Health and Medical Conditions

Procedures within the grooming environment can be stressful for some dogs, especially for senior, young, overweight dogs or those with medical concerns. The process may expose unknown medical conditions or aggravate a current one during or after the groom. In the best interest of your pet this agreement will give Grooming the Damson Way permission to seek emergency veterinary treatment if we deem it necessary for whatever reason. We will do the best to contact you first, before taking your pet for treatment, however this may not always be feasible. Unless we are deemed to be negligent all medical expenses are the responsibility of the owner. By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions you are expressly agreeing to the following disclaimer:

Elderly, Infirm, Overweight or Young Dogs Disclaimer
A full groom can take in-excess of 3 hours and is physically demanding as well as stressful for some animals. Whilst Grooming the Damson Way make every effort to provide additional support to elderly/infirm/overweight and young dogs we cannot guarantee that your dog will be able to adequately support themselves for the duration of the groom which may result in serious health risks. There is also an increased risk of other injuries such as cuts and grazes. Grooming the Damson Way reserve the right to stop the grooming process at anytime with payment in full being due on collection of your dog.

Vaccinations

By using our services, owners confirm that their dog is up to date with their annual vaccinations against Canine Distemper, Infectious Canine Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, and Canine Parvovirus. An unvaccinated dog may put itself and others at risk. Grooming the Damson Way takes no responsibility for any dog that may contract any of the aforementioned diseases.
Grooming the Damson Way may ask for proof of vaccination and veterinary information which must be provided.

Fleas & Ticks

Grooming the Damson Way is proud to be a tick/flea free environment. If your dog is known to have a parasitic infestation, we ask that your grooming appointment is rescheduled to a time when your pet is free from said infestation. 48 hours notice must be provided to avoid a cancelation charge. We recommend that you contact your veterinary surgeon to provide you with the best recommended treatment.

Coat Condition

Grooming the Damson Way practice humanity over vanity. If we are presented with a neglected coat and believe, in our professional opinion, it is kinder to remove the coat than it is to de-mat this will be done in accordance with The Animal Welfare Act 2006. Whilst we will make every effort to identify this as part of the pre-groom consultation and coat assessment there may be occasions where the degree of matting cannot be fully identified until we commence the groom.
In this event we will make every effort to contact you however if this is not possible we will, in our professional opinion, do what we believe is in the best interest of the welfare of the dog. By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions you are expressly agreeing to the following De-Matting disclaimer:

De-Matting Disclaimer
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal: – this includes prolonged ‘de-matting’ which is painful and detrimental to the welfare of the dog. If you bring in your dog with more than 15 minutes of de-matting work, we are required by the Act to clip your dog short humanely or refer you to your vet to do the same. We will only attempt to de-matt 5% of a dog – which equates to about 50p sized mat behind each ear, same size in the armpits and perhaps one or two in the groin or tail area. We have assessed your dog’s coat and found it to be matted, therefore it needs to be clipped short. This can be prevented by daily brushing with a slicker brush and comb. Will be happy to explain the correct way to brush your dog and suggest a grooming programme that will allow us to achieve the look you would like for your dog, this may involve more frequent visits to our salon and will certainly involve daily grooming at home. When a dog’s coat becomes matted, it causes discomfort as the matts pull tightly on the skin and underlying health conditions may not be visible. When a matted coat is clipped short, it may occasional reveal sore, reddened and irritated skin, this is due to the fact that the skin has not been able to breathe, and air circulation is not restored. Clipping a matted coat can take longer and cause additional wear and tear on our equipment so a further fee may be chargeable in addition to the normal groom price.
The process of de-matting increases the risk of injury including but not limited to cuts and grazes, skin irritations caused by the shortness of the clipper blades that will be used as well as possible haematomas. In addition, you may see some behavioural changes such as head shaking, excessive scratching, licking and “scooting”. This is where the dog will scrape their back end on the floor to relive itching and irritations. Should you have any concerns you should seek advise from your usual vet.

Additional charges may be incurred due to the wear on equipment, additional products used, as well as time and skill needed to remove matting.

Behaviour

Aggression
Owners have the obligation to inform Grooming the Damson Way of any known aggressive behaviour traits their pet may have to other animals or humans. Specifically, the owner must inform Grooming the Damson Way if they have been advised by previous groomer(s) of any of the aforementioned behaviours.

Nervous/Anxious Dogs
Although Grooming the Damson Way can cater to dogs with nervous traits, owners have the obligation to inform us of any such behaviours in order for us to cater to their needs to the best of our ability.

Behavioural charges will be decided by Grooming the Damson Way depending on the severity of the behaviour and the time, skill, and equipment required to groom the dog. If your dog should bite, you agree to be responsible for all related medical bills, loss of earnings and equipment damage. We reserve the right to refuse service if we believe your dog may become a danger to itself or those within the salon. In the event any of these behaviours present during the groom the session may stopped at anytime and the full fee incurred.

Please take your dog to the toilet before attending their appointment.

Time Keeping

Grooming the Damson Way works to a strict time frame to ensure that your dog receives ample grooming time and one-to-one care. We expect to admit you at your given appointment time, if you are early we may not be able to grant immediate access and would ask that you wait until you allocated time. Likewise, if you are more than 15 minutes late we will may have to refuse your groom on welfare grounds as rushing the groom may lead to unnecessary stress and possible injury. A fee equal to the cost of the groom will be incurred. If you are more than 15 minutes late collecting your dog a late collection charges will be incurred.

Pricing

Any prices provided are an estimate only. Additional charges may be incurred due to:
• Overweight dogs or oversized for the breed
• Unkept/neglected coats
• Aggressive, senior, nervous or timid dogs that require additional handling
• Fleas and/or ticks
• Dogs that require additional handling for whatever reason

Cancellations

We require 48 hours notice for cancelled appointments or the full grooming charge will apply and must be paid in full before re-booking.