Please ensure you have read the policies of Canine Works prior to booking an appointment. By requesting and booking an appointment you agree to abide by the terms of our policies.
MATTING
Matting forms when fur becomes tangled and wraps around itself, forming tightly wound clumps of loose live and dead fur. It is a painful condition that restricts blood flow and adheres to your dog’s skin. The skin will not be able to breathe properly, leading to issues such as hot spots, rashes, parasite infestation, skin infections and urine and faecal scalding. A matted coat may thus, hide a multitude of problems. It traps moisture (or other foreign bodies such as grass seeds) near the dog’s skin allowing mold, fungus or bacteria to grow, causing skin irritations.
Matts are difficult to remove and require extra attention and time during the grooming session. Removing a matted coat includes risks of nicks, cuts, or abrasions. It can cause itchiness, skin redness, irritations or abrasions and failure of the hair to regrow. Dogs may itch and scratch their skin after clipping and this may lead to broken skin. In some cases dogs may also exhibit brief behavioural changes. The removal of large matts from a dog’s ears may also cause head and ear shaking and scratching, leading to haematoma (leakage of small blood-vessels) in the ear.
Prevention is the best defence against matting by maintaining an effective brushing routine at home and scheduling regular grooming appointments. If you don’t know how to brush your dog properly, please ask me for a complimentary brushing lesson and recommended tools.
Extra costs will be incurred for matted dogs (at a charge of $1 a minute). If the dog is uncomfortable or non-cooperative or aggressive we also reserve the right to refuse to groom or leave the groom incomplete while still requesting payment of the full groom to cover our costs. Please understand it is not the groomer's fault your dog’s coat is in bad condition. I prefer not to groom a matted dog due to the above risks. If you wish to proceed with the groom knowing these risks, you must be aware that if your dog requires veterinarian treatment due to any of the above, this will be at your own cost.
You agree that Canine Works is not responsible for any veterinary bills associated with the groom and the dematting procedure.
PARASITES
If we find parasites present during any stage of the groom, the grooming will be terminated and you will be contacted to immediately pick up your dog. There will be payment of the full groom plus an additional fee / charge to cover the cost of flea elimination / disinfection and deep clean of the premises and equipment.
CANCELLATIONS
In the event of a cancellation with less than 24 hours notice or a no-show, the full service fee will be charged. We send reminder messages at least 24 hours prior to appointments to give clients enough time to accept or decline or reschedule bookings. If you do not reply to these reminders and/or do not show up to an appointment, we reserve the right to request payment of the full groom to cover the cost of the appointment which was reserved for you.
We value your understanding and cooperation in adhering to this policy, as it enables us to effectively manage our schedule and accomodate other clients on our wait list.
Although all necessary precaution is taken, there is always a risk of accidents when working with live mobile animals and sharp instruments. The grooming process can also expose hidden medical concerns or undiagnosed conditions and/or inadvertently aggravate existing problems. For example, matted coats, long nails or difficult behavior can increase the risk of accidents and injuries. Grooming sick or elderly dogs or dogs with chronic conditions is entirely at the owner’s risk. If your dog shows signs of illness, please reschedule their grooms. In the event of injury or illness a vet visit may be required. Owners are fully liable for all vet costs in these instances. In the case of an emergency, you will be contacted for permission to take your animal to a vet for treatment. If you are unreachable, we will take the action that is in the best interest of your pet. We recommend our clients have pet insurance.