An inevitable part of having a dog is that one day they will start to show their age. Common things dogs develop with age include:

• Blindness
• Deafness
• Arthritis
• Weight Change
• Dental Issues
• Skin Changes
• Breathing Issues

These changes don't just affect their everyday life. They can also greatly impact their grooming. It is very important to let your groomer know anytime a new symptom develops. This helps us be able to cater the grooming to your dog and their specific needs. Below we will discuss how each impairment may affect your pups appointment so you can know what to expect.

Loss of Hearing/ Sight

When a dog loses one of their major senses like sight or hearing it can make them feel very uneasy. Even the most well behaved dogs can have trouble when this happens. We try to move as gently as possible not to startle your pup, and we may even towel dry instead of using the force dryer to accommodate for developed fear over it. We do our best as groomers to still make sure your pup is as handsome as they were their previous visits but we hope you understand if they are not, it isn't because we stopped caring. It's because we care too much to cause discomfort for a good haircut.

Arthritis and weight change

These two are sometimes directly linked together but either way they have a similar affect to your dog's body. As your dog gets older their joints are simply not the same. This can cause pain while in certain positions. Dogs that are overweight and/or have arthritis tend to want to sit or lay down their whole appointment. Sometimes even the nicest dogs will try to bite. After all, they can't talk. Their only way to tell us that something hurts is to yelp or growl/bite. It's important to keep in touch with your vet and get their advice on how to best handle these issues. When your dog is in our salon you can rest easy knowing we will do everything we can to avoid as much pain and discomfort as possible. Bigger dogs will always be led up and down from the tables with care, and a helping hand is never far away if the job is too much for one person.

A lot of times this combination makes trimming legs and bellies difficult. If you notice more hair being left in those areas this is probably why.

Dental Issues

This change is probably the most common that we see in older dogs. And if you've ever had a toothache you know how painful they can be. Not just when the tooth is touched but even sometimes the entire jaw and cheek area. This is the same for dogs. Dogs with severe teeth issues will be much more sensitive to having their face messed with, especially with the vibration from the clippers. This will more than likely result in them having a very different haircut on their face or sometimes no hair will be cut at all. It all depends on how your dog behaves. If a dog is biting at everything coming close to their face then it is no longer safe for either us or them to try and finish the haircut.

Skin Changes

As we age we can expect wrinkles and age spots to form. Dogs skin changes very similarly. You may start to notice moles and skin tags developing. Some even start to grow cysts or lose hair in different areas. Sometimes dogs develop skin issues that may be worrisome, however most of the time it is completely normal and part of the aging process. As groomers we are looking closely at your dogs skin at every visit. If we notice anything that looks different for your dog we will let you know. And don't feel bad if you didn't notice it first, we get much more up close and personal than you normally would so it's expected. Just as we will let you know if we find something we also appreciate it if you inform us of any changes as well. This will help us avoid those areas.

Breathing Issues