Information and Policies

Per Indiana law, we require proof of a current Rabies vaccination. This can be emailed to us at pawsandrefreshgrooming@gmail.com, or brought in on the day of your pet's appointment. Please note that any pet without a current Rabies vaccination will be turned away and asked to reschedule after their vaccination has been updated. 

We HIGHLY RECOMMEND that your pet also be vaccinated for Distemper/Parvovirus (usually a combo vaccine), Leptospirosis, and Bordetella (kennel cough) for their own protection and the protection of other pets in the salon.

We kindly request that your pet be maintained on a regular flea/tick preventative. This can be a topical or oral product, or a flea collar. If you need recommendations on what product is best for your furry family member, please reach out to your veterinarian and they should have some recommendations for you.

If we do notice any fleas or ticks on your pet, we will give them a flea bath, which will kill most of the live fleas on their body. This is an additional $10 for our extra time spent allowing the shampoo to soak and kill the bugs, and then re-bathing in our regular shampoo. This does not kill their eggs, so you will still have a flea problem when they hatch out if your pet is not on a preventative. Fleas can also be carried into your home on your pants, socks, shoes, and other pets, and can remain in your carpeting, furniture, and bedding. They are highly transferrable to other pets and can be hard to get rid of.  This is why we ask that your pet be maintained on a preventative.

We understand that some coat types are more difficult to maintain than others, or that sometimes life happens, and you aren't able to brush your pet on a regular basis. We always do our best to discuss this with pet parents at drop-off. However, sometimes once we are able to take a closer look at your dog on the grooming table, things can be worse than they originally appeared. If heavy matting is found, keeping your pet's best interest in mind, we will contact you to discuss options. If shaving or additional time de-matting is needed, there may be an add-on for the additional time spent to get your pet feeling their best again. We can also work with you to adjust your dog's grooming schedule or suggest at-home maintenance tips and tools to prevent it from happening regularly. 

At Paws & Refresh, we strive to build a fantastic relationship with each pet we meet. We will always value your pet's safety, as well as the safety or our staff above all else.  We will do our best to work with difficult or aggressive pets in a kind and calm manner. However, if the well being of your pet or one of our staff members is in question, we reserve the right to refuse service for the individual pet. 

This also applies for pets with chronic or acute health issues. If your pet has a chronic condition, please let us know when booking an appointment with us so that we can discuss it. We will need to take into consideration how the grooming process could potentially affect your pet's well being and make notation of the condition in their file so that we know what to expect. Additionally, if your pet becomes ill or has a wound or stitches, please inform us as soon as you know, as we will need to decide if grooming is safe for them. We may need to reschedule until their are healed and back to feeling better. 

While we do check and express anal glands here at the spa, sometimes a pet needs a little more TLC from a veterinarian. How often your dog needs its glands expressed varies from pet-to-pet. Most dogs will do this on their own while they are defacating. Some dogs need a little assistance every once and a while, and some dogs have trouble and seem to need it done monthly. We offer external anal gland expression with all appointments.  If your pet has trouble with their anal glands and seems irritated and scooting, even after a visit with us, that is a sign that they should probably see the vet for an internal expression, or to figure out what is causing those issues in the first place. 

Nail trims are an essential part of every pet's life. Long or overgrown nails can lead to pain and discomfort for your pet. They can even get so long that they grow into the paw pad and cause sores and infection. Depending on your pet's activity level and breed, most should have their nails trimmed every 4-6 weeks, or more often if you like the nails to be shorter. Please be assured that at each visit, we will get their nails as short as we can.  There is a blood supply inside your pet's nails, and it does grow out if the nails are not maintained. If the nails are long and overgrown, sometimes we cannot get them as short as you may like without them bleeding.  If your pet has overgrown nails, talk to us about increasing the frequency of nail trims so that we can work on getting those back to a normal and healthy length. Please see the diagram above for a visual of the anatomy of a dog's nail.

If you have further questions about any of our policies above, please contact us. We would be happy to answer those questions for you!