Permission to shave a matted coat
I give my groomer Hannah Seels at 15 Scruff Street grooming salon, the permission to shave my matted/felted dog and understand that shaving my dog will dramatically change their appearance and the hair will be very short and close to the skin. I have read and understood the shave down policy shown to me. If during this procedure your dog becomes distressed or exha
usted I reserve the right to ask you to bring this dog back another day so I may finish the job. There will be an additional charge for this
I recommend you set up regular you set up regular grooming appointments to prevent the need for shaving off the coat again, if your still struggling to keep your dogs coat free from matting within the schedule I have recommended I recommend that you bring your dog in more often to have a bath & dry which includes a full body brush out, this will help keep the matting at bay. Our shave policy
When a dog is presented in a severely matted condition, it is my policy to shave the whole coat using electric clippers with a close blade. To dematt the coat would cause the dog tremendous stress and discomfort, often leaving a very thinned and damaged coat. Shaving the coat is quicker and is more gentle on the dog. Many dogs are traumatized by unnecessary hours of de-matting, putting them off grooming for life. I consider shaving as an act of kindness. A severely matted dog can suffer many conditions;
Hot spots & sores
Mites & lice
Fungal & bacterial infections
Maggot infestation
Yeast infections
Scalding urine and Faeces
Flea infestation
Eye and ear infections
Moist eczema
Severe itching
Haemotomas caused by removing matted and felted hair due t coat neglect
Once the coat is removed, the skin can be red due to the lack of air circulation and dirt that has accumulated underneath. Occasionally, there are sores, these may need veterinary treatment. Dogs tend to scratch and rub their skin after the shaving, this is normal, however, some dogs can over scratch or shake their heads. If this is the case it may lead to broken skin and blood loss caused by haematomas. Dogs feel different after shaving. Lighter, off balance and cooler, most are glad to have freedom of movement again and are ful of life. Others seem to take it quite personally that they are bald, they hide and sulk for days. The skin will feel like suede and depending on the colour of the dog can be quite pink. Regardless of how the dog will look, they will feel better. Book your appointments regularly to ensure availability and after the shave off will be the perfect opportunity to start a regular grooming practice. Thank you for understanding that I will put your dogs welfare first and that I want the best grooming experience. Matted coats can cause a variety of skin and health problems which left untreated would require a visit to the vets. Matted coats do not let the air circulate to the skin, this can cause hot spots, bacterial infections, fungal infections, fleas, ticks, maggots and other parasites may be living under or in the matted coat. Matted fur/hair starts to pull on the skin causing pain to your pet every time it moves, this causes the skin underneath the matts to become raw and inflamed. It also restricts the supply of blood to the skin and in extreme cases dogs have been know to loose limbs due to extreme matting. We may discover pre existing skin condition that may have been hidden under the matts, I will inform you of anything I find so you take appropriate action if necessary. Due to matting your dogs hair/fur might need to be shaved off short with clippers, usually I try my best to keep the hair as long as possible but if the matts are felted to the skin the only blade I would be able to get between the matts and skin would be a very close cutting blade. As you can imagine this will drastically change the appearance of your dog. The blade needs to be short to get between the matts and skin it can cause a rash called clipper rash. Using shorter blades can also increase the risk of cut and there is also chances of allergies from the metal blades being so close to the skin, these are the risks you must take to help your pets become healthy again. We endeavor to make your pets grooming session as comfortable as possible and always take the upmost care. If I feel that I cannot safely remove the matting i will advise you to take your dog to the vets. Total clip off incur a £10 extra charge on top of the normal groom price for your breed this is because the matts damage my blades as I try to get through the fur/hair and this makes them blunt so I then have to send them off to be sharpened. They might exhibit unusual behavior for a few days after the clip off, for example excessive licking, unsettled, happier, rubbing themselves along surfaces. Booking regular grooms plus good home grooming will help prevent your dogs coat from getting knots and matted therefore not needing to have your dog shaved off in future. If you need advice on how often you should have a groom please ask. Please note if your dog start to shake its head after being clipped off please take it to the vets (this would be at your cost) please ask me and I will explain why. Policy for shaving a double coated breed
A dogs coat protects its skin, insulating in the winter and cooling in the summer whilst protecting the skin from sunburn. The thicker the coat, the thinner and more fragile the dogs skin is. Dogs have compound hair follicles with 7-15 hairs per follicle. These follicles are made up of the main guard/primary hair with several undercoat hairs. When clipped, these hairs may drop back into their follicle, not allowing them to shed properly or at all, eventually your dogs coat is likely to lose its lustre and fullness and may grow back patchy or not at all, especially if he/she has an underlying health issue. Shaving your dog will not prevent shedding. They will still shed, just shed to smaller hairs. Double coated dogs need regular brushing out and professional grooming to remove the undercoat, this prevents matting and keeps the dog cool by allowing the flow of cool air to the dogs skin during the summer months. Your dog needs his/her coat to stay cool in the heat. Unlike humans, dogs cant sweat (apart from their pads of their feet. They also pant to keep cool. Shaving them actually exposes their skin more directly to the sun and causes them to overheat. Brushing out the undercoat without shaving the topcoat is the best way to keep your dog cool. If you insist that your double coated dog is shaved, you will need to sign the disclaimer provided after having read this form. I give consent that my signature will only need to be provided once for all future grooms. Pets Name:
Clients Name:
Signed:
