Health Benefits
Professional grooming visits allow a groomer to get to know your pet from their behavior, to their skin condition, and beyond. Whether it’s your dog or your cat, a groomer can help identify changes in a pet’s overall well-being, including coat, skin, ears and nails. If a groomer has concerns, they can direct you to a veterinarian for attention.
“It is so gratifying to see a pet go from not looking their best, to walking out of my pet parlor with their head held high, a pep in their step, and their human all smiles,” said Jenny Kingren, owner of Huckleberry’s Pet Parlor in Sycamore. “In the 19 years I have owned and groomed at Huckleberry’s, I feel like I have seen it all! Severely matted pets, skunked pets needing emergency baths – we have found gravel, sucker sticks, asphalt, paint, paper clips, rubber bands and bubble gum stuck in their coats. I love helping our clients, both human and furry friends.”
What a Grooming Appointment Includes
Your pet’s grooming appointment is truly a spa day from beginning to end.
We start with two baths for your pet. The first bath removes surface dirt, while the second wash cleans down to your pet’s skin. At Huckleberry’s Pet Parlor, we use a pressurized bathing system that helps rejuvenate the pet’s epidermis by oxygenating underneath the fur, opening the pores, and completely cleansing them of oils and bacteria. This helps restore a youthful sheen and vigor to the animal’s coat, skin, and nails. Our clarifying shampoo is small batch crafted in a pure, mild base to clarify the skin and coat from dirt, oil, stains and buildup. This leaves the coat lustrous, healthy and shiny while refreshing and brightening all coat colors.
We then dry the pet with a high velocity air dryer to help loosen and blow out excess undercoat. We follow this with various brushes and tools to remove unwanted undercoat. This means less shedding at home!
Your grooming appointment also includes nail trimming, ear cleaning, and, depending on the breed, a full haircut. We also offer optional services such as teeth brushing, anal gland expression on small dog breeds, nail grinding and nail polish. Our walk-in services of mini makeovers and nail-trims are very popular.
When to Schedule
You should schedule an appointment when your pet is matted—hair tangled and tight close to the skin. This discomfort can even lead to skin sores. It’s important to brush long-haired pets often, and keep an eye on your pet’s grooming schedule.
Short-haired dogs, like Labrador Retrievers or Beagles, can come in every 8-12 weeks, depending on your dog’s shedding and odor.
For canines that require a haircut, such as a Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier, or any type of poodle or poodle mix, we recommend scheduling a grooming appointment for your pet every 4-6 weeks in order to keep your pet’s coat in its best shape. Looking for a low-maintenance groom? Try a shorter haircut on your long-haired dog. Shorter cuts are helpful for dogs that play in the water, or have messy faces when eating.
“Non-shedding breeds such as poodles, bichons, and any breed mixed with those coat types, tend to blow their puppy coat at about one year old,” Kingren said. “During this time it is very difficult to keep a longer coat from matting, even for the most diligent pet owners. I recommend keeping a shorter coat during this transition time. Unfortunately, some dogs with that type of coat may battle matting for their entire life.”
Start Them Young
Bringing your pet to the groomer as a puppy or kitten will help them have a lifetime of enjoyable grooming experiences. Your groomer will slowly introduce your young pet to the bath, blow dry, and the grooming tools. With pets, practice makes perfect!
Interested in learning more about pet grooming services? Visit HuckleberrysPetParlor.com. For grooming pricing, call (815) 899-3435. Walk-in nail trimming and mini makeover services are available 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
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