and other tools are placed in this box for 20 to 30 minutes. The combination of UV light and ozone destroys any and all pathogens, making the tools safe and sanitary for the next pet in line.

Once your pets are all gone for the day and the shop is ready to close, the more aggressive cleaners are brought out. These are excellent at cleaning and disinfecting, they are 100% safe to use in the presence of animals, but due to their nature, we feel it is safer to wait until everyone is gone to eliminate the potential risk of irritating someone with a sensitive throat or lungs. Best Shot 256 is used to wipe down all the kennels used during the day, even if we cleaned them with the peroxide based cleaners after a pet checked out and it was not used again. The tub and tables can be sprayed down as well. We will even wash down the walls and baseboards with Mrs. Meyers cleaners on a regular schedule to be sure there are no sneaky pathogens hanging out there, waiting for something to touch them and transfer to a tub, table, or towel! The floor is swept, vacuumed, scrubbed, and mopped with Best Shot, ensuring there is as little hair and dirt on it as possible. Twice a week, we even set up an ozone machine which helps to sanitize the air in the building, reducing the possibility of airborne pathogens and even mold and mildew. In the future, we hope to install a UV/Ozone sanitizer in our heating/AC system to further aid in our quest to be as sanitary as humanly possible.

While sanitation was the main focus of the course, safety was a big part as well. While we already knew the basics of never walking away from a dog on the table or in the tub, it covered other aspects of safety we might not think about, such as having a plan in case of a dog escaping, an aggressive intruder, or even a fire. We do have plans in place for each scenario! Of course, prevention is the best way to approach each of these.

There are times you might show up for your appointment only to find the door locked. You can’t get in! Don’t worry! There is a doorbell. Why is the door locked even though we knew you were coming? If we are working alone, keeping the doors locked is the safety option for us and your pets! If a pet manages to get out of their crate, off the table, our out of our control, the gate is our first line of defense. They can’t get to the door. However, an athletic or determined dog can potentially clear that gate! By having the door locked, we can assure that an unsuspecting owner coming for an appointment doesn’t accidentally open the door while we are trying to coral the Houdini, thus allowing the escapee access to the outside world. While we are in a small, safe neighborhood, we also have to worry about the possibility of an intruder coming into the salon as well. By keeping the door locked when we are not expecting anyone, and when we are alone in the salon, we can keep an aggressive intruder at bay long enough to call the police for help, thus keeping ourselves and your pets safe and sound!

We are confident our little salon will be safe from all but the most aggressive of storms given that it is made from solid brickwork. However, fire is still something that we have to worry about. While our fire risk is low, it is always a possibility. Rest assured that we have a plan in case of fire that does include getting your pets out quickly and safely! If there is ever a fire in the building, all pets will be evacuated through the nearest exit. They will go into our cars as quickly as possible. Our cars will then be moved far enough away from the threat to be safe but not so far that you will have a hard time finding us. Owners would be notified as soon as possible of the incident so they can come collect their pets.

If you ever have any specific questions about our safety or sanitation protocols, please ask us! If you are concerned about any product we use, we will be happy to show you what we use and how we use it. If your pet has any allergies or sensitivities, please let us know so we can adjust for their well being! While we never use products in close proximity to your pets, we do understand that they might be sensitive to products being used in the same room. So ask away! Let us know! We’re happy to adjust to accommodate your furry friends! 

(P.S. - Jess recently passed her class as well!  We are waiting for her certificate to arrive in the mail so we can hang it on the wall with Stacey's for everyone to see!)

What sets us apart from everyone else? "Small Spaces"

Our next series of topics will deal with what makes us special. 

Things that help to set us apart from the rest!

One of the biggest things that sets us apart from some other salons, 

especially from big box corporate stores, is our size! If you have 

been into the building, you know that TLC Pet Services is small! 

When you walk in, what you see is pretty much all there is! We 

have a small area behind the wall that is about half the size of the 

grooming room where we have our tub, drying table, kennels, and 

furnace. We can comfortably keep 7 dogs in our kennels. With a 

little wiggling and setting up crates and x-pens in the grooming 

room, we can house a few more. Since there are only two of us 

here, odds are there will be no more than 6 dogs in the building at 

any given time (not including Lucky the shop dog of course!) 

Some of the larger corporate salons have literally dozens of 

kennels. 30+ is not unheard of in the larger stores. With a half 

dozen groomers and several more bathers, all these kennels can be 

filled all day long with dogs.

Sometimes, bigger is not always better. Many dogs become 

overwhelmed in such a large, noisy, slightly crowded environment. 

Who could blame them? The dryers are running. The bathers are 

bathing. Dogs around them are barking. Clippers are going. People 

are talking. Customers and coming and going. Other customers are 

watching through the windows. It can be very overwhelming! 

Nervous dogs then either shut down and just accept what it 

happening or they start to fight back out of fear. Some dogs might 

not like other dogs but they feel like they have no room to escape. 

They start barking in fear or frustration because they can see four 

other dogs and hear a dozen more. Even a good, well mannered 

dog who is used to the grooming process might start barking along 

if others are. My own Shaak Ti was well known for starting “sing 

alongs!” She would howl in her kennel and get all the other dogs 

barking and howling along!

TLC Pet Services is small. Very small. Purposefully small. Would 

we like a bit more room? Yes but what we have is pretty much 

perfect. By staying small, we can control who comes on what day. 

We can control the level of noise in the building. We can book 

nervous dogs on one day and the barkers on another. Does your 

dog do best when there are no other dogs around? No problem. We 

can book you first thing in the morning on a quieter day, last thing 

in the afternoon after the rest of the dogs have left, or even a day 

when we know we have a full house with only well mannered, 

quiet, non-threatening dogs. Maybe your dog doesn’t like other 

dogs but is great with cats. We will eventually have cat only days. 

Your dog might be a candidate for coming toward the end of a cat 

only day. We even have the ability to open on a special day just for 

a special dog if we really need to. Each day is tailored to the dogs 

and cats on the books.

Both Stacey and I came from a corporate back ground. While we 

are not here to bash corporate salons or their groomers (we’re all 

on the same team after all!), we did absolutely have some problems

 with the way things were done which influenced why TLC is TLC.

 The biggest thing we wanted to change beyond creating a quieter 

environment was eliminating walk-in services. Walk-in nail trims, 

brush outs, teeth brushing, and even nail painting seems like a 

convenient thing, right? It absolutely is! However, it can cause 

added and unnecessary stress to the dogs who have appointments. 

When a walk-in client walks in, the groomer or bather must put the 

dog they are working on back in a kennel while they assist the 

walk-in. After they have trimmed the nails, brushed the dog out, 

etc, they then get their appointment dog back out and continue their

 scheduled service. One or two breaks probably won’t make a big 

difference to that appointment dog’s attitude about the day. But 

once you hit three, four, ten or more breaks, that dog starts to feel 

just as frustrated as the groomer does! We don’t want that 

happening to our clients. That is why we decided that even nail 

trims need to be scheduled. It is all for the comfort of the pets in 

our care!

With up to a dozen or more people working in a larger salon, 

corporate or not, it can also be hard to know who is doing what on 

any given day. While this might not make a big difference in some 

areas like folding towels or sweeping the floor, when it comes to 

cleaning, it can be a big problem if things are not properly 

organized and tasks are not properly assigned! By being a small 

salon, we know exactly who is cleaning what on any given day. We 

have a schedule for cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing that we 

follow between each dog and at the end of the day. There are daily, 

weekly, and monthly tasks that we undertake so we know things are

 clean, tidy, and most importantly sanitary for your pets! With only 

two people, it doesn’t take long to figure out who washed the 

windows yesterday or when the floor was last mopped! We know 

with absolute certainty that the tub has been disinfected between 

dogs. We know 100% that the floor has been swept, vacuumed, and

 mopped. We’ll cover our policies and procedures for cleaning in 

more depth in the future too.

Most importantly, our small size lets you be confident that your 

dogs and cats know their groomers! Even if Stacey is their regular 

groomer, they will be familiar with Jess as well since she is the 

only other person in the building most of the time. Stacey will 

know if Jess’s regular clients have any little quirks such as needing 

to be in a bottom kennel or needing to “fly” for their nails. Regular 

clients will be familiar with both of us and can be confident when 

leaving their dogs in Jess’s care because Stacey is running a few 

minutes late. Personable and personal service are our goal! We 

never want to have a staff so large that you don’t recognize all the 

employees floating around!

We value the comfort, health, safety, and happiness of our furry 

clients and their parents! We want everyone to be comfortable in 

our purposefully small space!

Chunky Monkeys: Your Pet's Weight and Their Grooming

With the holidays now behind us, many of us have realized we gained a few pounds over the last few months! Maybe we indulged a little too much at all the parties and get togethers with family and friends. Maybe there were a few too many convenience meals while we were traveling from place to place. Maybe we snacked on a few too many left over treats while binge watching our favorite TV shows on Netflix and Hulu during the recent snow storms. Maybe we were just too busy to make it to the gym but all the running around shopping for gifts made up for it right? Hmm. Maybe not.

Maybe when you noticed that you gained a little weight, you also noticed that your dog and cat gained a few more pounds too! Awww! Now they are so cute and chubby and round!


Unfortunately, just like carrying extra weight is not good for us, it is also not good for our pets. Those extra pounds add up much faster for them than they do for us, especially for smaller pets. Extra weight can make breathing problems in brachycephalic pets worse. It can put extra strain on joints, making arthritis and hip or elbow dysplasia worse. Chubby pets have less stamina and will become tired much more easily. This may lead to more irritable behavior. It can also effect their heart and blood pressure. Obese pets can even develop diabetes and heart disease.


When it comes to grooming, that little extra weight can become a big problem for both the pet and the groomer. Overweight pets are much less likely to stand up or stand still for their groom. This leads to the groomer constantly lifting the pets’ hind end in an effort to get them to stay standing or moving a constantly shifting pet back to a correct position. Not only can this make the pet cranky, but depending on how large the pet is, it can really hurt a groomer’s shoulders or back over the course of the groom. Fatigue will quickly set in for both parties, making them even crankier! The increased stress on their joints can make things like sanitary trims or nail trims extremely uncomfortable or even dangerous. An overweight pet is also more prone to injury themselves. They are much more likely to twist an ankle stepping out of the tub or off the table. They are at risk for torn ligaments or pulled joints at the same time. Simply lifting a hind leg for a nail trim puts them at risk for strains and sprains. Should an injury like this happen, the groomers now have to have an uncomfortable conversation with you, the pet’s owner.


Over the years, people have been conditioned to view overweight and obese pets as cute. There are web pages and Facebook groups dedicated to these “chonky” creatures. People brag about how “loved and spoiled” their pets are. Sadly, food does not equal love. We all know our pets, especially our dogs, love treats! Just like many humans, the worse the treat is for their health, the more they love it! I’m guilty! I absolutely love my cookies, ice cream, and chocolate! Wild Skookum loves potato chips. Shaak Ti loves buttered popcorn. All three cats love cheese. I once thought Jerreth AKA Boober AKA Super Duper Uber Boober, my 10 year old cat, was having a joy induced seizure over whipped cream (also called Kitty Crack in my home) because he was so excited he could barely stand up! It is absolutely adorable watching them freak out for their favorite treats. It is also super easy to allow them to over indulge in the process. We are now all so used to equating treats with love and seeing the overweight pets as a result that when many people see a pet with a healthy weight, they think the pet is starving.


If we ever tell you that Fifi seems to be gaining a little weight, please know that we are not judging you or Fifi! We know that sometimes owners don’t notice the slow changes since they see their pets every single day. The groomer is more likely to notice since we see Fifi once every 4 to 6 weeks. We mean nothing by it when we tell you. We simply want to bring it to your attention before the problem is out of control. We want Fifi to remain comfortable and healthy for her grooming! 


If you ever have any concerns about your pet’s weight, please talk to your veterinarian. They can help you figure out the best way to help Fifi drop a few pounds. Quite often it is simply a matter of increasing exercise while reducing the extra treats. Maintaining a healthy weight will not only make grooming more comfortable, it will help your pet live a longer, healthier, more active life!

Honestly? Just Be Honest!

Honesty. It is something we have briefly covered before on our

Facebook page but I would like to take a moment to go a little more in depth about why honestly on both sides of the grooming table is absolutely vitally important. 


Have you ever taken your dog to a groomer and asked how they did? Maybe you were told “Oh they were great!” However, in the back of your mind, you have doubts. How could she be great for the groomer when at home she panics at the sight of a brush? Or, you were told she was a perfect angel by one groomer but the next groomer tells you “Well, she certainly didn’t appreciate her brush out and she did fight a little for her nail trim but we made it through! She just needs a little training!” How can that be? Her last groomer never said anything about her being naughty! Which groomer isn’t telling the truth?!


There are a few reasons why some groomers are 100% truthful and others are not. Maybe the first groomer is afraid that if she tells you the truth about your dog, you will not come back. Maybe she doesn’t think the behaviors are anything to worry about. Maybe she wasn’t actually the one who groomed your dog and doesn’t know the whole truth. The second groomer might have less tolerance for naughty behaviors. She might have a different background and can see that with just a little extra effort on training, your dog will learn that brushes aren’t scary and nail trims are not the end of the world. She wants you to know so you can work on things at home. Maybe she has a medical condition such as a bad back or a bad shoulder that means a little naughtiness from more than one dog ends up hurting by the end of the day. Grooming is a very physically demanding job after all! Little aches and pains can add up in a big way after a few days of less than perfect dogs! But we push through because we love what we do.


In this case, are either one of these groomers really lying to you about your dog? Not exactly. Could the first groomer be a little more open? Yes, but again, she might have a different opinion than the second groomer.


What can you expect from us at TLC Pet Services as far as honesty goes? Honesty! We will let you if your dog is wiggly and wormy, squiggly and squirmy. We’ll tell you if they hate the brush out or the bath or the blow dryer. We’ll let you know if they jump around and require two people for nail trims. We will also let you know if they love the bath, love the dryer, hand over their paws willingly for nails. We want you to know exactly how your dog does for grooming so you understand why we book them the way we do. If Toby needs two people for nails, we have to book him on a day when we know both groomers will be in. If Sammy is nervous around other dogs, we want you to know that we need to book him either first thing in the morning so he can get in and out, later in the day when the other dogs have left, or on a day when we know there will only be quiet, well mannered dogs in the salon. We want YOU to be part of that process and we want YOU to understand why. We will never sugar coat behaviors even if other groomers have in the past. 


Honesty is a two way street. While we promise to be completely honest with you, we also need you to promise to be completely honest with us. If you know your dog has any problems at all, be they grooming related or not, please let us know. Even though we are a women owned and operated company, there are times when we might have a male coming in to do a minor repair. Our husbands might stop by to give us a hand with something. If your dog doesn’t like men, it is helpful to know just in case! If they are scared of storms, we can keep a close eye on the weather leading up to their appointment. Thunder is very loud in our salon! If they are terrified of dogs bigger than they are or smaller than they are, it helps us know how and when to book their appointments.
If your dog has ever been dismissed from a salon, we need to know why. Does this mean we will not groom them? No. It simply means we will have to approach things differently and be prepared. Where they simply too loud and stressed in the kennel? We can try an express type service where they get groomed straight through and sent immediately home. Were they a safety concern during their bath because they flail around? We can try taking a different approach by tethering them differently, using a different setting on the hose, or even taking a bucket and cup approach if we absolutely have to. Did they bite or try to bite their last groomer? What for? We can evaluate their behavior while being prepared for their reactions.


Even things like medical concerns need to be disclosed with open honesty. Arthritis, hip and back problems, collapsing trachea, lumps and bumps, past injuries, allergies and even separation anxiety can make a difference in the grooming process. While every dog is handled with gentle kindness, if we know your old poodle has arthritis in his hips, we will make every effort to handle his hind quarters as little as possible and as comfortably as possible. If we know your Jack Russel Terrier had a gash that required stitches on their shoulder six months ago, we can be careful brushing that area since it might still be a little tender or odd feeling. 


If you are at all worried that disclosing something might mean we automatically turn your dog away, please don’t be! While there may be times when we feel that we are not the best groomer for your dog or that a certain medical condition means they might be safer being groomed at a veterinarian’s office, we will openly discuss all concerns with you. Many times we will be willing to give your dog a chance as long as they are within our weight limits. We have no problem trying as long as you understand that we might not complete the full groom before calling for a pick up.
So please be completely honest with us. Let us know about that dental last week. Or the limp after she chased a rabbit. Or the fact that she didn’t like Uncle Bob over the holidays. We will always be honest with you and your honesty with us only helps!