Salty Seniors
As pets’ needs change with age and health, our approach to their care needs to change correspondingly. We understand that dealing with a pet’s advancing age or changing health condition can be a difficult and emotional process. Whether your pet is new to our salon or has been a long-time client, rest assured that we care deeply about their wellbeing and that their safety and comfort will always be our top priority.
To best serve senior pets or those with medical conditions, we will, at times, recommend changes to your pet’s grooming process, schedule, or style, to best serve their changing needs. This may include, but is not limited to: changing their appointment frequency, changing their haircut length or style, splitting a grooming session into 2 appointments on consecutive days, or scheduling a support person to assist the groomer.
Sometimes pets become unable to tolerate certain aspects of the grooming process, such as blow drying, and we may have to find alternative solutions. This may mean that the finished groom is less polished and plush than you may be accustomed to. It may also become necessary to choose a shorter style or forego detailed hand scissoring. Even if your pet has accepted these processes for many years, changes in their age or health may mean changes in their tolerance for the grooming process. In these cases, it is in your pet’s best interest that we adapt our process to reduce their stress however we can.
The grooming process can be physically demanding for pets, especially if they have mobility limitations or reduced stamina. In these cases, we may make recommendations to simplify their grooming to reduce the length of their grooming appointments so they can go home and rest sooner. It’s also often helpful to discuss your pet’s pain management with your veterinarian. Like us, pets can develop arthritis and become sore, which can make it more challenging for them to stand, let us hold and move their legs, etc. It is also perfectly normal for a senior pet to go home and take a long nap or generally seem tired after a grooming appointment.
Many senior pets also have dental concerns, which may cause pain or discomfort while we are handling and trimming their faces. This may mean that we aren’t able to be as detailed around their face. In some cases, we may need to opt for a shorter face trim to help keep the hair from interfering with their mouths or eating.
We know that changing your pet’s signature style can be difficult, but we’re here to support you and your pet and want to help you find solutions to keep your pet looking and feeling good while also having the best possible grooming experience.