Oliver's Dog Grooming
and Day Care

 

FALL ISSUE

Thanksgiving

As I sit and think about what this season brings I had to ask my self what are the things I am thankful for as well as the things that I am able to give.   We get so caught up in the excitement of seeing family and friends, and of course all that glorious food, that we often lose sight of the intentions behind this holiday.

Well, we are indeed thankful for our family, and I am especially thankful, because without their help both physically (thanks for saving my kennels Chris) financially and countless hours of volunteered time (thanks Mom) the salon would not be open.  

We are thankful for our friends who give us laughter, and share our tears, as for me I am thankful to my friends, whose countless hours where put into building, painting and late night brain storming and of course, lots of laughter and a few tears (sorry for the thumb Sandy)  for my salon.  

As for what we give in return, well that I am not too sure of.  I give the best advice I can, as much time as I can, and of course a shoulder to lean on when I can.   The one thing I have learned through the opening of my salon is that by giving your best to each and every pet who comes in (and to their owners) I am doing what I was meant to do and I am so thankful that I am able to do that.

 

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

No Turkey Bones

Just a friendly reminder that our four footed friends may try and beg a bone or two from you this season. Don’t get caught into those sad eyes that plead for these treats.   You just might kill them with kindness.   Turkey, chicken and even some ham bones splinter when chewed on and cause sever hemorrhaging in the stomach, intensities or even further down.    Sounds nasty, and it is.   It is excruciatingly painful, often causing death, if not an extremely high vet bill.   So do yourself a favor when those eyes start to blink that sad “please” and the ever so soft whimper that says “if you love me you will” - JUST SAY NO.  Turn away before you cave in!  (don’t laugh,  If I don’t turn away the whole thing gets turned up a notch and the guilt kills me!)

Say NO to Halloween Treats

While we are on the topic of guilt, have you ever slipped your dog a treat or two for Halloween? I have, thinking “oh just one or two won’t hurt”.  Well I have been known to be wrong.   I found out that chocolate is poisonous to dogs and can cause severe problems, even death.   Holy cow bat man!   I’ve had my dog steal a whole box of Turtles on me once.   (Yes it was the dog, not me stealing them and blaming the dog, seriously!)   He got sick all over my living room rug.   (Just out of curiosity, does anyone know why they insist on walking around while they sick up?)

I rushed him to the Vet and found out all this neat stuff such as chocolate poisoning (Feeling incredibly stupid since I didn’t bother to research it myself) and had a very enlightening conversation while my poor Jack was subjected to blood tests and worst of all charcoal down his throat to (you guessed it) make him throw up.    Even though I told the vet that if he wanted a sample I could go scrape it off my rug at home.  He told me he had to make sure all of it was out of his stomach so no more would be digested and put into his blood stream.   He said I was lucky he was such a large dog because a small dog could have died.   I felt so bad that I allowed my friend such easy access to something so deadly.    We all baby proof against poisons and yet let our furry babies near all sorts of potentially deadly things.  

So here is a word of caution for your furry friends. Chocolate smells great and tastes great but it could be serious trouble if not death.   Just Say NO to Halloween treats, and turn away before you cave in!

FALL PRICE INCREASES

It will come as no surprise to anyone who drives a car and pays the prices at the fuel pumps when I tell you that the cost of everything sky rocketed.    I was shocked to see gas climb so high, and doubly surprised when my other expenses steadily increased.  The cost of my Salon Quality Shampoos increased by triple, and my Conditioners almost quadrupled.   I am dismayed that my supplier could not discount my purchases.   Then again he has a family to feed too so I can’t really blame him for the increase.   “Its the added costs of shipping these days” he informed me, “Well, you could buy this shampoo” he said, pointing at a large jug of cheap stuff.   My option was to buy the lesser quality shampoo, or to pay out a huge chunk for my regular shampoo.   The cheap stuff is a very popular shampoo among groomers, you can bath a lot of dogs with a lot less expense, but I know what the “Economy” shampoos do to skin and coat and my clients deserve the very best quality for their money, so I bought the usual amount of my elite Salon Shampoo and left shaking my head.  

Unfortunately that means that I must increase my prices to balance out the cost.    Fortunately for those on the Preferred Client Program who had their price locked in, they won’t need to worry about the increase.   For the others I regret their prices will be increased a fraction and hope that they understand.   For my New Clients rest assured knowing that I only buy the best shampoo and conditioners because their pet deserves only the very best that I can provide and will not settle for anything less.   Quantity does not equal Quality.

Halloween tip:   Do not let your dog off leash, mine did last year and scared a half a dozen young kids before I rounded him up again.   Come to think of it, I’d be a little afraid too if a big black dog with wings came running up to me with his halo in his mouth!

Have fun, and play safe!

Lynn Oliver