My pet has a lot of mats.  Is it really necessary to shave it bald?

It depends on the severity of the matting.  Our friend's health and well being has to be our first concern.  Minor mats can sometimes be worked out by hand or with a scissor.  We even have a special body wash that aids in this process, but unfortunately, it can only do so much.  Sometimes shaving down or stripping is the only option.  Severe mats can cause skin irritations and hide other conditions such as hot spots, dermatitis, seborrhea, parasites, cuts, scabs, sores and redness.  We can't be responsible for the condition of your pet's skin under all that hair, but we will do our best to warn you ahead of time so you are aware of the danger.  Oftentimes, after shaving, the pet's skin can look fine, but he will spend the next few days scratching like crazy.  Unfortunately, this is normal.  Severe matting decreases the circulation of blood to your friend's skin.  You know how it feels when your foot falls asleep, imagine that feeling all over your whole body and you will understand why your pet is scratching incessantly.  Of course, we want our friend to look beautiful, but it's more important that he is healthy.  Rest assured, we will not strip your pet without your permission.  We will discuss your choices, how best to address them and most important of all, how to avoid a like situation in the future.

I worry about it being too cold in the winter to have my pet groomed, is it?

It's amazing how many people worry about the same thing.  You wouldn't go all winter without a bath and neither should your pet, especially with all the windows closed up!  Our Mobile Spa is totally climate-controlled.  Toasty warm in the winter and cool without humidity in the summer and for those beautiful fall and spring days that we all can't get enough of, we have 3 built-in roof top fans that safely circulate fresh air.

What is Aromatherapy and how will my pet benefit from it?

Aromatherapy typically uses products from nature without artificial chemicals to create a soothing and calming effect through our sense of smell.  Not only do the scent of essential oils convey feelings of calm and tranquility, but they are known to have certain restorative powers.  These oils are derived from leaves, flowers, woods and other natural sources.  A dog's sense of smell is up to a thousand times more sensitive than ours which is why aromatherapy can be of such a benefit to them.  When inhaled, essential oils affect the most primitive part of the brain, the limbic system, which controls feelings and emotions.  Unfortunately, for our cat and kitty friends, aromatherapy is not suitable for them because thier physiology can not effectively process the oils.

How far in advance do I need to schedule an appointment?

We try to be as accomodating as possible, but we also try to group together our visits so that we see our friends who live nearby each other on the same day.  We need to do this to be efficient time and gas-wise.  We highly recommend that you become one of our special Furry Friends and have a standing appointment at a set interval of your choice(every 4-6 weeks is advised for most, but depending on your pet and your needs you can go as long as 12 weeks between appointments) on a particular day and time.  We start early.  7:00am is our first appointment.  So your pet can have his spa session before you even leave for work. 

If you need to change an appointment or require a specific time, it is much easier for us if you can do so BEFORE those 48 hour emails go out.  After they are sent we need to contact every client again to adjust our arrival time.

We politely ask, as a friend, that you call us if you need to cancel or reschedule.  If we come to visit you at your scheduled time and you are not home, there will be a $50 surcharge to be paid before we can schedule another visit.

Does my pet actually get a "blueberry facial"?

Yup!  The blueberry facial is a special product that is specially formulated so that it is safe to use on the face and tearless as not to irritate the eyes.  It also has aromatherapeutic properties and is infused with the essence of lavendar, chamomile, and blueberries.  It also brightens, whitens and smells super yummy!

I'm almost afraid to ask, but what are anal glands and why does my pet need them "expressed"?

Your friend has a gland/sac on either side of their anus that fills with fluid.  This is quite normal.  Most often, during the course of having a bowel movement, the sacs empty on their own.  If they don't over a period of time, they can become infected or impacted.  This can become very uncomfortable, even painful if left untreated.  Your vet will usually charge extra for this service, but we check the gland as part of our Spa Package and only express it when necessary.  If you want to know exactly how it's done, please ask us in person and we'll spare everyone else the gory details!!!

My pet is kind of cranky and not very well behaved.  Aren't you afraid of getting bit?

We can't stress enough how much we love to do the things we do!!!  After grooming for 30 years, there isn't much we haven't seen or dealt with.  We see all pets, both dog and cats, that have issues with grooming for whatever reasons, as potential friends.  We enjoy the challenge of earning their trust and winning them over.  Most are just scared and with care and compassion, a new friendship can blossom.  Our success rate is phenomenal, but once in a blue moon, we encounter a pet that just isn't willing to be our friend and when that happens, we will stop immediately, rather than risk injury.  This is an extremely rare occurence.  We hate to do it, but unfortunately, sometimes it is necessary to muzzle your pet for a part of the spa process that they are ultra sensitive to, but we strive to make it as quick and as pleasant as possible. If your pet's issues are especially time consuming, there might be a small "cranky friend" handling fee.

Are there any additional charges?

We include the best of everything in our spa sessions.  We don't offer basic, deluxe or super deluxe packages.  We believe every friend deserves ALL OUR SERVICES because in our role as Spa Technician, we are a huge part of their care giving team, but occasionally we run into pets that need a little something extra which might incur additional charges.  We will do our best to notify you up front if this is necessary.

Excessive Dematting and Undercoat Removal .....................$5 for every 15 minutes.

Excessive Flea & Tick Eradication for cats and dogs under 50lbs...................$5

Excessive Flea & Tick Eradication for dogs over 50lbs...................................$10

Nail Grinding for dogs under 50lbs.......................................................................$5

Nail Grinding for dogs over 50lbs.........................................................................$10

Nail Polish.........................................................................................................$10

Deep Ear Flush (beyond regular ear cleaning for dogs with chronic problems).........$5

Cranky Dog or Cat Fee.......................................................................................$5-$10

If we are already at your home pampering one pet and you have another friend, canine or feline, that is in need of a just a little attention without a full spa session, we can do that too!  It would be great if you can let us know ahead of time if you have additional friends that way we can ensure enough alloted time.

Nail Trim dogs under 20 lbs..................................................................................$10

Nail Trim dogs under 50 lbs..................................................................................$15

Nail Trim dogs under 100 lbs................................................................................$20

Nail Trim dogs over 100 lbs..................................................................................$25

Nail Trim for Cats................................................................................................$15

Special Spruce Up for a Furry Friend ~~Dog or Cat and any combination of the following: 

Ears, Anals, 15 minutes of Coat Brushing, Bikini Trim, Toothbrushing and Mouthwash, Lemon  Shea Butter Foot Massage, Nail Trim, Grinding...........price negotiable depending on package choices

Soft Claws Acrylic Nail Tips for Cats with Nail Trim..................................................$30

How do I pay for your services?

We are completely computerized.  Our custom software keeps track of each of our friends, their spa history and special needs.  It also generates an itemized invoice for each visit.  We may not be able to quote you an exact price over the phone, but we can give you an educated estimate.  If when we see your pet, he requires extra work(dematting/deshedding), we will notify you up front if this will incur any additional charge.  We promise there will never be any nasty surprises when it comes to your bill.  We accept cash as payment for our first visit.  After that cash or personal check is fine.  We are NOT accepting credit cards at this time, but hope to do so in the near future.  Payment is due at the time services are rendered.  There will be a $35 surcharge on all returned checks.  (That is how much our bank charges us if you bounce a check)  We also have gift certificates available.  Gratuities are not required, but are appreciated, if you feel so inclined.

I'm jealous that my pet is enjoying all these great spa services.Do you do humans, too?

Nope!!  Sorry!!!  You have to have fur and four legs to qualify for our kind of pampering!!!