Pet Grooming Orange County

Puppy’s First Groom

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Puppy’s First Groompuppy

If you have a new puppy then you are probably wondering what you should do about grooming. Even a very small puppy can be introduced to the grooming process. Begin your puppy’s first grooming session about twenty to thirty minutes after a meal. This is when your puppy should be calmer and even a little sleepy. Use a soft brush or comb to gently brush your puppy’s fur. Don’t be surprised if your puppy wiggles around while you brush him. Remember, this is a new experience for your puppy. Slow your hand motions down and when he settles down, praise him and take a small break. While you brush your pet, gently handle its feet, toes, ears and tail areas. This will help your puppy learn to accept this type of handling and will make professional grooming less stressful for him later.

Once your puppy has received its second set of immunizations it is time to schedule his first grooming appointment. Most professional groomers will require that your pet has had their shots before grooming. This is for the safety of both your pet and the other pets that are visiting the groomer. Remember, the younger that your dog is when it receives its first professional grooming, the easier it will be for everyone involved.

Consider scheduling your first few grooming appointments two to three weeks apart and then slowly begin to lengthen the time between appointments. If you get your puppy acquainted with the grooming salon at a young age then grooming will be much easier on him in the long run. The strange sights and sounds of new places can cause a lot of anxiety for dogs, and the younger they experience something, the better. Being professionally groomed entails a lot of contact from an unfamiliar person, but an early start will make it almost second nature to your dog. Just remember to always reward your puppy with a treat immediately after his grooming appointment to establish a pleasant association.

On your puppy’s first visit your groomer will likely only bathe, brush and trim your puppy’s face, feet and rear. Most groomers will not do a full haircut on a puppy’s first visit as it can be too much for the pet to comfortably accept.

Claws N Paws Day Spa has many years of experience grooming puppies. We understand that visiting a grooming salon can be stressful for puppies and we will do everything that we can to make it a pleasant experience for them_. For more information, or to schedule your puppy’s grooming appointment, please call us at 714-962-1005.

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Why Pet Grooming Costs So Much

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Why Pet Grooming Costs So Much

Today, consumers everywhere are trying to make sure that they are getting the most value for their money. When it comes to pet grooming, it’s difficult to see the value when you only see the end product and your pet can’t exactly tell you about their grooming experience. This leads many pet parents to wonder why pet grooming costs so much.

What most people do not realize is that being a pet groomer is a skilled profession. Professional pet groomers must go through several years of training and experience in order to become a professional in the industry. Charging between $40 and $80 per groom is normal for a professional pet grooming salon. We understand that this is typically higher than what it costs to get your own hair cut. Let’s take a closer look at why:

Time and Endurance

If you’ve ever bathed your pet at home then you probably already know that it’s not an easy task. They don’t sit still, they attempt to jump out of the tub and they scratch and paw the entire time. This process can take up to one hour per pet and might even require the assistance of additional employees because of how physically intensive it can be. From shampoo to towel dry, grooming a pet takes much more time and is far more physically demanding than cutting a human’s hair.

Skill and Technique

A pet groomer must clip and cut your pet’s hair in multiple directions. This is because a pet’s hair does not grow in just one direction or two. It grows in hundreds of different directions and each must be tended to individually during their haircut. One example would be your pet’s armpit fur which grows towards their stomach while their leg hair grows towards their rear. Both of these areas are directly next to each other, creating quite a challenge for your pet’s groomer.

Services Provided

When you bring your pet to the groomer they don’t just bathe your pet and cut their hair, they also provide many other services as well. They trim your pet’s nails, clean their ears, pull out their ear hair, express their anal glands and inspect their skin for irritations and parasites. If you were to add up all of these services for a human it would total much higher than what it costs to groom your pet.

In order to keep your grooming costs as low as possible, you must get your pet groomed regularly and keep their fur properly maintained. If you show up for your grooming appointment with a matted pet, your groomer will have no choice but to charge you for the extra time it takes to insure your pet’s safety and overall quality of their groom.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers quality professional pet grooming in Orange County, California. To schedule your next grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.

Receive a free teeth brushing for your pet when you mention our blog!

 

Reducing Your Pet’s Stress When Visiting The Groomer

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Reducing Your Pet’s Stress When Visiting The Groomer

Pets can experience a significant amount of stress when visiting a pet salon, especially for the first time. While it might not be possible to completely eliminate their stress, there are ways to ensure that it is minimized during these visits.

An important first step is to make sure that your pet’s arrival to the grooming salon is a pleasant one. As you enter the salon, talk to your pet in a happy tone of voice that communicates that this will be a nice experience. Always avoid using anxiety ridden tones, as this will solidify your pet’s fears. Offer treats to your pet upon arrival and provide extra treats for your groomer to offer them. For cats, dropping a bit of canned tuna through the door of their pet carrier can work wonders.

When you bring your cat to the grooming salon, make sure that any wire, or parts that they can see through, are covered. This will ensure that your cat will not become frightened by unfamiliar sights. It is always best for your cat to remain in its carrier at the grooming salon as it is familiar territory that does not smell of other cats or dogs. Your groomer will take your cat out only for grooming and then return them to the carrier until it is time for them to go home.

Frequent socialization visits are an extremely important part of reducing stress for your pet. You should take your pet to the groomer often so that they can get to know the staff and become familiar with the facility. Consider bringing your pet to the groomer, even if they don’t require grooming. Have the groomer talk to your pet and offer them treats. These visits can help your pet understand that “bad things” don’t always happen when they visit the salon. Most groomers will be happy to accommodate these types of visits as they will make your pet easier for them to handle and care for.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers professional pet grooming in Orange County, California. Our experienced groomers understand the anxiety that pet’s sometimes feel when visiting a pet salon. We will do our best to reduce your pet’s stress whenever possible. However, sometimes pets are too fearful for us to groom and must be taken to their veterinarian.

For more information or to set up your next grooming appointment, please contact us today!

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De-Matting vs. Shaving

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De-Matting vs. ShavingDe-matting vs Shaving

Pet hair can become matted for many different reasons. Allergies, excessive scratching, fleas, lack of regular maintenance and bathing your pet before combing them out can all lead to matted hair. Once your pet’s hair becomes matted you will have to decide whether to de-mat or shave your pet’s coat. The answer will depend on the degree of the matting. If the matting is extensive or very tight, then the most humane thing you can do is shave them off. Matted hair is extremely painful and uncomfortable for pets.

Severe matting can lead to a number of different health conditions including:

  • Hotspots
  • Sores
  • Fungal and bacterial infections
  • Yeast infections
  • Flea infestations
  • Moist eczema
  • Mites and lice
  • Scalding from urine and feces
  • Eye and ear infections
  • Severe itching

De-matting is time-consuming and can be extremely painful for your pet. While there are a large number of sprays, conditioners, shampoos and tools available to assist you with mat removal, there is no grooming shortcut that will simply make the mats fall out. Once your pet’s hair becomes damaged it is impossible to reverse the damage to the hair shaft. The damaged hair must be removed much like split ends on a human’s hair. The end result of de-matting is much less attractive than the end result of shaving. Additionally, because of the time it takes to properly de-mat, de-matting is much more expensive than simply shaving your pet.

De-matting of both younger and older pets can cause severe mental and physical stress, placing their health and well-being in jeopardy. De-matting large areas can easily lead to brush burns, which can be just as serious as a third degree burn on a human. In addition, de-matting younger pets can make them fearful of the grooming process, leading to biting and other difficulties.

Shaving the matted hair is the most humane thing to do. How short it must be shaved depends on how tight the mats are and what must be done in order to make your pet look good. Sometimes only certain areas must be shaved, such as the ears or the belly.

Frequently, mats will be so tight that they actually pull up the skin. This makes it easy to nick or seriously injure your pet if you aren’t careful. Shaving matted pets is best left to a professional groomer. A professional groomer understands exactly how to remove the mats and make your pet look their best.

Once the pet’s matted coat is removed, the skin underneath is typically red and irritated from lack of air circulation. Occasionally a severely matted pet will have sores and/or infections underneath that require veterinary treatment. This is caused by the matting and is NOT a result of shaving.

Regardless of whether you choose to de-mat or shave your pet, professional grooming for matted pets is more expensive. The very best way to prevent matting in the first place is to brush and comb your pet daily between regularly scheduled professional grooming appointments. If this is not an option, then it is recommended that you book weekly maintenance grooming appointments so that a professional groomer can brush and comb your pet’s hair for you.

Claws N Paws Day Spa practices Humane Grooming. We will NEVER attempt to de-mat a pet if we feel that it will cause them harm.

Claws N Paws Day Spa has been taking care of Orange County’s pets since 2001. For more information please contact us today!

Receive a free teeth brushing for your pet when you mention our blog!

Does My Cat Need To Be Groomed?

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Does My Cat Need To Be Groomed?catshave

Cats groom themselves regularly in order to keep their bodies cool and remove dirt and debris. Most people believe that since cats spend so much time grooming themselves they do not require professional grooming. However, regular professional grooming can significantly reduce shedding, ingestion of hair (hairballs) and matting of the fur.

Long-haired cats can become severely matted if they are not brushed regularly. When their fur is dirty it is even more likely to become matted. When a cat is matted, bathing them can actually make the knots worse. This happens because as their fur dries, the knots tighten against the skin. This causes your cat severe discomfort. Any knots or mats must be removed prior to bathing with the help of good quality clippers and NEVER scissors!

A cat’s skin is much thinner than a human’s or a dog’s skin. It is so thin in fact that if it is accidentally nicked with a clipper blade it can tear just like tissue paper. This is why using clippers on a cat should be left to a professional groomer that has experience working with cats.

Cats have very different grooming needs than dogs. Only certain shampoos are meant for use on cats. Using the wrong shampoo can cause severe skin irritation and other major health issues. For example, certain flea shampoos designed for use on dogs can enter your cat’s bloodstream through their pores, poisoning their body from the outside in. Similarly, if the shampoo is not properly rinsed then your cat will likely ingest the residue when they groom themselves after their bath. Professional cat groomers know which shampoos are best for use on cats.

Cats must also have their nails trimmed at least every four to six weeks. Regular nail trims reduce the sharpness of claws, decreasing the amount of damage that your cat can do to your furniture.

Cats have very special needs when it comes to grooming. An ideal cat groomer understands these needs and knows exactly how to make your cat’s grooming experience as stress-free as possible. One way of accomplishing this is by designating a special area that your cat is familiar with. A cat carrier provides a safe place where your cat can relax away from any dogs that are being groomed at the same time. When you provide your own cat carrier for your cat groomer, your cat can rest in an area that is free from any unfamiliar scents. Another excellent option for cats is mobile grooming.

Claws N Paws Day Spa has many years of experience grooming cats in Orange County, California. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 714-962-1005.

Receive a free teeth brushing for your pet when you mention our blog!

Why Professional Pet Grooming?

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Why Professional Pet Grooming?why_professional_pet_grooming

Regular grooming is essential for your pet’s overall health and happiness. While many pet parents are tempted to groom their pets at home, there are many benefits to using a professional pet grooming service instead. The top five benefits include:

  1. Professional pet grooming is safer
  2. Professional pet groomers are able to spot the early warning signs of disease
  3. Professional grooming provides stress-free nail trims
  4. Professional pet groomers have the proper equipment and experience necessary to groom all types of pets
  5. Professional pet groomers can provide you with valuable tips

Pets can easily become injured during the grooming process. Attempting to groom your pet at home can lead to cuts, scratches and severe skin irritations. Professional groomers understand how to properly groom your pet without causing them any injuries. A professional groomer knows how to spot skin conditions and understands which products will not cause further irritation.

A professional groomer will thoroughly inspect your pet for any cuts, thorns, or punctures that you might have gone unnoticed by you. Groomers are extremely familiar with a pet’s anatomy and can alert you of any abnormalities such as lumps, discolorations, rashes, lesions or bald patches. This can help you detect the early warning signs of illness. Additionally, they can tell you if your pet has any parasites such as ear mites, fleas or ticks.

Most pets require a nail trim at least once a month. However, pets don’t typically enjoy the process, making the task extremely difficult for inexperienced pet parents to accomplish. Struggling pets can quickly become injured by the wrong nail clippers, or from too much nail being cut. Professional groomers have the proper equipment and know exactly how to hold your pet in order to cut their nails to the appropriate length.

Much like humans, pets can have many different types and lengths of hair. Different breeds require the use of different grooming supplies. Professional groomers understand which supplies must be used on each breed to avoid irritations and to provide the best results. In addition, a professional groomer will be able to give your pet the perfect haircut whenever necessary.

Professional groomers can provide you with valuable tips for the health and well-being of your pet. For example, a professional groomer can make dietary recommendations for your pet based on the quality of their skin. They can also give you tips for regular maintenance such as how often to brush them, which tools to use and how to clean their teeth.

Claws N Paws Days Spa has been taking care of Orange County’s pets since 2001. Our loving groomers treat each pet like their own. Give us a call to set up an appointment, or stop by for a visit today!

Receive a free teeth brushing for your pet when you mention our blog!