Grooming at a veterinary clinic is a different proposition from a parlour. There's a vet on the premises through the day, the products are chosen with skin conditions in mind, and if something turns up under the coat — a lump, a hot spot, a tick burden, a hidden wound — someone qualified is standing there.
What we do
- Bath and blow-dry
- Clipping and trimming, to breed standard or whatever suits your household
- Nail trimming, ear cleaning, sanitary and paw-pad trims
- De-shedding for double-coated breeds
- Medicated baths, on prescription
Medicated bathing
This is the part worth coming to a clinic for. When we're treating a skin case, the bath is part of the treatment — the right shampoo, left on for the right contact time, does a real share of the work.
Owners get this wrong at home in two ways: not leaving the product on long enough, and rinsing with water that's too hot, which inflames sore skin further. If your animal is under treatment, we set the bathing schedule alongside the medication.
Nails — don't leave them too long
Overgrown nails change how a dog stands, straining the toes and, in older dogs, worsening joint pain. Nails that curl round grow into the pad.
If you can hear your dog's nails clicking on the floor, they're too long.
Cats
Yes — nail trimming, sanitary trims, and clipping for matted long-haired cats. Badly matted cats sometimes need sedation to be dealt with humanely, and that's a decision we take in front of you rather than persevering while the cat suffers.
Before you come
Book ahead — grooming fills up, especially around Deepavali, Pongal and the December holidays. Tell us if there's a lump, a sore or a wound so nobody discovers it with clippers running. For an arthritic, anxious or heart/breathing-compromised animal, tell us before, not during, and we'll work around it.