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Does my dog and/or cat need to be fully vaccinated to visit Diamond in the Ruff?
Definitely! It is in the best interest for your pets and the other visiting pets. We ask that your pet is current on their rabies, DHLPP (dogs), FeLV (cats) and the Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine. Just like when you visit a boarding kennel or a dog park, your pet is at risk if he/she is not protected. Viruses like kennel cough have an incubation period of up to 7 days with no warning signs. We have no way of telling if yours or another pet is carrying this virus. We can not be held responsible if your pet becomes infected with this virus. We ask that you bring in your current shot record for our records. If you do not have them handy you can have your vet fax us a copy before your first visit.
Why should I have my dog hand-stripped?
Having your dog hand-stripped is a commitment and is more costly but there are plenty of benefits to the procedure.
Hand stripping is a special technique that is used on certain breeds, like your rough-coated terriers and some of your spaniel breeds. The outer coat is not naturally shed, so this method of grooming is used to ease the fur out. The benefits of hand stripping over clipping is that the coat color and texture is maintained.
Does it hurt my dog?
No, when done properly it is not painful at all. Remember, this is how the rough-coated terriers were intended to be groomed. Wire hair is not attached like breeds with other coat types.
How often should my dog/cat get a bath and groomed?
This all depends on the breed, type of coat, and the style choice that you choose. This also depends on the amount of time you want to commit to brushing at home. We recommend bathing your pet every 2 – 6 weeks. A visit to the Spa at least every 6 weeks is recommended to maintain your pet’s nails.
Modern shampoos and conditioners have put to rest old myths about too frequent bathing. The splendid coats of show dogs that are shampooed every week or more prove that shampooing can be a good thing.
We offer the highest quality products that are specially formulated for pets, which is important in order to maintain coat luster and control skin and coat problems. And we always follow the shampoo with a conditioner. We can make special recommendations for your pet’s hair and skin type.
At what age should my puppy visit the groomer for the first time?
It is very important to bring your puppy in as soon as it gets all of its shots; this is usually between 4 – 5 months. Puppies are much easier to train and get into a routine then if you wait until they are a year old. Sometimes for their first visit we will just bath them and trim up their feet, face, and hygiene so as to not overwhelm them. This way it is more pleasant for them and they get used to the process. But we also recommend that you start brushing your puppy as soon as you bring him home. Some poodle breeders start shaving the feet and face on their puppies as young as 2 weeks old to get them used to the process. And these puppies are a dream to work on.
My dog is scratching and licking all the time, what is causing that?
The most common cause of this is allergies and these are usually caused by fleas, pollen, dust mites, and Dog food.
Some dogs become allergic to flea saliva. If this is the case, the bite of a single flea can send a dog into a crazy state of chewing, especially around his tail and on his belly and inside hind legs. Dogs with flea bite allergy are often frantic to ease the itching and may chew themselves raw. Many even break out in a rash called flea dermatitis.
Some inhalant allergies are seasonal. Dogs may be affected by inhaling grass pollen in spring and summer or ragweed pollen in late summer and early autumn. If this is the case, the dog will start to scratch and bite his body, lick his paws, shake his head, and rub his face along the carpet for relief from the itch when pollen grains are swirling in the air. However, many dogs suffering from allergies itch somewhat year-round because they are also affected by household dust, mold spores, and other irritants.
Some dogs that have allergies to other components of their environment will also exhibit some dietary problems, but whether these problems are true food allergies is often difficult to ascertain. Several studies have shown that some ingredients are more likely to cause allergies than others. In order of the most common offenders in dogs are beef, dairy products, chicken, wheat, chicken eggs, corn, and soy. As you may have noticed, the most common offenders are the most common ingredients in dog foods. | 
