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Furry Beginnings Pet Grooming Policies
CURRENT VACCINATIONS/VETERINARIAN INFORMATION
Owners should verify their pets are current on Canine Rabies, Distemper and Parvovirus, and Feline FVRCP, Proof of Rabies Vaccination shall be provided to Furry Beginnings upon request as well as current Veterinarian information. Special circumstances will be taken into consideration.
TYPE OF SERVICE APPOINTMENT
if you pet is scheduled for a Bronze (bath and brush) or a Silver (bath, brush face feet and sanitary) and it has a matted coat the appointment will be reschedule on the next available slot for a full-service grooming as we will not bathe matted dogs. Bathing a matted dog may cause tightening of the matts and cause other issues to your pet’s skin and coat.
HEALTH OR MEDICAL PROBLEMS & SENIOR PETS:
Grooming procedures can sometimes be stressful, especially for a senior pet or pet with health problems and can expose hidden medical problems or aggravate a current one during or after the groom. In the best interest of your pet this contract/agreement will give Furry Beginnings permission to obtain immediate Veterinary treatment for your pet should it be deemed necessary by Furry Beginnings. We will do our best to contact you first, then take your pet to your authorized Veterinarian, or to the nearest Veterinarian that is available. It is agreed that all expenses for Veterinary care will be covered by the pet' s owner upon signing this agreement.
ANAL GLAND EXPRESSION/EAR CLEANING
Furry Beginnings offers these services as courtesy care for your pet. If an ear infection is suspected, it is the owner’s responsibility to seek veterinary care. Furry Beginnings only uses MILD EXTERNAL EXPRESSION for anal glands and makes no guarantees that anal glands will not become overfull, rupture, or become infected between grooming visits as results vary for each pet. Pets with chronic anal gland issues should be expressed by a veterinarian. Your groomer will inform you of any issues or concerns they may encounter during your pets grooming.
MATTED COATS
If a comb cannot get through a pet's coat and gets stuck, this is matting (see our Healthy Grooming Routines & Matting Info document for further details available at the salon or on our website Furry Beginnings.com). Pets that are matted can have sores, skin irritation, or rashes underneath their matted coat. These are conditions that cannot be seen or known until after the hair is shaved off. Furry Beginnings is not responsible for any skin irritation or injuries that may be revealed by the removal of the coat. If a pet’s hair is tangled or matted, and/or IT HAS BEEN OVER 8 WEEKS SINCE ITS LAST GROOMING, they are at greater risk of injury, stress, and trauma. All precautions will be taken. However, problems occasionally arise, during or after grooming, such as nicks, clipper irritation, itchy skin, redness (even occurring later at home after the groom), hot spots, cuts, sores, hematomas, injury, and mental or physical stress. Areas of skin where the matting was shaved may look very irritated and red well after the groom, but this result was necessary to remove the matting. Matting can pull tight at the skin, and in order to remove it sometimes a short clipper blade must be used. After removing it the blood rushes back to the skin and it can look like an abrasion or rash hours or days after the actual grooming procedure. This repercussion of skin irritation from removing matting is very different from a puncture wound or cut and no one intentionally tried to harm a pet. It is the fault of the situation, not the groomer. Furry Beginnings staff never choose to shave areas of a dog short enough to cause skin irritation unless they must. If this is the case, please do not let the pet lick or scratch the irritated area, as that may make the situation extremely worse. Shaved pets are also prone to sunburn and should either have sunscreen applied daily or should be kept out of the sun until the hair grows sufficiently to protect the skin. In some cases, pets may also exhibit brief behavioral changes. Prevention is the best defense against matting by scheduling regular grooming appointments. If your pet needs to be shaved to remove matting, by signing this agreement you acknowledge that you agree to this procedure, and any risk. Additionally, Furry Beginnings Matted Release Form is required to be signed for haircuts that occur when it has been over 8 weeks since the last groom or matting is found at check-in.
SHAVING PETS WITH TICK AND DOUBLE COATS
Shaving a heavily coated pet during the summer is not recommended. In both hot and cold weather, a pet’s coat helps regulate body temperature and provides insulation and protection from the sun. Coats that are shaved off, particularly on double coated dogs (such as Huskies and Shepherds) may grow back dull, patchy, or not at all. If you are looking to cut back on shedding or keep your pet cool, the best course of action is frequent bathing to allow air to move freely within your pet’s coat and use of a good de-shed program. Furry Beginnings is not responsible or liable for any coat growth issues should you choose to shave your double coated dog breed.
MEDICATION
Furry Beginnings will not groom pets that have been given any medication for sedation purposes. Examples being but not limited to Acepromazine or Trazadone or any other sedative causing medication. If your pet has been given this medication prior to their grooming their appointment will be canceled and will have to be rescheduled when they are not on this medication. It is a safety hazard for the groomers as well as the pets, we do not have a veterinarian on staff to monitor your pet while on this medication.
FLEAS/TICKS:
Furry Beginnings strives to be a flea/tick-free salon. We do not offer chemical flea or tick dips or sprays. If your pet has a flea or tick infestation, we will ask that you reschedule your grooming appointment once the flea or tick problem is under control.
LEASH & CARRIER REQUIREMENTS TO ENTER THE FACILITY + PET SOCIALIZATION
ALL pets that enter Furry Beginnings regardless of the pet’s behavior or the services they are receiving, MUST be on a leash or contained in a carrier. This is an important safety measure, as not everyone who opens the front door is careful and not every dog is dog friendly. As a preventative safety measure during services, we do not let the pets in our care socialize with each other in the salon. We ask our clients to stay aware and use discretion when passing other canine clients by each other in the lobby to avoid any potential issues. We ask that you do not allow your dogs to go nose to nose with other dogs due to safety concerns. We also ask that you do not pet other dogs in our care and keep children from doing so as well. Safety is our #1 concern.
ACCIDENTS
There is always the possibility an accident could occur. Grooming equipment is sharp, even though we use extreme caution and care in all situations, possible problems could occur including cuts, nicks, scratches, quicking of nails, etc. In most cases this can happen when a pet is wiggling or moving around. If you arrive to pick up your pet and he/she is still being groomed, please do NOT talk to your pet. Once they see you, he/she will be anxious to go home, and your groomer will stop all services at that time and service payment will be rendered in full. For your convenience and your pet’s safety we have a monitor where you can see your pet through our webcam.
LATE, SHORT NOTICE CANCELLATIONS AND NO-SHOW POLICY
If you arrive more than 10 minutes late, we may require you to reschedule your appointment or if your groomer is able to accommodate you a late fee of $10 will be added to your appointment. Late drop offs resulting in a cancellation will count as a No Show. Canceling in less than 24 hours or not showing up for your appointment will result in a required 50% non-refundable deposit of your grooming package to secure your next appointment. CUSTOMERS THAT REPEATEDLY MISS APPOINTMENTS ARRIVE LATE OR HAVE 3 NO SHOWS ON RECORD WILL BE REMOVED FROM OUR CLIENT LIST AND REFUSED SERVICE.
PICK-UP POLICY
Furry Beginnings is proudly and happily a cage free, positively reinforced facility and endeavors to be as stress free as possible, giving one-on-one attention and supervision to each pet within our care. In turn, our grooming pick-up policy is that we require our human clients to be on call, and ready to pick up their pet promptly upon the conclusion of service and care. WE WILL INFORM VIA TEXT OR PHONE CALL WHEN YOUR PET IS READY FOR PICK UP, Pets left in our care over 45 minutes after informing you of service completion will incur a daycare fee of $5.00 for every 15 minutes. We highly recommend you keep your cell phone ringer on during services for this reason and in case of emergency.
PRODUCTS:
Furry Beginnings uses high quality products and although a pet may experience an allergic reaction to grooming products Furry Beginnings is not responsible for allergic reactions resulting from the manufacturer-recommended usage of any products. (Do not use topical flea and tick treatments (i.e.: Frontline) 48 hours before or after a bath. Flea and tick products are associated with a higher incidence of reactions) If your pet or you require scent free or hypoallergenic products, please inform your groomer so we may use the correct product for you and your pet’s needs.
WHO MAY DROP OFF / PICK UP YOUR PET FOR SERVICES
For every grooming service appointment we do require the primary owner / pet parent to attend the service consultation in person a coat and condition exam is performed at each check-in prior to starting services. Furry Beginnings is not responsible for any miscommunications or family conflicts on what type of haircut they wish to have done. The person dropping off will be the one responsible for informing the groomer of the style they are wanting to achieve for their pet and that will be the style they will attempt to achieve based on your pet’s coat type and condition.
CAT GROOMING
Before the Groom- New clients are required to pay a non-refundable deposit at appointment booking. This will be rolled into your final bill or absorbed in case of no-show/late cancellation. Failure to pay this deposit 48 hours before the booking will result in your booking being cancelled. If less than 24 hours’ notice is given (by SMS or email), or a no-show occurs, your deposit will be forfeited, and future services will be denied. Please bring your cat in a carrier lined with a towel. Cats can urinate and defecate during transport. Cats must also have a current rabies vaccine on file. As we run by appointment, please ensure you are on time for your appointment as well as pick up promptly after service is completed. During the Groom-Existing skin conditions can be exposed with de-matting and clipping of your pet. Cats’ skin has a higher risk of being cut which increases with age and matting. Cats also have a high risk of complications during the grooming process, even slight stress with underlying undiagnosed conditions can result in illness and even death. We recommend all cats be seen by a veterinarian regularly as heart and kidney issues are common in cats and can cause these to increase during or after a groom. Grooming is at the owners/agents own risk Furry Beginnings and its staff hold no liability to the accident, illness, or death of a cat under their supervision. Please be aware of this. We will do all in our power to avoid this from happening, the best thing you can do is keep your pets’ health checks and vaccinations up to date and keep grooming regular. Furry Beginnings will not groom senior cats with health ailments as they should be groomed in a veterinary facility for their safety. All cost associated with Veterinary attention are the pet owners/agent’s responsibility. If your cat is presented at the salon to have a contagious disease (e.g., ringworm, cat flu, bacterial or fungal skin infections), or is needing Veterinary attention for a found existing condition, your cat will be sent home and the groom not completed, with full grooming fees paid. Failure to disclose pre-existing conditions is considered a liability to my groomers and our next clients and will result in any future services being denied. Often Cats will reach a stress threshold for grooming and can only tolerate so much. For the safety and wellness of the cat, we may break the grooming up into two appointments.
PUPPIES
Puppies need to have at least 2 sets of puppy shots before coming into the salon. We follow a strict disinfection protocol however this is for their safety as some illnesses are airborne and unavoidable. We recommend puppies begin with our silver package to acclimate them to grooming. Trying to groom a young dog for the first time can be stressful and difficult for them so we do also work with sharp equipment and make sure your pet is always safe during the grooming process. Our groomers always put their pet’s safety and wellbeing first, due to this we may decline providing a full haircut for first time puppies until we can fully assess their grooming ability. As always, your groomer will let you know what you can do at home to help your puppy on their grooming journey.
PICTURES
Your pet/s photos and videos may be displayed on social media/website, please let us know if don’t wish you pet pictures future on our website and social media.