Professional Grooming Services
Available:
Monday 8:00am – 7:00pm (latest drop off @ 10:00am)
Wednesday 8:00am – 7:00pm (latest drop off @ 10:00am)
Thursday 8:00am – 7:00pm (latest drop off @ 10:00am)
Friday 8:00am – 7:00pm (latest drop off @ 10:00am)
Saturday 8:00am – 1:00pm (latest drop off @ 10:00am)
Grooming Service
The grooming process usually takes a few hours from start to finish, so be prepared to leave your dog with us. We will contact you as soon as your dog is ready. Puppy’s first groom, special handing needs, matted fur and geriatric patients take a little more time than other pets. We will try to best of our ability, to give you an accurate estimate of time needed for your pet.
Each dog is walked at least once during their stay and at the end of the grooming experience, as an expression of affection for all their hard work. Or they are exercised outside every 3 hours if they will be with us for the whole day. Holding kennels are within view and pets are never left unattended. All grooming patients are given free access to water at all times.
Some pets are calmed by your presence and others are extremely distracted. Staying with your pet while they are being groomed will be evaluated on a per case basis.
Grooming price structure
Prices are based on weight of the dog, length of hair, thickness of coat and complexity of the cut requested. See price list.
A Full Groom includes the following:
Ears are cleaned, and Plucked (breed specific)
Hair growth and wax buildup is removed and ears are thoroughly cleaned with Epi-Otic, a cleansing, drying and non-irritating professional ear wash.
Nails are trimmed and sanded.
After clipping, nails are filed to a rounded edge; reducing scratches on hardwood floors, furniture and especially helpful if they are a jumper.
Feet are Trimmed
Matted or long hair between pads of the feet is removed to give better traction, prevent debris from getting stuck in the foot and keep your floors cleaner on “wet weather” days.
Hand Blow Dry
Forced drying with a high power grooming dryer is the fastest way of drying and fluffing your pet, if they will tolerate it. Most dogs usually do well with most of the body being forced dried. For face shy or extremely skittish dogs, can be dried more slowly in a cage dryer. Dogs are NEVER left unattended during kennel drying.
Sanitary clip
Hair around the private areas and underside of the dog is shaved very close for a cleaner experience with all bathroom functions.
Haircut or De-shedding suited to your dog's breed and the needs of both you and your pet.
Together, we fully assess the dog and talk about the cut and styling you would like.
Anal gland expression by the doctor upon request.
Oatmeal Shampoo
A soothing, hypoallergenic shampoo to soothe most coat types is used in most instances.
Problem skin, extra conditioning, whitening and detangling shampoos are also available as appropriate. You can also bring in your own shampoo of preference.
Blueberry Facial Cleanser
Oatmeal and Blueberry Facial is a tearless & relaxing shampoo that cleans and brightens your pet's face and helps remove tears stains. This product is especially effective for Shi Tzu, Maltese, Schnauzers, Lhasa Apso.
Complimentary Bows, Bowties and Bandanas are the finishing touch on the “new do”
Bathing Only Includes the following: (see descriptions above)
Ears cleaned, and Plucked (breed appropriate)
Nails trimmed
Hair under and around the feet trimmed (breed appropriate)
Hand Blow Dry
Sanitary clip
Anal Glands may be expressed by the Vet for an additional fee.
Tooth Brushing
Done on a regular basis, helps to keep plaque from forming on teeth and freshen breath.
We apply a beef flavored, dog “Toothpaste” with a specially designed toothbrush to the interior of the pet’s mouth.
There is a limit to what a single brushing of the teeth can accomplish, however. Pets with advanced dental disease should be evaluated by a veterinarian for professional dental cleaning.
Paw-dicure
Nails clipped and sanded - $33.00 without groom, and included with groom
Add nail polish for an extra $5.00.
Matted pets
Every effort will be made to keep your pet’s coat or as much as possible if desired. Bathing with a quality conditioner and detangling shampoo can sometimes save some of the coat length. If your pet is severely matted, he/she may need to be shaved or cut shorter than the original length discussed.
Matted pets are more difficult to shave, require more time and may be cut or "scraped" by the clippers. Matted pets may be charged an extra fee, between $15 - $24 depending on the size of the dog. In severe cases, an additional fee of $30 per ½ hour over the estimated time will be accrued. The skin may be irritated under the matted fur. We will brush out only minimal mats as your pet can tolerate. Brushing can be painful in sensitive areas, like behind the ears. We always do what is in the pet's best interest.
De-shedding
De-shedding can remove up to 60% more hair than brushing alone. It's essential that a thick-coated dog is de-shed and de-matted prior to bathing. Dogs hair is different from ours and doesn't need frequent baths to keep it nice looking. In general, a good rule of thumb is; brush more, bathe less.
Periodic brushing at home will help to keep the coat looking good and in better shape, which will cut down on the time spent on the grooming table.
From start to finish, a thick coat that hasn’t been groomed in a while could take up to three hours to groom.
De-shedding Process- Between $10.00 and $20.00
*Depending on size and coat thickness of the coat.
Aggressive dogs
First, PLEASE INFORM US if you think your dog may bite! For your pet’s safety and ours, it’s important we are prepared for the event that may require muzzling or additional assistance to restrain. We do use muzzles if a dog is showing signs of aggression, but we always give the benefit of the doubt first. Some grooming customers are best served with the use of tranquilizers. A veterinary consultation will evaluate if tranquilizers are a viable option for your pet.
Older pets
Older pets have a more difficult time with being groomed. They tend to be sore and sometimes snap if something pulls or hurts them. Sometimes they can't stand for the length of the groom or they may become unfocused and easily distracted. We do our best to groom them as usual, sometimes employing support straps to take some weight off their legs, but taking into account their age, we sometimes can't accomplish the same cut. Your pet's comfort comes first.
Puppies
Puppies are very impressionable, so we try to make their first few visits fun. Puppies are very wiggly and have extremely short attention spans so we will only do what we can do safely. We don’t expect these haircuts to come out perfectly. We will also show and explain grooming tools and methods for you to use at home if requested.
Veterinary Care
Valley Animal Hospital (VAH) takes pride in its safe and careful grooming practices. However, as we all know, animals can move unexpectedly, despite our best efforts and accidents can and do happen. Minor cuts and scrapes are reviewed by and administered to by the attending veterinarian. In the unlikely case that VAH believes major veterinary care is needed during the course of grooming, we will follow the guidelines provided by you.
VAH will always attempt to notify you before providing/seeking veterinary care. In the event that you and your emergency contact are unreachable, VAH will administer immediate veterinary care, as it deems necessary to the immediate well being of the pet. VAH will make every attempt to use your preferred veterinarian, if other than VAH, however, you will be solely responsible for the costs of any veterinary care outside VAH, including transportation to such care, even if veterinary care is sought prior to making contact with you or your emergency contact.
Just for Fun
Hair Color, Temporary Tattoos, Nail Polish and Ear Feathers are optional services that are available to give your pet their own personal style.
Payment/cancellation/early-late drop off and pick up
Payment is due at the time the pet is picked up. We accept cash, checks or debit/credit cards. Please be on time for your scheduled drop off. We may not be able to accommodate a pet that is more than 30 minutes late. If you think you might be late, please call and we will let you know what options are available. If you need to change or cancel an appointment please give us 24 hours’ notice so we can fill your spot. There is no charge for canceling or changing a grooming appointment.
Appointments
Please call: 973.509.5225, to make an appointment.
Enter through the front doors and check in with reception.
Dropping Off
Drop off times are generally between 8:00-10:00am, with other times through out the day with prior arrangement. An owner is welcome to drop off as late as 10:30am if they know they will be picking up the pet later in the afternoon. Pets visiting for baths only by the groomer may be admitted as late as Noon.
Picking Up
Pets are normally groomed in order of arrival. As a courtesy, you may request a certain pick-up time & we will try to accommodate everyone as much as possible. Upon admittance, please inform the receptionist if you would prefer to pick up by a certain time so that we can try to schedule accordingly.
We always try to finish cats, puppies and geriatric dogs before other pets due to their special needs. Cats are kept away from dogs to allow for a more comfortable, peaceful experience.
Express Groom
If you prefer a guarantee that your pet’s grooming will be completed within 2 hours of admittance, you may request an “Express Groom” for a $10-15 additional fee (dependent on size.)
Vaccines
All Canines are required to be up to date on their Bordetella, Da2plpv (distemper), and Rabies Vaccine to enter the groomingfacility.
All Felines must be up to date on their FDRCP Vaccine to enter the grooming facility.