the Price of Dog Grooming at the Vet's Office

The dog grooming at our Vet's office included the basic services of washing (shampooing, blow drying, and brushing the dog's fur), trimming the dog's fur, clipping the dog's nails, trimming the hair/ fur in the ears, and anal gland extraction (yes, all groomers provide this service, and is the number one reason we have our dog groomed instead of washing him ourselves). The price of the grooming services was $45.00. With the gratuity of $7.00, the total price came to $52.00. This price did not include teeth cleaning or more involved ear canal cleaning.

As expensive as the grooming was, I was hoping, or rather expecting the Vet's office to do a far superior job than my local groomer (who charges literally half the price). While the Vet's office did a good job, it was nothing stellar, and I actually prefer the way my local groomer "styles" my dog's fur. The staff at the Vet's office seemed a little bit irritated and rushed, a far cry from my local groomer who is always friendly and sweet to both me and my dog. My dog has had surgery on both hips, so we thought that the Vet's office would be gentler with him, understanding how gingerly he should be treated. Our dog has never been so seemingly traumatized by a grooming experience. The Vet's office did an acceptable, even good job, but it definitely wasn't worth paying twice as much for services that someone else does better. On the positive side, however, the Vet's office only took a couple of hours to finish, while the local groomer usually keeps the dog all day.

The Vet's office usually hikes up the price for grooming services. If you trust your local groomer, stick with them. The Vet isn't the one washing your dog, so there is no reason to pay so much more for the same (and more often better) services.