Grooming Release Form

Grooming Release Form and Terms of Service
Thank you for choosing Prancin’ Paws Pet Spaw for your pet’s needs. We are proud to provide the ultimate care for your best friend.
Before grooming, please read and agree to our terms of service:
• If your pet has any medical problems (seizures, arthritis, collapsing trachea, heart or breathing problems, etc.) please make us aware of them so we can take the necessary steps to ensure your pet’s comfort. Sometimes grooming can expose a pre-existing condition. We cannot diagnose any conditions but may advise you to seek veterinary attention.
• If your pet has any history of biting, we require that you notify us before the grooming. This will help prevent injury to us and your pet. If your pet has behavioral issues, we will be happy to work through them with you.
• If your pet has fleas or ticks, they will automatically be given a flea/tick bath. The charge for this service is $10.00 added on to your regular grooming fee. This charge covers the extra shampoo, time, and cleaning necessary to ensure that no fleas or tick are active in the salon. The treatment will kill the fleas/ticks on your pet, but after leaving our salon, your pet will not be protected from any fleas or ticks that may be present in your home or pet area.
• If your pet is extremely matted, it may be necessary to be shaved down. WE WILL ONLY SHAVE YOUR PET WITH YOUR CONSENT. Removing a heavily matted coat includes risks to nicks, cuts or abrasions to the skin. Heavy matting can also trap moisture and urine near the pet’s skin allowing mold, fungus or bacteria to grow, as well as causing other types of skin irritations that existed prior to the grooming process. After effects of mat removal can include itchiness, skin redness, self-inflicted irritations or abrasions and failure of the hair to re-grow. Shaved pets are also prone to sunburn and should have sunscreen applied daily or should be kept out of the sun until hair grows sufficiently to protect the skin. Prevention is the best defense against matting by scheduling regular grooming appointments. There is an extra charge for de-matting.
• Health of Medical Problems & Senior Pets: Grooming procedures can sometimes be stressful, especially for a senior pet or pet with health problems, and can be exposed hidden medical problems or aggravate a current one during or after the groom. Because senior pets and pets with health problems have a greater chance of injury, these pets will be groomed for cleanliness and comfort, in styles that will not add to their stress.
• If you must cancel your appointment, please give us as much notice as possible. We understand that schedules change, but short notice cancellations or no shows will result in a charge fee up to the full price of the groom and the inability to book future appointments. Cancellation POLICY: We require a 24HR notice of appointment change or cancellation. NO NOTICE or NO SHOW WILL BE CHARGED $25.00 due at next grooming.
• Prancin’ Paws Pet Spaw reserves the right to refuse service to anyone whose pet may pose a threat to our employees or other pets in our care. This includes, but is not limited to, aggression problems, health problems, and parasite problems other than fleas/ticks.

Prancin’ Paws Pet Spaw Grooming Policies
Prancin’ Paws Pet Spaw has a goal to provide the safest, most enjoyable grooming experience for you and your pets. We strive to maintain a clean grooming salon and provide the highest standards possible with our grooming and the products we use. Below are some policies we have developed to ensure the safety and happiness of your pets while in our care.

Entering and Exiting the Salon, Drop Off, Pick Up, and Parking
We ask that you please have all dogs on a leash when entering and exiting the salon. This is to ensure the safety of your pet and others. Cats need to be in a carrier for safe transport to and from the salon. For returning clients, we do offer curb side drop off and pickup, but please make sure to ask about this when scheduling your appointment.

Bathing Requirements
All pets are required to be bathed as part of the grooming process. This is not only for the benefit of your pet, but also to not damage the groomer’s equipment. Each pet is bathed with an all-natural tearless shampoo, followed up with a cream rinse conditioner. Clients are also welcomed to provide any veterinarian prescribed medicated shampoos as needed. All of our shampoos are of the highest quality and safe for both dogs and cats.

Anal Gland Expression
As part of the regular grooming process, we will check and attempt to express anal glands on smaller breed dogs. If you do not wish this to be done, please notify us when you drop off your dog. If you have a larger breed dog, you may request us to check the glands. We only provide external anal gland expression. Should your pet have impacted anal glands and need internal expression, a veterinarian will need to provide this service.

Ear Care and Ear Hair Removal
All pets will have their ears cleaned with a mild ear cleaner. If your pet has an ear infection, we will let you know so you may consult your veterinarian. Ear hair will be removed/not removed based on your preference and your veterinarian’s advice. Ear hair removal is typically a standard part of the grooming process, if you choose to not have your pet’s ear hair removed, please let us know.

Toenail Trimming
All nails will be trimmed during each grooming appointment. We always do our best to trim the nails as short as possible, without hurting your pet. Should your pet show any signs of aggression during the nail trimming process, we will muzzle your pet (with a basket muzzle designed for easy breathing) for the safety of the groomer and the pet during the nail trimming. We do not like to use muzzles and will try everything possible to avoid muzzling your pet. If your pet is showing signs of stress or aggression, we may not be able to trim the nails.

Appointment Arrival Times
Each groomer has specific appointment times. Please attempt to arrive promptly for your appointment. If you will be more than 10 minutes late, we ask for a call to give notice of when you plan to arrive. If your arrival time exceeds 15 minutes, we ask that you reschedule your appointment to another date and time.

Grooming Process
There are several things to keep in mind when your dog or cat is being groomed. Pets are washed before the groom. A clean pet is easier to groom than a dirty one. Depending on how well you pet handles the dryers, it is difficult to know how long your pet will take to be dried. We aim to have all pets done within a 1–2-hour window, but this is not always possible. After your pet dries, the groomer will clip the nails, clean the ears, and then begin the grooming process. Some pets may or may not like being brushed, and if they have mats it can be a time-consuming process. Mats that are too close to the skin may need to be cut out for the comfort of your pet. You will always have the opportunity to speak with your groomer when you drop off, but keep in mind there is only so much we can do when a dog or cat has severe matting. If we cannot do what you ask, we will notify you of other options. In some cases, it is best to just start over and put your pet on a good maintenance program. The groomer can speak with you after the groom to give you advice on how often you should bring them in, brushes, and other thinks to help maintain your pet’s coat.

Tipping Your Groomers
If you are pleased with the service, you have received we encourage you to show your appreciation to your groomer. Although not required, a gratuity is a powerful way to say, "I appreciate your work." Even a note from you, simply saying "thanks for a job well done" means a great deal.

Cancellation Policy
If it is necessary to cancel/skip your grooming appointment, Prancin’ Paws Pet Spaw does ask for a 24-hour notice when possible. A $25 fee will be applied to the groom for less than 24 hours’ notice. We do understand that unexpected issues can occur without much notice, please notify us at your earliest convenience in those cases. If you no-call no-show more than two times we will ask you pay the full price of the groom before booking your next appointment.

Satisfaction
Our groomers will always work to give your pet the cut that you want, however, keep in mind that your pets comfort and health are always our number one priority. We cannot send a dog or cat home in an unhealthy state. We will always keep notes on who groomed your pet and what was done for the groom. You are always able to request the same groomer and if they are not available, another groomer will be able to read notes on how your pet was groomed. If you are unsatisfied with the groom, please let us know before you leave the shop so that the groomer can make any necessary corrections and we can take notes for the next groom. If changes are requested to the grooming of your pet more than 48hrs after the appointment, there will be an additional charge which may include a re-bathing fee.

Injuries
There is always the possibility of cuts, nicks, or burns during the grooming process. Some pets are harder to handle than others and accidents may occur. There are also times when mat burns show after they are shaved out. This is not caused by the groomer being careless, but the severity of the mats. We will always do an inspection of your pet upon arrival and in the bathtub. Your groomer will notify you of anything they find. Should any cuts occur during the grooming process, we will notify you and advise you on how to treat these. Injuries caused due to the condition of the dog or cats matting is NOT the responsibility of Prancin’ Paws and any veterinarian costs due to this issue are at the expense of the client.