Frequently Asked Questions

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1. How often should my dog be groomed? That truly depends on the dog and what you are trying to achieve as the pet caregiver.  If your dog needs a haircut (Curly coats or Drop coats) we suggest every 4-6 week.  If your dog needs just a bath we suggest 8 weeks or less (Smooth coats or Doubled coats).  Every 3 weeks actually reduces the hair in your house as dogs have a 3 week shed cycle. Puppies should be groomed every 4 weeks for the first year of their life after they are done with their puppy shots. This helps set them up for a positive grooming experience.

2. How often should I get my cat groomed? For Cats we suggest every 4-6 weeks for Persians, Himalayans, Ragdolls, Maine Coons those thick long coats that tend to get greasy easily. Lion cuts we suggest every 16 weeks to prevent mating from occurring.  DSH and DLH we suggest at least every 8-16 weeks depending on the cat.  Seniors we suggests every 8 -12 weeks to prevent matting since there skin can be delicate.  Kittens should be groomed every 4 weeks for the first year of their life after they are done with their kitten shots. This helps set them up for a positive grooming experience.

3. When should my puppy or kitten have their first grooming appointment? Once they have had all of their shots.   Dogs: 6 — 8 weeks-Distemper, parvovirus, Bordetella,  10 — 12 weeks-DHPP ( distemper, adenovirus [hepatitis], parainfluenza, and parvovirus), 16 — 18 weeks-DHPP, rabies (Some vets make you wait till 6 months of age for rabies vaccine. We will groom a puppy under 6 months without rabies vaccine.) Cats: ​6-8 weeks: FVRCP (feline viral rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus, feline panleukopenia), FeLV (feline leukemia virus)10-12 weeks: FVRCP, FeLV 14-16 weeks: Rabies, FVRCP, FeLV (Some vets make you wait till 6 months of age for rabies vaccine. We will groom a kitten under 6 months without rabies vaccine.)

4. How long does a typical grooming session take? This depends on the pet.  30-120 minutes usually.  Longer is the pet needs more attention. Call for a more approximate time.

5. What’s included in a full groom or bath package? Full Grooming includes, Bath, Haircut, nail trim and ear cleaning. Bath includes, bath, brushing, ear cleaning and nail trim. (Sani, foot trim and face trim if needed) This is all based on breed and what the pet needs.

6. Do you offer one-on-one grooming or crate-free services? We offer one on one services.  All pets are kenneled while waiting for their caregivers.

7. Can I stay with my pet during grooming? No. We only allow this for special need pets. Most pets want their caregiver for comfort.  This will extend the length of the groom along with the cost so we normally do not offer this unless its for the safety of the pet in our care.

8. How do you handle anxious, senior, or special-needs pets? We handle them with love, patience and care.  We are trained and experienced in this area.  We even had a dog behaviorist come to make sure we were using proper techniques and understand what the pet is telling us.  Each pet is an individual so they all will have different needs and grooming goes at the pet's pace not ours.

9. What kind of shampoo and products do you use? We use high quality products.  Mainly Chris Christensen and Les POOCH

10. Are your grooming products safe for sensitive skin or allergies? Yes, we like to use Les Pooch Hypo shampoo as it has no scent to it and it is gentle.

11. Can you do creative styles or color? Yes, but we are limited to what we do.  Ears and tail to add a pop

12. Do you express anal glands, and is it necessary? Yes, we do gland expression.  We only recommend if needed though.  If your dog is scooting or licking their behind we will do them.  Otherwise you can cause a problem where there is not one.  We also suggest talking to your vet about your pet's diet to make sure they are getting the proper diet.  Firm bulky poops will normally express the pet's glands on their own.  if the pet if having loose or not big bowel movement this can lead to poor anal gland health.

13. How often should my pet’s nails be trimmed? Every 3-4 weeks 

14. Do you grind nails or just clip them? Yes, we do grind/file nails.  We actually highly recommend this technique as it gets closer to the pet's quick getting the nail as short as possible safely.  Unfortunately some pets fear the filing so we skip it for their comfort.

15. What if my pet hates nail trims? We suggest slow gradual introduction with positive enrichment. Some dogs we suggest the owners to run them daily on concrete or pavement to wear them down naturally.

16. Do you pluck ear hair, and is that recommended? Yes, we pluck the hair in the ears if needed.  Some vets say no so it's best to ask your vet their opinion for your dog.

17. What’s paw balm, and how often should I use it? Daily if healing is needed.  Otherwise 3-5 times a week.  If you are walking the dog daily, I recommend every day.  We actually have one customized just for our clients and we sell it too.  Ingredients are Tallow, Calendula, Bees wax and Lanolin. 

18. What if my pet is fearful or aggressive? Great question.  We have a service that includes positive enrichment to help your pet get used to the process.  We slow the process down while giving treats and love.  We help rehabilitate pets to get used to the process. Call for more info

19. Do you use muzzles, and why? We only use muzzles if it's needed.  Otherwise we use a cone as pets are more relaxed and less fearful with this tool.

20. How can I help my pet get used to grooming between visits? Combing them and touching their body so they get used to touch.  If they are not biting while you are combing them give them a positive reward, stop and do more later.  At first you want to do this a little at a time to get good responses.  If they bite tell them no and walk away from them.  Don't give them attention after bad behavior.  Try it again later.  If they don't bite give them a treat and love.  Small steps are okay. Never reward negative behavior. If you need help we are here.  We offer one on one with owners to care for their pets at home too.

21. What should I bring to the appointment? Vaccination records and a picture of how you would like your pet to look.  Sometimes your picture in your mind is hard to convey in words.  A picture really helps the groomer.

22. Can my pet eat before grooming? Yes, but we suggest not to as nerves can cause your pet to poop a lot.  If they are pooping at the groomer that makes them more nervous because they know they should be pooping outside.  Also if they get car sick and they get sick at the groomer the groomer may think something is wrong with your pet.

23. Why is my dog so scared of the groomer? This really depends on the dog.  Sometimes dogs are not introduced early enough in their life or not groomed enough to get them used to the experience.  If they are only having negative experiences with knots being pulled they are going to fear the groomer because they think the groomer is hurting them instead of helping them.  This is even for Pets that get shaved down because they are matted.  It is important to start young and keep on a regular schedule.  For any pet they should start at 4 months of age going to the groomer every 4 weeks for 4 months.  After that you and your groomer can determine what works best for you and your pet.  Make sure your pet's hair style fits your budget.  Fluffy pets mean more visits to the groomer.

24. Are you trained to groom pets? That is a great question.  Yes, all groomers at Barks n Meows are trained to groom pets.  The grooming industry is unregulated so it is important to make sure your groomer is trained. Ask about their training and how much experience they have.  Make sure they have 3 plus years experience or someone at the facility has 3 or more years experience.  Any less than this can lead to a pet being injured.  Usually it's not intentional it's because they are inexperienced.  That being said groomers with a lot of experience can still accidentally injure a pet as we are using sharp tools on wiggly furry pets (who act like toddlers getting a haircut)