First time clients receive $20 off on one of the full service options!
First time clients receive $20 off on one of the full service options!
Please reach us at ezpetgroomingil@gmail.com, or 773-606-2242 if you cannot find an answer to your question.
We only require proof of the yearly/or 3 year rabies vaccination being given to your pet as it is required by law. Though we highly recommend having your pet up to date on all vaccinations, including flea and tick preventive; we do not require proof of these.
The rabies tag is unfortunately not a form of proof we can accept in order to groom your pet since it does not have their name, and exact date it was given. The tag is more for an easy quick glance while your dog is out in public. We require official vet paperwork to be brought in and seen by your pet groomer in order to be accepted. If you cannot find the paperwork, contact your vet to email the forms to ezpetgroomingil@gmail.com or have them get them for you.
In the state of Illinois, it is required by law that every dog, cat, and ferret be up to date on their rabies vaccination starting at the age of 4 months and older. The disease known as rabies is an incredibly dangerous and fatal disease that is spread through saliva. A misconception about this disease is that it is only spread if the animal bites; which is partially true, but it is only true because their saliva travels through the wound they procured.
So could a animal (or human) who doesn't bite spread this disease? Yes, if they lick, cough, sneeze, drool, etc and it gets on any open wound, eyes, mouth, nose etc. of a non exposed person/animal, then it is a potential risk that would need immediate attention if the possibly exposed animal is not proven to be vaccinated.
For humans, the immediate attention usually persists of 4 rabies vaccinations during a 2 week span. The vaccination in humans only removes the disease once exposed but can not prevent the disease in advance like it can for dogs. There is a pre exposure vaccination for people in the animal handling field, but even if they are exposed after the fact, they still require the exposure booster vaccinations afterward (2 in a 3 day span)Once symptoms of rabies persist, it is too late to receive post exposure treatment and chances of survival are slim to none.
This can all be very preventable with pets receiving the rabies vaccination yearly (or every 3 years if applicable) Not only will it keep the people and animals around you safe, but also your pet safe from the disease itself. Many think that it can be unlikely that their pet could be exposed to rabies without them knowing they got infected, but one of the most common ways rabies is spread, is through bat bites, which is a common species in the state of Illinois. Bat bites are incredibly small and would be hard to see through the fur on your pet thus being easy to miss. That being said: If you or your pet ever get bitten by another animal (whose not vaccinated) report it immediately and receive post exposure care. Even if you just see two tiny bite marks and don't know where it came from, it might be best to seek medical attention.
If your pet cannot be vaccinated or if you are uncomfortable with vaccinations, it is the best course of action to seek pet grooming services at a veterinarian who offers grooming with no vaccinations, or to do the services at home. There are many videos and seminars out there to help teach home grooming for these types of circumstances.
If a pet bites (technically any form of saliva but it is generally not reported as it is not usually noticed) and does not have the rabies vaccine, it MUST be reported by law, and there are consequences towards the pet parent and even the pet. Please take this disease seriously for yours, your pet, and others safety. It may be considered an uncommon disease now, but it is only considered uncommon due to vaccinations.
This is a link to the IL department of health explaining Rabies
This is a link to IL General Assembly regarding the vaccination law
https://ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/008/008000300000200R.html
It is understandable to just want a haircut with no bath, especially if you are bathing at home. Most groomers do not offer just the haircut for a few reasons.
1. Giving a haircut on even a slightly dirty coat, will result in a poor quality haircut. Even if the bath was done at home by the pet parent, since the pet groomer did not do it, they are unsure if the quality of the bath will be high enough for a proper haircut; in which they would have to refuse the service at drop off if it's not, which wastes the pet parents time and the pet groomer. Most pet parents also do not own a dryer that will fully dry a coat as well, this can also lower haircut quality.
2. A dirty coat can be dangerous to cut. When a dog is too oily the blades can get caught in the coat easier resulting in possibly cutting the skin. Using a brush on an oily coat can harm the dogs skin with too much repetitive motion. (oily or wet skin is more sensitive). Shears may not cut the hair properly and fold it, leading to excessive scissor work which can lead to possibly cutting the skin.
3. Cutting a dirty coat is very harsh on pet grooming equipment and will require replacement or more frequent sharpening. Which will cost more, leading to needing to be charged more for the haircut service alone.
4. The haircut itself will take more time as we must go slower for the pets safety due to the examples above, and to try a make the haircut look as presentable as possible. Which will then lead to the haircut costing more.
In the long run, it is the safest, and best option for your pet to be bathed by the pet groomer as part of their service.
It is understandable to not want your pet to be waiting too long. Dog grooming services take an abundance of time and for a more detailed explanation on what is included in the service, take a look below at the FAQ 'Why is dog grooming higher in price' It explains in detail all we do and how long it can generally take for each part.
At our pet grooming salon, we take staggered appointments for dogs. It gives time to bathe and fully/mostly dry for that appointment. Then we give that dog a break while the next one comes in to be bathed and dried as well. Each dog is switched out to be serviced while the others take breaks. It is very beneficial for dogs to receive a moment to relax after parts of grooming as it can be stressful for them (they do not understand why they need these services, all they know is that its overstimulating with noises, smells, textures etc.)
We know the thought of your pup being here for an extended time can be concerning, especially if they are in a crate for a portion of that time. But it is generally a small portion they are actually relaxing in their crate. Each individual dog can still take 1-3 hours for the actual service. So time spent in their room in total is generally only 1-3 hours depending on the dog and how the day is going; and that is not typically a full 1-3 hours straight, it is staggered in intervals for breaks in between the service. There will be another section soon in the FAQ where there is a more detailed explanation on dogs and crates to help ease any possible concern.
We would also like to say that if your pup shows any concerning signs of stress while they are taking breaks, we will always be honest and tell you. We will then figure out a plan to make their time with us more comfortable.
If you are still concerned on the time frame and having your dog in a crate; take a look at the enhancement section in services and pricing where you have the option to add on a express service which would be straight through with no crates.
This is a very understandable question, especially since it is recommended to get your dog groomed every 4-8 weeks. The numbers can add up! I will do a step by step of what we and most other dog groomers do during each session on a well behaved dog with a well maintained coat (Time below varies based on size of breeds and coat types)
1A) Pre-Shampoo wash 1B)Shampoo wash 1C)Conditioner wash (10mins-40mins)
2A)Towel Dry 2B)Blow Dry: face, ears, body, legs, and tail (10mins-1 hour)
3A. Clean ears 3B) Pluck ears (upon request) (2-10 mins)
4.Nail Trim/Grinding (2-15mins)
5)Anal Gland Expression (Upon Request) (1-5 mins)
6)Brush out without any matting (5mins-30mins)
7)Brush Teeth and Dental Spray (2-5 minutes)
8)Haircut Portion (40min-2.5 hours)
-Shave inside ears -Trim ears even; both length and fluff inside and out
-Trim around mouth -Clipper body in set length multiple times 360°
-Trim face even; both length and fluff
-Clipper and/or Hand scissor 4 legs in set length multiple times 360°
-Hand scissor 4 paws -Hand scissor anything uneven around body and legs
-Blend everything stated above other than sanitary areas and paw pads.
Total time range for 1 well behaved dog: 1-5 hours
If the dog is wiggly, jumpy, aggressive, matted, etc, it can cause the time to go even longer. We are using sharp objects to groom the coat, meaning we have to be incredibly cautious. Even the slightest movement from the dog can cause an incident if we aren't careful enough. An example we like to use is: Have someone hold up a piece of paper for you, then try and draw a circle, but the person is also randomly moving the paper as well. You will have a very hard time creating that circle.
Side note: The reason for using the term 360 degrees, is because most of the time, when people think of a haircut, they are thinking similar to human haircuts, where it is in one spot (the head) or a photo of a dog that appears flat. A dog is 3D of hair, we are grooming the entire dog, all around 360 degrees. so we aren't doing a just quick trim on just the top of the body, or just the sides of the legs or just the bottom of the tail. or just the tips of the ears, or just the edges of the face, it is a full even cut all around the dog, every crevice, a complete 360 degrees all around.
Additional foreseen/unforeseen circumstances
-Possible clean up of urine, feces, and anal glad, vomit, and slobber from their rooms, the grooming table/tub or even when it happens on us (we understand, accidents happen!)
-Avoiding bites, scratching, and kicking (or being bit, scratched and kicked)
-Abundance of lifting and bending (dogs weights ranging 5lbs-200+lbs)
General costs for equipment and running a business
Equipment can vary; but the cheaper we go, the more frequent it must be replaced and the quality in services can go down significantly
-1 Clipper: $300+ -1 Grooming Table: $1K-$3K+ -1 Grooming Tub: $1K-3K -1 Shear: $100-$300+
-1 Set of Blades: $200-$1K+ -1 Set of Guard Combs: $50+ -Brushes: $50-$200
-General Products (Shampoo, etc) $200/Monthly. -Kennels: $500-10k+
-Sharpening-$300+/Every 3 Months
-Rent/Insurance/Utilities/Upkeep/Etc: $3000+/Monthly.
This is a small example of overall costs for the pet grooming profession and running a business. We must also earn a living outside of the profession on top of this to afford general cost of living.
Summary
We do everything we can to make sure your pet is looking their best, along with doing it safely and comfortably for them. Pet Grooming takes an abundance of patience, time, skill, labor, and upkeep of equipment. We only charge what makes sense for these qualities. Different pet groomers may charge differently depending on their location, products, equipment, skill, building rent/taxes/upkeep, utilities, insurance, etc. I hope this explanation can bring comfort knowing that the price isn't just 'Bath, nails, haircut' there's much more depth and care being put into your pets care! I wish to be as transparent with my services and prices as possible so that you know everything you are getting, and the price associated with that service. Do not hesitate with any questions on why certain services are priced the way they are. We never wish to leave anyone frustrated or confused.