Our pet spas offer a variety of grooming treatments that go beyond bathing, drying and brushing. From nail trimming, hygienic cuts, teeth cleaning and more, we’ve compiled a glossary of both common pet spa grooming treatments, as well as pet spa grooming add-on treatments, so that you can better understand your beloved pet’s spa grooming needs. Thanks to our Grooming Manager, Katie Peacock-Edwards and Grooming Trainer, Alison Brown for sharing their expertise with us.
Common pet spa grooming treatments
- Wash & Groom: Includes a warm water bath, a soothing massage with shampoo, a blow-dry and brush out. This treatment helps maintain a healthy skin & coat, removes dead skin & hair/fur, reduces the risk of tick & flea infestation, and can also assist with the early detection of issues with the ears, eyes, skin and more. Depending on the coat type, a wash & groom treatment can be done every 4-8 weeks on cats and dogs.
- Cut: This treatment is for cats and dogs and involves trimming the coat to remove excess fur/hair and painful matts. The length of the cut varies from season to season: A winter cut involves trimming a smaller length of fur/hair to help keep your pet warm, whereas a summer cut refers to trimming a longer length of fur/hair to help keep your pet cool. The coat can be trimmed every 4-6 weeks if it is brushed on a daily basis at home (take a look at our grooming brushes for dogs and cats.
- De-Shed: A pet deshedding tool, such as the FURminator Undercoat deShedding Tool, or the Olly & Max Deshedding Brush, is used to gently remove loose hair from the undercoat. This can help reduce shedding (in cats & dogs) and hairball formation (in cats). The De-Shed treatment is suitable for cats & dogs and can be done every 3-4 weeks on medium to long-haired coats, and every 4-6 weeks on short-haired coats.
Add-on grooming treatments
- Anal Gland Express: A pet's anal glands are positioned at either side of the anus. These glands empty a small amount of fluid each time the pet passes stool. However, sometimes they do not empty naturally, or do not empty enough. This can lead to the build-up of fluid in the anal glands, which can leak at inconvenient times and cause discomfort. If you notice your pet scooting their bottom along the floor or licking their anus frequently, then they might have full anal glands. At our Pet Spas, our groomers are professionally trained to manually drain full anal glands to offer some relief. The frequency of this treatment will differ depending on the needs of each individual cat and dog; however, it is advised to consult with your veterinarian if you notice any changes in colour, texture or odour of this fluid.
- Ear Cleaning: The ears of cats and dogs should be cleaned at home or at a pet spa on a monthly basis in order to keep them clean and prevent the development of fungal or bacterial infections. At our Pet Spas, an ear cleaning solution is placed inside the ear, which is then gently massaged as the ear cleaning solution dislodges debris and wax build-up. If the ears are particularly waxy, then they should be cleaned weekly, while cat & dog breeds that are prone to ear infections, such as Basset Hounds and Persians, should have their ears cleaned 1-2 times a week.
- Hotspots: Hot spots are red, inflamed patches of skin due to constant licking, biting and scratching. If left untreated, the hot spot can become infected and spread to other parts of the skin, which can cause great discomfort. The Hotspots treatment can be done as an add-on to a Wash & Groom, Cut or Deshed at our Pet Spas to save you time from doing it yourself at home. Our groomers apply Ricky Litchfield Topical Spray or Ricky Litchfield Topical Gel to the affected area. These topical products have antiseptic, antifungal & antibacterial properties which can help soothe hot spots. The frequency of this treatment will differ depending on the individual needs of each cat and dog.
- Hygiene Cut: A Hygiene Cut is recommended for pets with long hair/fur that matts easily. The groomer shaves or trims around the pet’s genital and anal area to help keep these areas hygienic and free of any tangles or unwanted hair/fur. A Hygiene Cut can be done on long-haired cats and dogs on a monthly basis.
- Nail Trimming: Nails that are too long are at risk of being torn off when caught on a piece of carpeting or furniture. This can result in an injury that might require veterinary care. Longer nails also make it harder for pets to walk comfortably. The nails of both cats and dogs should be trimmed on a monthly basis. Pet nail clippers are not always the easiest to use at home, so let one of our trained groomers at our Pet Spas trim your pet's nails for you.
- Special Cuts: A lamb cut, teddy bear cut and kennel cut are just a few examples of Special Cuts for dogs, while a lion cut is an example of a Special Cut for cats. Some of these Special Cuts are breed specific. At our Pet Spas, a groomer will be able to give your cat or dog a Special Cut on request. Pets with Special Cuts should be brushed every 2-3 days at home (take a look at our grooming brushes for dogs and cats), while the style should be trimmed every 4-6 weeks at a pet spa.
- Special Conditioner: To add moisture after a shampoo bath, a conditioner is massaged into the skin and hair. This leaves the coat soft and shiny. At our Pet Spas, the Olly & Max Sensitive Conditioner is used for this treatment, which is formulated with natural ingredients to gently moisturise sensitive skin. The Special Conditioner treatment is suitable for cats & dogs and can be done each time the coat is washed.
- Special Shampoo: For this treatment, a shampoo with added benefits is massaged into the coat. At our Pet Spas, one of three special shampoos is used depending on your pet’s skin and coat:
- The Olly & Max Sensitive Shampoo contains natural ingredients that help cleanse and moisturise sensitive skin;
- The Olly & Max Colour Fresh Shampoo contains unique violet enhancement pigments that help eliminate brown & yellow tones from white coats;
- The Olly & Max Herbal Fresh Shampoo is formulated with organic spearmint oil, eucalyptus oil and tea tree oil to offer a herbal solution to tick & flea infestations in dogs.
- The Special Shampoo treatment is suitable for cats & dogs and can be done each time the coat is washed. Take a look at our grooming brushes for cats here and grooming brushes for dogs here.
- Teeth Cleaning: Regular teeth cleaning promotes fresh breath and helps maintain good oral hygiene. The teeth should therefore be brushed on a daily basis at home. For your convenience, our Pet Spas offer this treatment for cats and dogs as an add-on to a Wash & Groom, Cut or Deshed. Our groomers use a special pet toothpaste and toothbrush to clean the teeth. It is important to note, however, that tartar build-up should be removed by your veterinarian.
Now that you know a bit more about pet spa grooming treatments, you can confidently choose your pet’s spa treatments to help them look and feel their best!
Looking for a professional groomer? Visit one of our Pet Spas.
We have Pet Spas in Gauteng and the Western Cape where you will find friendly and passionate groomers who have many years of experience grooming cats and dogs of all sizes, breeds and personalities. Find an Absolute Pets Pet Spa near you here.