10/08/2026
As temperatures rise, I want to share my hot-weather policy to ensure every pet stays safe, healthy, and stress-free.
Why grooming during a heatwave carries hidden risks:
Stress Increases Core Temp: Excitement or mild anxiety during grooming raises a dog’s internal body temperature.
Car Journeys: Traveling in a hot vehicle—even with air conditioning—can cause thermal stress before your dog even arrives.
Equipment Heat: Warm air from dryers and ambient room humidity make it difficult for dogs to cool down through panting.
Pavement Safety: Hot asphalt can burn sensitive paw pads during transfer to and from the salon.
While pet owners often assume a salon is a cool, controlled indoor environment, professional equipment and salon mechanics create localized microclimates that increase heat risks:
Equipment Ambient Heat: High-velocity (HV) dryers, stand dryers, and bathing bath-heads raise room temperature and humidity rapidly.
Clipper Blade Friction: Clipper blades heat up significantly faster in warm ambient temperatures. A blade run continuously in a 25°C+ environment can reach thermal thresholds that cause friction burns or skin irritation in seconds.
Salon Humidity & Panting: Bathing multiple dogs creates high humidity. High humidity severely degrades a dog's primary cooling mechanism: evaporative cooling via panting.
Table Elevation & Restraints: Restrained or elevated dogs on grooming tables cannot move freely to seek cooler floor spots or change positions if they feel overheated.
My Policy:
If ambient temperatures exceed my salon safety threshold, or if your dog falls into a high-risk category (flat-faced breeds, seniors, puppies, or anxious pets), I will contact you to reschedule your appointment.
Thank you for your understanding that welfare always comes first in my salon.
I will be contacting clients that are booked in for Wednesday and Thursday this week to rearrange once I have sorted through the diary and made spaces to get you rescheduled asap.
