At Absolutely Animals we groom around 3,500 dogs and 900 cats, per year. We have been established for 28 years now, that’s a lot of pet grooming!
We groom pets throughout their whole lives, we see the changes in the pets’ health and demeanour throughout this time and how various scenarios can affect them, their personality and their behaviour, at home and during grooming.
Furthermore, we have lots of grooming experience’s that I would like to share it with you.
There are a variety of explanations as to why pets don’t like being brushed, but brushing your pet should feel no different for them than being stroked.
Let’s break down these two scenarios to understand what may be happening around the grooming of your pet and how it can be resolved.
Pets who like to be stroked, but not groomed.
A pet’s skin and body can be delicate. Some pets enjoy a rigorous grooming and will enjoy the massaging effect it creates, others cannot stand even the slightest pull or pressure on the skin and body with any tools, this can be torture for them, especially if there are any under-lying health issues. Avoidance of grooming usually occurs when grooming is not carried out regularly.
Pets will exhibit different signs to show you they don’t like or are afraid of what is happening, this will include behaviour such as nipping, biting, vocalisation, avoidance, submission and a few may just shut down altogether, however, if you change the way you are using the tools, you can change their view of the grooming and show them that actually, they can enjoy being groomed.
You probably won’t be surprised at the ingenious and sometimes hilarious ways in which some pets attempt to avoid the grooming altogether. It is commonly noticed when the brush comes out or the bath goes on, the pet prefers to disappear.
This is common because the pet is associating the tools or pattern with an uncomfortable experience, these behaviours once learnt can steadily get worse as the pet learns that when they do “their thing”, the attempts at the grooming stops and so the scenario repeats.
All you really need to do is change what you are doing.
These are easy scenarios to change, if we ensure the pet has boundaries, is rewarded and of course we are not unintentionally making the grooming uncomfortable for them, then we can make the grooming experience a pleasurable one.
The grooming session is different for every pet, so we need to look at every pets’ individual needs. One does not fit all when it comes to grooming our pets, but with a little more knowledge, we can work towards it being an experience both parties will love.
Have you ever wondered why, when it’s time for a bath, your pet looks to disappear? But bring him to a cold lake or muddy bog, and he will dive in, head first!
Nature tells our pets to seek shelter when the rain comes, and the shower feeling simulates the rain. But put a cloth over the shower head and voilà!
Your pet enjoys the bath! Yes, it really is as simple as that!
Top tips for grooming at home.
Avoid knots forming with regular grooming of your pet at home, and everyone is happy.
Your pet will object to you trying to tug out knots….and who can blame them!
Pets who don’t like to be stroked.
This makes the grooming experience a difficult one, but luckily these pets are really few and far between. These pets range from the “I don’t like it but will tolerate it” to “There’s NO WAY you are touching me, and I am going to use any means possible for it not to happen”!
Those pets that will tolerate the grooming will do so with the right methods, boundaries and rewards or by using distraction as a tool. You must also ensure your own personal health and safety is adequate, you don’t want to get bitten or scratched.
If you have a pet like this, give me a call to see if I can help you. 020-8857-2888
The more you groom your pet, the more they will just love it. Regular grooming will save YOU, not only huge vet fees, but often additional grooming fees as well.
Knots, debris and dirt are removed from the coat easily with no objections from your pet, if groomed regularly. Pets will object to knots being pulled out of the coat once they have built up, as by this time it is uncomfortable and at worst, it hurts!
Insects such as fleas, ticks and any abnormal health issues are spotted early with regular grooming and are treated before they can develop into anything serious; ensuring your pet is much healthier and happier.
Food is a good distraction method which you can use. Your pet will be hungry and be more focused on the food than the grooming. Feed at certain times and remove food once the meal is finished (don’t leave food down).
If all this fails, then you will probably need to seek professional advice, from an experienced handler who grooms or a behaviourist.
You may have to resort to sedation, although it’s rare that this is required. But we do need to draw the line somewhere.
Please look for the videos. Next month’s blog will be on how to groom your pet.
Coarser, more wiry coats, like those of some Terriers, usually take longer to knot up and are easier to brush out and remove knots from; whereas the poodle type, more woolly coats, tend to knot quickly and the knots are more difficult to brush out.
The breed of dog or cat you have will help you to determine the amount of coat maintenance required from you at home.
We can remove some knots by brushing them out or cutting them out, this will often still leave long hair on the pet which we can style. Which course of action we take depends on how close the knot is to the skin and how sensitive your pet is to grooming.
Matted coats are created from knots that have attached to other knots, creating a huge mass of knots or matting. This matting can be on smaller areas or the whole coat (pelted coat) and becomes tighter and closer to the skin, the longer it is left. Matting like this usually needs to be clipped off, much like a sheep’s fleece.
We can never cut through matting; we have to cut underneath it to remove it safely from the pet. To determine how much hair will be left, will depend on how close and tight the matting is to the skin.
There are lots of reasons why a pet’s coat can become matted. Most often it is through lack of maintenance; brushing and combing, washing and conditioning. Using the wrong techniques in brushing and combing can also help knots to stay in the coat which then goes on to matt…
Leaving the hair wet or damp by the skin causes matting to occur very quickly – often within a week! So, allowing your pet to get wet in the garden or park and become wet-dry/wet-dry/wet-dry and so on, without any brushing or combing in-between, will result in matting very quickly. Water tends to encourage the formation of knots as well as making current knots tighter and vaster. Conditioning when washing and using leave in conditioners in between bathing helps to avoid the formation of knots.
If you want a nice coat on your pet, these are all the things you need to think about, before the coat needs to all be removed.
As they increase in size and tightness to the skin, knots and matts become uncomfortable for your pet, often causing such discomfort the pet does not like to be touched or stroked. The skin cannot breathe, the coat cannot function and regulate the temperature of the pet, so the pet gets very hot. Matts encourage fungus and bacteria to grow underneath because it is often a warm damp place, this makes the skin really sore. The pet will be very uncomfortable.
Matts damage the skin, causing bruising and often ripping the hair out by the roots. This action causes damage to the hair follicles, often changing the regrowth texture and colour of the hair.
During knot and matt removal, a very short blade is often required, pressure is now removed from the skin and this can cause complications such as: making your pet feel different and have a change of behaviour, they may start itching, get a clipper rash or start head shaking.
Clipping a coat very short can cause various issues, as skin can become inflamed and hair follicles damaged.
This happens especially on the ears, when the restriction on the blood vessels are removed, head shaking can start and cause bleeding and haematoma’s (blood blisters) on the ears. This is a complication when removing matting from the ears and head, we do our best to avoid this happening during grooming, as well as advising, how to manage this at home, should it occur.
Once these knots and matts are removed your pet will often look and feel different, we know this as when knots and matted hair are removed, your pet is appreciative and often loves to be stroked much more than before.
Pets who have been groomed and especially those that have had a severe haircut may behave differently at home, with you and with other pets. It is very important to tell your pet how great they look and not to laugh at them in any way on their new appearance, as they will feel they have done something wrong and hide away when they get home. We certainly don’t want this to happen.
We advise, your pet wears a jumper after having coat removal. This reassures the pets and makes them feel less different and vulnerable.
We do our best to assess the severity of the knots or matts on first inspection, when your pet comes in for grooming, so we can realistically tell you how much coat can be saved. We usually get the prognoses right and can often use our magic tricks to send your pet out looking gorgeous.
But sometimes the groom may not go to plan; the pet may object; some pets are more sensitive than others and will not tolerate too much handling, or the matting may be tighter than we thought, and we need to remove more hair. This is the best path for the pet’s well-being. I am sure you will agree.
Humanity before Vanity!
But the good news is, hair usually does grow back! We work with our clients, to put a plan in place for regular grooming at home and in the salon, as well as any handling techniques that you may need, so this can be avoided in the future.
Avoid knots forming with regular grooming of your pet at home, and everyone is happy.
You are happier, your pet is much happier, and the groomer is much happier still: how……? Well, keep reading on to find out!
Dogs and cats generally love grooming, if it is carried out frequently. It’s in their make-up to be groomed by fellow social members, and it creates a closer kinship.
Your pet’s skin works much in the same way as ours, it is the largest organ in the body and works by dropping dead skin cells and establishing new skin cells which grow underneath, rejuvenating the skin.
The skin has a connection with the other organs in the body and the massaging effect it receives when being stimulated (groomed).
Not only does grooming increase the blood flow in the skin, but it also helps to remove dead skin cells, enhancing the skin quality and stimulating the other organs in the body too, promoting your pet’s overall health.
If you are not regularly grooming your pet already, this information alone, should encourage you to start on a weekly basis.
The more you groom your pet, the more they will just love it. Regular grooming will save YOU, not only huge vet fees, but often additional grooming fees as well.
Knots, debris and dirt are removed from the coat easily with no objections from your pet, if groomed regularly. Pets will object to knots being pulled out of the coat once they have built up, as by this time it is uncomfortable and at worst, it hurts!
Insects such as fleas, ticks and any abnormal health issues are spotted early with regular grooming and are treated before they can develop into anything serious; ensuring your pet is much healthier and happier.
Even though we are called groomers, we cannot replace
regular grooming at home.
Grooming a pet must be carried out weekly.
It is part of general pet ownership.
It’s what every pet owner signed up for!
– Regular grooming helps your pet to live longer –
Pet owners just can’t expect, not to groom their pet for 6 weeks or more and leave a groomer’s in a short amount of time, with a dog, looking like a show dog. It is unrealistic and i think a lot of owners know this.
Any groomer will tell you, grooming a knotted or matted pet is a difficult job, because our options are often limited by the severity of the matting and the sensitivity of the pet.
Removing built up dead hair, knots and matts from the coat is time consuming and reduces the actual time we can spend, styling the coat and making your pet look and feel wonderful.
Often, pets that are knotted or matted are not touched sufficiently on the leg’s heads, rears and tails for them to be comfortable with it. When this is the case the pet will often complain and try everything in their power to stop the touching continuing. This can make the process very long and exhausting for pet and groomer.
Owners must expect to pay more in these instances and expect to receive a few words from the groomer. We want to avoid this at all costs.
We understand that sometimes, life may stop us from maintaining the coat of our furry friends, so if you are having difficulty, don’t ignore the problem, call us, we are here to help.
If you need assistance with the grooming of your pet, please call us on 020 8857-2888
Next month – Why doesn’t my pet like being brushed?
Hi all,
I often hear; Shall I come back in 20 minutes? How much is it?…. i often see a shocked face when i tell the price! Why is it so expensive? Can you do it cheaper? If I bring one dog can you do the other for free? My pet’s hair-cut costs more than my own hair!
You might already have said it yourself! Putting a value on pet grooming probably isn’t something you may know much about or have even thought about, but;
Our pet grooming is actually priced really well for the service you receive. You do get great value for money and here is why!
We can only groom so many dogs and cats in a day because pet grooming is a time-consuming service, why?! Because we are dealing with a live animal who has his own thoughts and feelings and this changes everything!
How long each animal takes, is variable. If we try to quicken up the service too fast most animals will get scared, anxious and upset – this in turn makes the service even longer and not only stressful for the animal but also stressful for the groomer too. We need to be patient and have time with your furry friends, so they will enjoy the grooming taking place. I am sure this is what you want too?
Of course, then there are the jobs to be carried out, bathing, drying, conditioning, trimming nails, trimming bodies, heads, ears, legs, feet, tails and rears. Teeth cleaning, spa packages, the list goes on!
Another thing that makes the grooming service even longer is animals that are, hand shy, not handled enough at home and pets that have learnt how to avoid grooming, often by biting or bad behaviours.
We need to be extra supportive, gentle and caring with these animals, which will often take a longer time therefore costing you a little more, but I believe it’s worth it!
When you bring your pet to us, you will fill out a card outlining all your pets’ details and past history, medical, grooming, general behaviour and life history. We need to have a good overview of your pets past experiences.
We will discuss your pets’ grooming and hairstyle with you and give you guidance on how this will be best achieved and in fact if it is possible on your pet. The style you choose may need a lot of general upkeep at home that you cannot meet, your pet may not have enough coat to achieve the trim or it may require a technique not suitable for your dog. Whatever the reason, we will help you to make the right decision.
We can also help you to put a grooming plan into place, to be able to achieve the look you are after, taking into consideration the present condition of the coat and the dog’s own disposition. So, bring a picture of how you want your pet to look and lets discuss.
Sorry to bore you here, but we have huge overheads to be able to offer this service to you. Rent, Rates, Taxes, Utility Bills, Wages, the list could go on, but you get my drift…………………
We are a team of practiced and skilled groomers, highly qualified and experienced in our field, continually investing and developing our professional skills, we are fore runners in our industry, helping to improve grooming, for all groomers and pets, nationwide. We are founders and honorary members of the British Isles Grooming Association and are currently involved in this association’s development. I myself have represented England in a world dog grooming competition as part of Groom Team England.
Your pet simply couldn’t be in better hands!
When your dog comes into the salon, we will assess his mood, character and health. We will get to know your dog and gain their trust. This makes the grooming much nicer for your dog so we can reassure them if they do get a little nervous.
We begin by bathing and conditioning your dog, part drying your dog, removing any unwanted hair. And then drying what is left. We use several methods to achieve this, depending on the coat condition and temperament of the dog. Getting ready for styling can be a lengthy process. You can see the dog grooming services here!
Styling the coat is usually done when the coat is clean, dry and conditioned. By now your pet will understand what is going on and be enjoying all the attention.
A lot of dogs, especially the small ones, don’t like their feet and legs being touched. We have various methods to get the legs, feet and nails done, as you can imagine, this can take more time. We do have some magic tricks for this, but the best one is for the legs and feet to be touched at home on a regular basis; then this part of the grooming will be a lot less anxious for the dogs and a lot less time consuming.
It is also beneficial for your dog to come to us regularly for grooming, so they know what is going on and get to know us. This always helps to reassure your pet.
All dogs go home with a beautiful bow and finishing cologne spray, and of course a cuddle. We will let you know how the grooming went for your dog and also highlight any issues we may have found or improvements that could be made for the general coat care. Grooming at home has lots of benefits.
Cat grooming is slightly different to dog grooming, as you can imagine. Cats can be less tolerant, when it comes to anything, so we have a designated quiet room away from the dogs and the dog grooming room for your cat.
When your cat comes into the salon, we will assess his mood, character and health by consulting you and assessing their behaviour.
We will get to know your cat and look to gain their trust. This makes the grooming much nicer for your cat as we can reassure them if they do get a little nervous.
We begin by getting your cat out the basket, letting them have a look around and then cutting their nails. This needs to be done for the staff’s health and safety. Hooked nails can do a lot of damage to human skin.
We then progress to properly assessing the work to be carried out. It may just be a case of a straight forward, bath, dry and groom through or clipping out some knots or removing a whole coat. Removing a cat coat is often is done through necessity and other times it is requested by an owner, we do both as long as the health of the cat is not compromised. You can see more on cat services here!
We always provide 2 persons for cat grooming; this makes grooming more enjoyable for your cat and another also meets the health and safety requirements for the groomers. Of course, this also increases the cost of cat grooming making it a more expensive service than dog grooming.
It is also beneficial for your cat to come to us regularly, so they know what is going on and get to know us. This always helps to reassure your cat in the long term.
We use several handling methods with cats, depending on the coat condition and temperament of the cat.
By now your pet will understand what is going on and be enjoying all the attention. Contrary to most common belief, most cats actually love the grooming service.
We are very knowledgeable at handling difficult (sometimes over excited) or aggressive animals compassionately, to get the job done. We have grooming experience of over 50 years between us which entitles us to get the work completed on your pet safely and compassionately, whatever the issues we face. Sometimes as in the case of the cats, we need three persons to safely get the job completed.
If you want to save the £5, £10, £20 or £30 additional charges off your grooming fees because of your pet’s unusual behaviour, then you really need to handle your pet often at home. Touching legs, feet, head, ears, tail and rears gently will accustom your pet to being touched all over, so they are used too intimate handling. If you are having problems, then give us a call and we will give you some ideas to work around any issues.
Look here for the dog grooming and cat grooming pricelists.
We understand that paying for regular grooming could be expensive, so we reward our loyal customers by giving them regular discounts. You can receive a 5% or 20% discount, every other time you visit us. Just make sure you have the card signed by a member of staff. Remember we record every visit your pet makes but you will still need to present the card on each visit.
I like to think of us as your second pet parent, we have the same thing in common, the happiness health and welfare of your pet. So please talk to us and let us help you to manage the skin and coat condition of your pet, perfectly.
Now we have the basics out the way, next month I’m going to be talking about knotted/matted coats and how this really affects the grooming service.
Hope to see you and your pet soon
Heidi
