Aurora Pet Grooming 720-523-3759
Aurora Pet Grooming 720-523-3759
Menu

Best blog posts for grooming tips and tricks.

Grooming – The Holiday Season

holiday grooming

Tips For The Holiday Season

BY NICOLE IPSON

Holiday

The holiday grooming season is here, and everybody is rushing to get ready for friends and family to come and visit. Waiting until the last minute for pet grooming is very common. We also get a lot of appointment requests for new pets so they are all ready for their Christmas morning debut. Follow the link below for some tips on how to make sure your holiday grooming visit with us happens in time!

Plan Ahead For Your Holiday Grooming

Customers are sometimes not able to get an appointment that works with their busy schedule. This is especially true during the holiday season. People tend to get caught up in gift shopping, decorating and forget to schedule an appointment. So we would like to suggest scheduling your Christmas appointment in advance. This will allow you to continue shopping and decorating without having to worry about your furry friend being clean.

Allow Extra Timeholiday

During the holiday season, grooming appointments can take longer. What people sometimes don’t know is that we don’t have a receptionist. So your groomer has to help check in and check out dogs. They also help service walk-in customers. Because the holidays are busy, this can set the groomer behind very easily and make the appointment take longer…we appreciate the patience that our customers can give us during this very busy season. We would also like to reassure you that although a holiday grooming may take longer, your pets will always be well taken care of.

Nervous Pets

Because the holiday grooming season tends to be so busy the salon can have quite the hustle and bustle. So we would like to remind owners if your pet is new, or has anxiety an earlier appointment may be a better idea. This will help lower your pet’s stress during the groom so that they have a positive experience. The hustle and bustle of the salon may also affect your puppy or pet over the age of 10 or a rescue animal.  Please also take special consideration for these pets.

Being mindful of these things will help lower stress during the holidays, which is good for everyone including your pets.  So keep these simple tips in mind when booking your holiday grooming appointments. We look forward to cleaning up your furry friends and can’t wait to hear from you. Also, don’t forget online booking is available through our Facebook page. You can also find special offers as well, so take a look around while you’re there making an appointment!

Article By- © 2018, Nicole Ipson, Images By- Nicole Ipson &  Freepik.com

Pet Health: Your Furry Family Member

Communicate About Your Furry Family Member

BY NICOLE IPSON

Our pets are our furry family members, for anyone in the animal industry this is true too. However, your family members are also our family members and that’s important to know. In the grooming industry, we tend to be the people outside of your family that see your loved one the most. We not only clean your pets, but we can also tell you when we think your little ones may be having an off day or not feeling so well. With that in mind, we always keep an eye on your furry family member’s health, sometimes catching things you may miss.

Often times people think that getting their loved one’s groom is a peaceful spa day. Although we do try to make their visit as stress-free as possible sometimes they just don’t enjoy it. Communication with your grooming can help with this problem. Informing your groomer of new circumstances around the home, or more importantly, new health issues can help your groomer to lower stress. This can be especially true with our older pets. Because of issues like arthritis or ligament injuries a groom can be stressful because of the need to position your pet. The need to lift your loved one’s legs can cause discomfort which upsets them.

Make Sure To Let Your Groomer Know About
  • Seizures
  • Heart Murmur
  • Ligament Injuries
  • Back Issues
  • Arthritis

Everyone knows that pets naturally age faster than humans. A few months for us takes a toll of years on them. So afamily 12-year-old Shih Tzu can be fine when it comes in for a groom in January but develop health issues 6 months later. Without your groomer being informed of new medical conditions they cannot perform your furry family member’s groom properly. Stress from a groom can trigger stress-related reactions in pets that have been groomed for years without problems. This is why it is so important to let your groomer know what’s going on in your loved one’s life each time you drop them off. It is also important that you take your pet’s age into consideration.

If you have a pet who’s age is 12+ your pet may need extra care. At a certain point, a traditional groomer may not be the best choice for your loved one. Although your groomer will always do their best to care for your pet sometimes a vet groomer may be the better choice. It can be hard for a groomer to express this as we hate to tell people that their furry family members are getting old. However, if you just aren’t sure what you should do, simply ask! A good groomer will help you make the best choice for your pet. Your pet’s health is our #1 priority no matter what. So help us help you and your loved ones and make sure to communicate with your groomers.

Article By- © 2018, Nicole Ipson, Images By- Nicole Ipson &  Freepik.com

Pet Health – Knowing More About Your Pet’s Groom

Knowing More About Your Pet Grooming Appointment

BY NICOLE IPSON | May 18, 2018

 

groomEveryone loves a clean pup and kitty fresh from their pet grooming appointment, there is no doubt about that. However, at your pet’s appointment, the groomer may ask questions you aren’t sure how to answer. This could feel strange or overwhelming because it should be simple right? Not everyone is quite sure what their pet actually groomneeds from their groom, rest assured we can help with that!

Clients often make the mistake of only viewing their pet grooming appointment as a “spa day”. Getting your pet clean of course is a priority, but it can also be very useful in helping with the care of your little one. When getting ready for your pet grooming appointment there are things that you should consider that can help you get the best groom for your pet. What do you need? Could your pet grooming appointment help your pet in any way? Is your pet’s fur causing issues? It may seem silly, but these considerations can be helpful!

Things To Considered For Your Pet Grooming Appointment
  • Does your pet drip water all over the floor?
    • Tighter trim on the beard or short ears can stop this problem sometimes.
  • Does your pet get poo stuck to their behind?
    • Shaving the base of the underneath of the tail can help with this problem.
  • Does your pet suffer from ear infections?
    • Shaving the insides of the ears can help with airflow and reduce the risk of infections
  • Does your pet’s tummy hang low to the ground?
    • A false skirt can help keep your pet’s tummy clean & reducing debris being brought in.
  • Do you have time to brush your pet fully once a week?
    • If not a short haircut could be the best thing for your pet to avoid matting.

 
groomYour pet grooming appointment isn’t just about them smelling good, but also about making your life and their life easier. Please consider these tips when talking to the groomer about your cat or dog’s next pet grooming appointment.  Take some time to think about what you and your furry friends may need. This will help both you and your little ones lead a happier, more clean & happy life!

Article By- © 2018, Nicole Ipson, Images By- Nicole Ipson &  Freepik.com

Express Grooming – Dog Health

express grooming

Express Grooming For Your Pets

BY NICOLE IPSON | February 25, 2018

 

PETS

You’ve never had your dog groomed before and you’re really thinking about it. You really want to get your furry friend cleaned up, but you just aren’t sure about the stay. You’ve done you’re homework and have found out that the average groom takes 3-4 hours. Even though you’re very interested you just aren’t sure about leaving your pet that long. Lucky for you there is a solution, and express groom. Most salons offer it, at an extra cost, but it may just be worth the cost.

Express grooming is exactly what it sounds like. A groom that’s done more quickly than the traditional appointment based groom. Even though it is done quickly that doesn’t mean it lacks the quality though! To understand this, you must first understand how most grooming salons book their appointments. Usually, a salon will book multiple appointments at the same time. For example, a groomer’s day could look something like this:

  • 7AM – Spot – Shih Tzu ( Full Groom )
  • 7AM – Mia – Shih Tzu ( Full Groom )
  • 10AM – Jack – Labrador ( Bath & Brush )
  • 10AM – Duke – Miniature Poodle ( Full Groom )
  • 1PM – Frank – West Highland White Terrier ( Face Trim )

Reasons for this style of booking is because a pet’s appointment isn’t done the same way you would go in for a hair appointment. Most pets don’t sit still, so multiple pets can be done at the same time so that one can have a break while the other is being worked on. Your groomer would bathe both dogs at 7 am and then while one pet was drying in their kennel the other could be hand dried and worked on. Giving the groomer an average of 2 hours per pet just broken into sessions.

For an express grooming, your groomer’s schedule will probably look something like thisPETS

  • 7AM – Spot – Shih Tzu ( Full Groom )
  • 10AM – Jack – Labrador ( Bath & Brush )
  • 10AM – Duke – Miniature Poodle ( Full Groom )
  • 1PM – Frank – West Highland White Terrier ( Face Trim )

By reducing the groomer’s schedule by one dog in their first appointment this frees up time for your groom. This allows the groomer to start and finish your dog quickly, while still performing a quality groom for your pet. This style of grooming has its pro’s and con’s and may not be for every pet. Some of these include:

Express Grooming Benefits 

  • Less salon time

  • Your pet is the focus

  • No kenneling

  • Done from start to finish without disruption

  • Less chance of being overwhelmed by being around other pets

Express Grooming Possible Downsides

  • Additional cost (Usually Around $10 More)

  • Can stress a pet that isn’t used to the process

  • The owner must be available for pick-up immediately

  • Appointments are harder to come by as it needs to be the groomers 1st pet

    (Booking the appointment in advance usually clears this issue up though.)

PETSAurora Pet Grooming offers express grooming for all of its customers as long as your pet isn’t stressed by the process. We offer this service for several reasons as a part of customizing grooms for your pet needs. We hope that this article helps you to understand the process so that you can decide if it is right for you! Do you still have questions? Contact us here and we would be happy to give you more information!

 
 
Article By- © 2018, Nicole Ipson, Images By- Nicole Ipson &  Freepik.com

Dog Bows and Accessories

The Maintenance Of Dog Bows

BY NICOLE IPSON | December 29, 2017

 

dog bows

 

Many people think that dressing a pet up, or placing dog bows in their pets hair is just silly! However, there are other people, such as myself… who absolutely love it. With the ability to turn your pet into a bow-covered fluff ball most people tend to forget that this can cause issues.  Here are some tips as to how you can have fun with your pet, and keep their coats in good shape.

Believe it or not, putting a collar on your pet can cause the same issues as putting a jacket on your pet. Of course, these issues are only for long coated dogs, a collar won’t mat a short-haired pup or kitty! When placing accessories on your pet there are things that you should immediately be aware of such as…

  • Hair type
  • Size of the accessories
  • How long the accessories will be left on
  • How much maintenance it will take to maintain the coat if left on

This may sound extreme, however, if you want to leave your pet long these are things that need to be considered. Take for example a long coated dog and a collar. Tdog bowshis is the most commonly seen issue in a grooming salon for the start of matting around the neck.  For instance, is the collar flat against the coat rubbing the hair, or have you been removing the collar before brushing as you should?  

Half of the customers seen in the salon admit to not removing a collar before brushing their fluffy friends. Combined with natural matting that happens behind the ears creates a mat collar so to speak connecting the ears to the neck. It doesn’t take much for this to spiral out of control causing your groomers to have to, unfortunately, shave your pet if the mats can’t be safely removed. So, in this case, an owner with a long-haired pet should consider purchasing a rolled leather collar as well as remove the collar when brushing to ensure matting doesn’t occur.

Tips For Accessories Types

  • Dog Bows – Remove within a week and brush the area they were connected to.
  • Collars – Remove every other week and brush around the neck and behind the ears.
  • Jackets, Sweaters, Harnesses, Etc- Do not leave on for more than a day. Brush all areas in contact with the clothing or harness not forgetting the armpits.
  • Shoes – Remove once the pet comes back inside and comb through the tops of the paws.

Remember these simple tasks when your pet has accessories.  They can save a lot of pet owners from the heartbreak!

The luxury of putting accessories on our babies also comes with a great obligation to their well being and comfort. So the next time you accessorize your furry family member, simply brush them afterward. Keep your pets happy, healthy and fabulous with these tips!

From Our Family To Yours!

dog bows

 

Article By- © 2017, Nicole Ipson, Images By- Nicole Ipson &  Freepik.com

Dog Health – Shedding

Dog Health – Managing The Shedding

BY NICOLE IPSON | August 11, 2017

 

Shedding

One of the main issues that owners have with their furry friends is the shedding. Let’s face it, no one likes hair all over their furniture or clean clothing! This issue comes whether you have a cat or a dog, long haired or short. Shockingly the pet with the most hair sometimes isn’t always the one responsible!

Most long-coated pets have a double coat, but some short-haired breeds also have double coats. Some of those breeds include Labrador Retrievers, Pugs, and Chihuahuas. Although not double-coated, some dogs such as Boxers also tend to shed quite a bit. Shedding dogs and cats can always benefit from a deep coat brush whether they are long haired or short.

The deep coat brush out process may require a few different sessions. This is based on how badly compacted your pet’s coat may be. There are other variables that play into being able to properly perform this process as well. One of these variables is how resilient is the skin? The tools used to pull the undercoat or excess fur can be harmful to your pet if used incorrectly. Such side effects such as blade burn or even open sores can happen. For these reasons, it is important to keep an eye on the pet’s skin while performing this process. The amount needed is dependent on the pet’s coat.

Consider This

  • How often is my pet Shedding? Once a year? Every other month? All year?
  • How often is your pet properly brushed out?
  • Does your pet seem hot even when it’s cool outside?

 

 Although the types of coats and their shedding habits vary it important to get them properly brushed regularly. Salons often offer walk-in services for just brushing at reasonable rates. So the next time you take your pet in for their monthly nail trim, consider also asking for a quick brush out. Most salons are happy to oblige! Not only will they help keep hair out of your home but it will also help your pets to stay comfortable through the year.

 

 

 
Article By- © 2017, Nicole Ipson, Images By- © 2017, Freepik.com
 

Dog Health – The Undercoat

reese

Why Shaving The Undercoat Is Undesirable

BY NICOLE IPSON | July 24, 2017

 

dog

Since 2005 I have been working directly with dogs and learning as much as I can. One thing that is requested often is shaving a double coated pet. Unfortunately, a rather large amount of dog owners misunderstand the purpose of their pet’s thick coat and the damage caused by the removal of that coat.

It is all too common for a customer to walk into the salon with a double coated dog and say: “My dog is panting a lot I need to shave his/her hair off to help them cool off.” Unfortunately, is not how this issue is fixed. The first thing that I would like to do is a quick break down. Dog’s are unable to sweat as a person does, they only sweat through the areas that do not grow fur (paws, nose, etc). Secondly, they can only exert heat 2 ways–by releasing sweat and panting. Panting takes the cake when it comes to cooling down your friend! I like to point out to people as well if we as humans could not release excess heat through our skin and could only pant we wouldn’t view this so differently. We as humans see the response coming from our dogs and feel we need to do something. This small realization is what starts the downward spiral for double coated dogs.

Of course, we as dog owners have nothing but good intentions in mind when wanting to cool our pet. Our first thought is compared to, “when I’m hot I take clothes off so I’ll do the same for fluffy!” The difference being when you remove an undercoat you are removing both natural protection from sunburn and insulation for cooling.

Your Dogs Coat & Its Purpose

 

During the winter your pup has both a soft undercoat and guard hairs. The soft undercoat is what keeps in the heat making fluffy warm when the snow falls. The guard hairs protect him from debris such as snow, ice, and even excess water also helping the cold not get to the skin.dog

In the summer your pup sheds the soft fluffy coat so that the guard hairs can keep the skin cool. At this point, those hairs act as a “reflective surface” against the sun while letting cool air through to keep the body cool. As hair is removed by shaving a few things happen: One your pet becomes susceptible to sun burn. Next, the guard hairs are no longer there to keep them cool. Lastly, the soft undercoat grows in more slowly keeping that coat cdogloser to the skin and actually causing a higher risk for increased body temperature.dog

For these reasons and a few more almost every groomer will advise against shaving of double coated dogs. So help keep your pup’s coat healthy and keep them cool. There are other grooming techniques that can help cut back on excess fur and help cool your pet, so speak with your groomer today!

 

 

Art/Images By- © 2017, Nicole Ipson 

References:

Dogs Naturally, “Why You Shouldn’t Shave Your Dog In The Summer” Julia Henriques,dogsnaturallymagazine.com. (2017)

Pets 4 Homes, “Dog Breeds With Double Coats” Pets4Homes.co.uk (2017)

American Kennel Club, “Healthy Temperature Setting For Dogs In The Winter” AKC.org (2015)