The PetEdge Q & A Session: Groomer Anneliese Vaini

A few weeks back, we put a post on our Facebook page asking experienced groomers to give some advice to first-time groomers. Lots of you responded with great answers, and we'll be featuring all of your advice in a future blog post.

We liked what Anneliese wrote so much that we asked her to expand on her answers.

Here is the first part of our Q & A session with her.

In Part 1, you'll find out how groomers can be the first ones to spot a health problem, how to gently encourage your clients to keep pets at a healthy weight, and a neat trick for demonstrating proper combing techniques. (We also included some before and after pics)

Anneliese Vaini
Chetek Veterinary Clinic
Chetek, WI

Before and after

Q.) How do you spot health problems, encourage pets to keep a healthy weight, and educate clients on the proper care of their dogs?

Health Problems:

"I groom at a veterinary clinic. When I identify a rash or suspicious area of skin, an ear problem, or a new lump, I turn the dog over to our veterinary technician for a closer examination. Owners can choose same-day veterinary care when needed."

Weight Management:

"My prices are based on the dog's weight. (Dog's weight is directly related to a dog's skin surface, some complicated fancy formula I never tried to remember). When a dog comes in slightly over the cut-off, I check with the veterinarian to make sure it would be safe for the dog to lose the given amount.

Then I give a quick consultation to the client and explain the price difference and health advantages of keeping pets trim. 

One dog came in 0.2 pounds over the cut-off. The next time she came in she had lost 4 pounds, and she has kept it off! Her owner is saving $5 per groom by keeping her dog at a healthy weight and within the lower price bracket."

Client education:

"Whenever I shave a dog and the hair comes off like shearing a sheep, I save a large piece of it. I use these pieces to show owners how to use a comb correctly. I haven't done this demonstration without the owner being surprised by what they learned!

This demonstration also gives me a chance to promote sales of metal grooming combs. I carry the Master Grooming Tools Rainbow Series Grooming Combs.

Recently, an owner dropped a dog off for a grooming session and told me that her dog had "some mats on her body." Turns out the dog was one entire mat. Clipping that dog was like shearing a sheep! When the owner came back to pick up her dog, I pulled her aside into an exam room. I said, "You told me [she] has some mats on her body, but I found out she WAS a mat!" and showed her the large mat. 

She was surprised! I explained how it happens, why it is easy to miss, and demonstrated how she could better maintain the dog's coat until the next grooming session. We also talked about when her next grooming appointment should be."

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How do you use your position as a groomer to educate your clients on the health and well being of their pets? We'd love to hear your stories. Post your comments on the blog, on our facebook wall, or email them to blog@petedge.com.

Thanks and happy grooming :)