Grooming questions

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AnnetteC

Member Since 2021
Hello all! A big shout out to Lisa and Witn for your help this week with the insulin and wonderful additional tips.
So....question on those that take their cats to groomers, what are you paying on average?
I'll be honest, cats groom themselves until they can't. I was keeping up w/Marley's brushing and such, but he is just in need of a FULL deal. He's getting more apathetic with our grooming sessions so he's now starting to develop matting on his back (medium hair length). He typically acts out if I try to do anything w/him- figure the insulin and occasional testing is enough. At vet he's normally much more agreeable of course, but they don't do grooming there.
To date, I have had NO luck finding a mobile groomer or groomer in my area that will accept him because he no longer gets vaccines (he's almost 18!). Has dander, some matting on his back, needs a bath, ears, nails, all of it.
I found a place that seems will take him (will confirm tomorrow) w/out the typical vaccine paper requirements because of his age. Quoted $60 plus maybe a tad more for teeth brushing or depending on de-matting work. Is this typical?
They mentioned to bring him in first thing when the open and stay until done, before they schedule dogs to keep him more comfortable, place had good reviews but mainly for dogs. Only one groomer there does cats.
What is your experience w/this? Budget is a concern as I was unemployed a long period of time (now have a job) but honestly, if I can get him in tip-top shape and then maintain much easier, it may be worth stretching for the expense. I do add salmon oil, he's on joint supplements and 3 units lantus 2 x day-his fur is still needing some serious fixing.
If you use a groomer, do you recommend some gabapentin prior? He uses this on occasion when his arthritis is acting up more. I just want him to FEEL better all around! I know we don't have much time left, his kidneys are starting to show some decline too.
 
I have a couple of thoughts on this:

-Furminator. My cats love being brushed with this thing.
-Food. What kind of food are you feeding? Supplements can help, but the quality of the food you give Marley might make a difference. I noticed that when I switched to homemade raw food that my cats' coats because super glossy and shiny (it helps that I keep my sugar kitty's glucose levels well regulated). It's possible to feed raw for not much more than the cost of premium canned food. Here is a bit I wrote on raw feeding if you want to think about it: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/raw-feeding-senior-kitties.248460/
 
Thank you, not going to go raw at this late stage in the game. I tried raw with one of my dogs also and it went really badly for us. And that is with doing everything by the book, slow transition, plus the other 10 tips lol- It just didn't work, he got very ill and it took months to recover. I wanted it to work so bad and personally, I think if it works then people should go for it. If it goes wrong and he gets ill, I'm afraid he wouldn't make it. That said our dogs do get raw bones at times with no issues. I have a Furminator...he allows very short sessions.

Marley is on Fancy Feast Pate and Dave's pate, sometimes Epigen or Evangers.
Adding the odd portion of salmon may work and he'd probably love that.
 
I have two oils I can thoroughly recommend as a daily supplement for healthier skin and coat - Arthur improved from a scraggly thing looking on the edge of death, to a slicker, shinier chap, better able to deal with changes in temperature! If his appetite is not really triggered by his wet food, a bit of the oil will also encourage him to eat.
i) Trixie Cod liver oil - Amazon ASIN B000WFJRFC
ii) Velcote Skin and Coat supplement, Supports the Skin in Cases of Dermatosis & Excessive Shedding Rich in Omega 3 & 6 Fatty Acids
I get it from Zooplus website
looks a bit harder to find that the trixie, but I think it is superior. https://biopaw.com/product/velcote-omega-3-6-9-oil/

I've never needed to use a groomer, but I would remove the matting asap as the delicate diabetic skin is much more prone to tearing and infection. It is probably very sore already for your cat. can't you just snip it off with scissors following a YouTube tutorial?
as for the groomer, it sounds like the person you found is nice, if you can afford it. just make sure they understand diabetic skin can rip too easily and that they do not pull the skin with the tools.

I hope you find a solution that works for you and your kitty!
 
I used to have to groom my civi Moxie twice daily otherwise she would develop mats. At first I cut some of the mats out by hand. In the morning I used a course comb followed by a slicker brush to get any loose fur out. In the evening I used a dematting comb like this
https://www.amazon.com/MIU-COLOR-Gr...ting/dp/B00DDKQRLU/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20
At first she resisting but got to accept it after a while.

My Snuffles is mean and I can only demat comb him when he is eating. The course comb and slicker brush do little. I use a dematting comp a couple, of times a week.
 
We use a groomer who rents space in the building our vet owns, nice to know if anything goes wrong or they get nicked help is next door.
We pay 92 Canadian /72 US for nail clipping, a bath and a good clip. Sam was a neighborhood stray who we think is a Persian. He doesn't shed and is a bit of a porker so when he gets to looking like a sheep and can't groom himself we have no choice. This place gets voted #1 every year in the local paper and they're great. You can look through the window and see what's going on, the little noose contraption freaked me a bit the first time I saw it. Sam doesn't mind the five minute car ride and always comes home happy. Worth every penny.
I have in the past used those nasty kitchen cut-a-chicken-in-half scissors on a long haired dog who used to get a hundred burrs embedded in her coat. People need to know these scissors will cut an ear off, they're not toys.
I can also vouch for the Furminator.
 
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