Grooming Terms and Conditions

The safety, well being, and health of pets in our care is our number 1 priority.

The policies we have in place are a reflection of this. All pets visiting Sparta Dog Stylists must be able to show proof of current vaccinations in accordance with city and state ordinances. This ensures the safety of all pets and employees. You may provide these records by bringing originals or by bringing your vet’s phone number so that we may call and verify shots are current.

• We do not groom sick or injured pets without the okay of their attending veterinarian.
• We do not groom pets with contagious illnesses at all.
• While we will try working with any pet, if at any point we feel they are either a danger to themselves or us, we will stop working on them and you will be called to come and pick them up.
• Shots: Proof of current Rabies, Bordetella, and DHP vaccination is required on all pets over 4 months of age. We can groom puppies less than 4 months of age provided they have had at least three rounds of their puppy shots. This is for their protection. If for some medical reason your pet cannot receive vaccinations, we need a note & contact information from your vet explaining the reason and their professional medical opinion.
• Fleas: If you know your dog has fleas please let us know when you drop them off. This way we can begin treatment of the fleas immediately. Any dog we find fleas on will be treated at the owner's expense. We strongly recommend any dog treated for fleas have a monthly flea preventative (acquired from a vet) put on 48 hours after their bath.
• Dryers: We do not use heat dryers due to the risk of overheating/heat stroke. We use fans to circulate room temperature air around pets until they are dry. We also have a forced air dryer we use before they are placed under the fans, this dryer does not have a heating element. While this method of no heat takes longer, it is an overall safer choice.
• Jumping: We do not allow dogs to jump on/off tables, in and out of crates or the bathtub.
• Sedation: We DO NOT groom sedated pets. It is our feeling that sedated pets should be groomed under the supervision of a veterinarian, and therefore we recommend pets requiring sedation be done by a groomer at a vets office.
• Senior Pets: Please understand elderly dogs do not always handle the grooming process as well as their younger counterparts. While they have more experience, they also have things like arthritis, failing hearing, and loss of sight to deal with. If at any point we do not feel comfortable going forward with the groom, we will call you and let you know. We typically do not groom dogs 13 years or older. We are willing to make exceptions to this rule upon meeting the dog.
• No-Shows: Please call us and let us know if you can not make your scheduled appointment, if you do not call to cancel your appointment and just do not show up, we consider that a No-Show. If no-showing occurs regularly we will stop scheduling appointments for you. Saturdays are our busiest day of the week, and the day in the highest demand, therefore if you no-show for your appointment on a Saturday we will not allow you to schedule any other Saturday appointments, you may however still schedule appointments during the week.
• Late Arrivals: If you arrive 30 minutes past your appointment time, we will ask you to reschedule. We understand things happen, and we also have other appointments we need to get out in a timely fashion. This is so we can work efficiently and on time for all of our clients throughout the day.

De-matting

• Here at Sparta Dog Stylists we practice The golden rule of grooming: Humanity before vanity.
• Matted pets require special consideration and time. Matting negatively affects the health of a pet, causing restricted air and blood flow to the surface of the skin. This can lead to trapped moisture resulting in hotspots, general irritation, and matts can pull tightly enough on the hair to actually rip it out of the skin! To the dog it feels like wearing a sweater 3 sizes too small.
• Attempting to brush out mats exacerbates all of these issues, as well as being extremely painful for the pet. **_To your pet, de-matting feels something like taking a Brillo pad and scratching a fresh sunburn_**. For this reason, our policy at Sparta Dog Stylists is **_not to de-mat._** **_If your pet is matted it will be shaved_**. Due to the way mats knit together tightly, we have to go with a blade that will go underneath the mats, this means how short your pet’s hair is cut is determined by the severity of the mats.
• The easiest way to prevent matting is to brush & comb your pet on a daily basis. The comb is the most important part of the brushing process because brushes do not get all the way down to the skin, where mats start. Contrary to popular belief, bathing will not help loosen mats, in fact it only makes them tighter & closer to the skin, much like washing and drying a sweater. The groomers here at Sparta Dog Stylists are happy to show you how to properly & effectively brush & comb your pet as well as what tools are needed.
• Just because a dog does not appear to be matted, does not mean they are not matted. Matts often feel like extremely thick spots of hair. As you can see from the picture below, this dog does not appear to be matted, but he is underneath. This can be seen in the other pictures. Matts are not always visible, or easy to spot, & sometimes, the top layer of hair is brushed out, while matts have developed up close to the skin, this is why a comb is an essential part of the brushing process, because a comb keeps the hair separated all the way down to the skin. Also, matts cannot generally just be cut out, because, as seen in the pictures below, most of the time matts are all interconnected to one another.