Matted Pet/Shaving/Short Hair Cut/Information & Risks/Release Form

Many pet parents will choose to shave their pet’s coat to help with temperature control, ease of maintenance or removal of a coat in bad condition among many other reasons. While our groomers will use care and precaution during the groom, there are some risks associated with shaving a pet’s coat and recently shaved coats will require maintenance to support healthy re-growth.

Risks Associated with Shaving Pets

• Coat might not grow back evenly or may grow back in patches
• Coat could look different in colour or texture when it grows back
• Without the protection of their coat, your pet can get sunburned or become overheated easily
• Shaving pets may make them self-conscious and they may behave differently than normal. For example, they may be more irritable or timid
• Shaving your pet may reveal pre-existing skin conditions that were undetectable prior to shaving
• Pets with underlying medical conditions may have a harder time re-growing hair

Maintenance or Recently Shaved Pets

• Maintaining the coat as it grows back is VERY important as the coat now has no weight to shed naturally and weekly brushing will help support the new growth
• Regular bathing to help the skin and hair follicles remain clean is important in supporting proper hair re-growth
• While it is best to keep pets out of direct sun as much as possible application of sunscreen or a clothing barrier may be necessary for pets who are out in the sun

If mats are found, it is possible that all or part of the coat may not be able to be brushed out without causing undue discomfort to your pet. For these pets, the matted areas may require shaving. Risks involved with shaving sections or the entire coat of your pet due to matting are associated with the same risks and maintenance needs above in addition to the risks specific to matted hair coats.

Additional Risks with Matted Pets

• Matted coats can hide skin that is red, irritated, swollen or cracked
• Matted coats can conceal the presence of fleas, ticks or other parasites
• Matted coats can make it impossible to determine in advance the presence of any moles, warts, scabs, skin tags or any other condition on the pet’s skin and that makes it more likely that the groomer might accidentally remove, nick, cut open, or damage the skin growth
• The grooming process necessary to remove matting may aggravate the pet’s skin. Matted pets may experience skin reactions such as hot spots, irritated or sensitive skin or aural hematomas if mats were located on or around the pet’s ears

I understand the risks involved with grooming a matted coat. I understand that having my pet groomed on a more regular schedule and proper home maintenance will prevent my pet from getting a matted coat.