Our services
Fear Free Grooming
- Dogs
- Cats
On-site, low-stress grooming from a certified team, baths, nails, and full grooms in a calm, gentle setting.
- Fear Free Certified practice
- Grooming salon inside the clinic
- A veterinarian down the hall
What it is
A groom your pet doesn't dread
Grooming is a medical service that happens to make your pet look good. Mats pull on skin, overgrown nails change how a dog stands, and an ear that never gets cleaned becomes an ear infection. Those are all health problems, and they are all found on a grooming table before they are found anywhere else.
A matted coat is not untidy, it is painful. Mats tighten as they grow, pulling constantly on the skin, trapping moisture and debris underneath, blocking airflow so the dog cannot regulate temperature, and hiding sores, parasites and lumps from view. Mats on an ear flap can tear the small vessels inside and cause a hematoma. Overgrown nails push the toes sideways with every step and, left long enough, curl into the pad. None of this shows up as limping or crying, it shows up as a dog who has quietly stopped wanting to be touched. Regular grooming prevents all of it, and because we are a veterinary clinic first, the things we find during a groom get looked at the same day.
We are a Fear Free Certified practice with a grooming salon inside the clinic, which means two things. Your pet is handled the same way on the grooming table as in the exam room. And if the groomer finds a lump, a hot spot, an ear infection or a painful hip, a veterinarian is down the hall rather than a phone call and another appointment away.
- 320,000+
- veterinary and pet professionals trained through Fear Free since 2016
- 38%
- of cat owners say that just thinking about the trip is stressful
- 4 to 8 weeks
- how often most long or double-coated dogs need a full groom
Grooming prices
Priced by weight and coat, no surprises
Grooming is priced by your pet's weight and coat type, so you can see where you land before you book. Dogs over 100 pounds, heavy matting and fur dye are quoted per pet once we have seen the coat.
Full service groom
Includes bath, blow dry, haircut, nail trim, ear cleaning, and finishing touch.
| Weight | Single coat | Poodle/doodle | Double coat* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 20 lbs | $65 | $75 | $85 |
| 21 to 40 lbs | $85 | $95 | $105 |
| 41 to 60 lbs | $100 | $110 | $120 |
| 61 to 80 lbs | $110 | $120 | $130 |
| 81 to 100 lbs | $120 | $130 | $140 |
| 100+ lbs | $135+ | $150+ | $160+ |
Bath & brush
Includes bath, blow dry, brushing, nail trim, and ear cleaning. No haircut.
| Weight | Single coat | Double coat* |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 20 lbs | $45 | $65 |
| 21 to 50 lbs | $60 | $80 |
| 51 to 80 lbs | $70 | $95 |
| 81 to 100 lbs | $85 | $115 |
| 100+ lbs | $95+ | $125+ |
Cat grooming
One price for every size of cat.
Full groom
$75
Bath, blow dry, nail trim, ear cleaning
Bath, brush and nail trim
$50
Bath, brush out, and nail trim
Additional services
Nail grind · $15 to $20
Fur dye · Quoted per pet
Groomer consultation required.
Matting · $25+
Based on severity, coat condition, and time required.
The fine print
- *Double coat pricing includes de-shedding.
- Pets over 100 pounds, severe matting and dye work are quoted after we have seen the coat.
Inside the visit
What's included
- Baths and blow-dry, with products matched to skin and coat
- Nail trims and grinding
- Full breed cuts, style cuts and tidy-ups
- De-shedding treatments for double coats
- Ear cleaning and a check of what is going on inside
- Sanitary and paw trims
- Cat grooming with cat-specific handling
- Nail, wing and beak trims for birds and pocket pets
- A health heads-up on anything we find, with vets in the same building
Signs your pet is overdue
One of these is enough to book. Most owners notice two or three at once.
- Tangles or mats, especially behind the ears, under the collar, in the armpits and on the back legs
- Nails clicking on hard floors, or curving toward the pad
- A greasy, flaky coat, or an odor that comes back a day after a bath
- Scratching, head shaking, or a smell coming from the ears
- Scooting, or staining around the eyes, mouth or sanitary area
- Pulling away or snapping when you touch the coat, which usually means it hurts
- A double-coated dog shedding in sheets and clearly uncomfortable in the heat
- A cat who has stopped grooming themselves, which is often the first sign of arthritis or illness
Your visit
What to expect
Unhurried, with breaks, and with a groomer who will tell you the truth about your pet's coat. Here is how an appointment goes.
- 1
A conversation before we start
We talk through the look you want, then run hands over the coat to check for mats, lumps, hot spots, ear issues and sore spots. If what you are asking for is not realistic for the coat in front of us, we say so then rather than surprising you at pickup.
- 2
A calm arrival
Fear Free handling starts at the door: quiet, treats where appropriate, and no forcing a frightened animal onto a table. Anxious and first-time pets get time to look around before anything happens to them.
- 3
Bath and dry
A warm bath with products chosen for the skin and coat in front of us, then a gentle dry. Dryers are a common fear trigger, so we introduce the noise gradually and never leave a pet alone with a forced-air dryer running.
- 4
The cut, at their pace
Breed cut, tidy, or de-shed, worked in sections with breaks. Seniors, arthritic pets and flat-faced breeds get shorter working stints and more rest, because standing on a table is genuinely hard for them.
- 5
Nails, ears and finishing
Nails trimmed or ground back, ears cleaned and checked, sanitary and paw trims to finish. Nails are the single most common thing owners put off, and the one that most changes how a dog walks.
- 6
Pickup, with a health heads-up
You hear what we found, not just how it went. Lumps, ear smell, skin changes, dental tartar, sore joints, anything we noticed gets passed along, and if it needs a vet, ours are in the building. We will also suggest a realistic interval so the coat never gets away from you again.
Good to know
Common questions
How much does grooming cost?+
It is priced by weight and coat type, and the full table is just above. A full service groom runs $65 to $140 for dogs up to 100 pounds, a bath and brush $45 to $115, and cats are $75 for a full groom or $50 for a bath, brush and nails. Dogs over 100 pounds, heavy matting and fur dye are quoted per pet, because the work genuinely varies. A dog kept on a regular schedule costs less to groom than the same dog arriving matted twice a year.
How long does a groom take?+
Plan on a few hours for a full groom, longer for a big or heavily coated dog. Fear Free grooming is not fast grooming: breaks, rest and going at the pet's pace all take time, and an anxious or senior pet may need more of it. We will give you a realistic pickup window when you book.
My pet is anxious, a senior, or has never been groomed. Can you still do it?+
Usually yes, and grooming inside a veterinary clinic is exactly the right setting for it. We use Fear Free handling, build up in short sessions, and stop before a pet is overwhelmed rather than after. Sometimes the right first appointment is a short one that only covers nails and a bath, so the next visit starts from a better place.
Will you sedate my pet for grooming?+
Grooming here is not routinely sedated. That said, some pets are so frightened or so painful that forcing them through a groom awake is the worst option, and for those pets a veterinarian may recommend medication or even sedation. That is a medical decision, made with a vet, discussed with you first, never something that happens without your say-so.
My dog is badly matted. Can you brush it out?+
Sometimes, and sometimes not. De-matting a tight coat means hours of pulling on skin that is already sore, and when mats have fused into a solid layer against the body, brushing it out is not a kindness. In those cases a short clip is the humane answer. We will always tell you before we do it, and warn you that shaved-down skin often looks worse than you expect, with redness, sores or bruising that the coat was hiding.
Does shaving a double-coated dog ruin the coat?+
It can change how it grows back, and for that reason a full shave is not the default for huskies, shepherds, golden retrievers and similar breeds. The undercoat also insulates against heat, so shaving does not automatically make a dog cooler. What those coats actually need is de-shedding and regular brushing. When a double coat is severely matted, welfare comes first and a clip may still be the right call.
How often should my pet be groomed?+
Long, curly and double coats usually need a full groom every four to eight weeks, with brushing at home in between. Short coats need much less, though nails still need attention every few weeks. Doodles and other curly mixes are the coat most often underestimated: they mat fast, and once a month is often not optional.
Do you groom cats?+
Yes, with cat-specific handling and an understanding that cats have a much shorter tolerance window than dogs. Cats need grooming more often than people think, especially long-haired cats and any cat who has stopped grooming themselves, which is often the first visible sign of arthritis, obesity or dental pain.
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