Dog Grooming and Lockdown
Interpreting Government guidance varies between regions.
Across the UK and Ireland, regional governments are putting in place restrictions to help combat the spread of coronavirus. These restrictions may include the closing of retail shops in your area.
At a local level, pet groomers will need to find out from their Local Authority if they can remain open during Lockdown, or if they must close.
There has been a lot of confusion though and any groomer who tries to get a consistent answer from the authorities - whether that’s the Council, the police, their local MP - will be frustrated. Some Councils agree that pet grooming is Essential. Much like a Veterinary Surgery. Others are saying that No, the pet groomer must close.
At the start of the UK Lockdown in March 2020, the initial limited duration of three weeks was acceptable. We all rallied to the cause. Stay at Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives. Surely a dog could survive for three weeks without a groom.
With the extension of the Lockdown into a second three-week period, however, pet owners were getting frantic that their dog might now be suffering. Because some dogs really do need a professional haircut for their welfare. Left unattended - or groomed at home, dangerously, by somebody who doesn’t know what they’re doing - the dog’s coat will form knots.
Knots in the coat, these tightening tangles of hair, will pull at the skin. This is not only painful to the dog (or long-hair cat), but can cause microscopic tears in the skin that are prone to bacterial infection. The dog will be in pain and unrelenting discomfort. Seeking relief, the dog will lick, nibble, scratch, fuss at their skin and coat.
This can lead to further complications like a hot spot (an actual open wound) and infection, and an urgent visit to the Vet. Additionally, you may have come across images of a dog with a badly matted coat - where the hair has tangled up so badly a ‘felt’ has formed against the skin. This matting, the felt, stops the healthy ‘breathing’ of the skin and normal circulation. A dog can overheat if the condition of their coat is so badly neglected. Moreover, their coat becomes a nesting ground for parasites that can lead to sickness and worse complications. Sadly, the RPCA often has to intervene, even under normal circumstances, where dog owners have neglected their dog’s coat to such a point.
Ultimately (technical abbreviation alert!), the guidance from the UK government will come from Defra (the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and Public Health England (PHE), an agency sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) - though there may be differences between the devolved nations (Scotland, Wales, N Ireland). The MHCLG is the ministry responsible for Councils who, on the advice from central Government, are then expected to ensure compliance with the Guidance. So, for example, England's recent second lockdown in Nov 2020 will have differed from requirements in Wales. In the main, the advice adopted by central Government is originally created by the Canine and Feline Sector Group (CFSG). The CFSG relies in part on advice from the leading UK pet industry trade associations, the British Isles Grooming Association (BIGA) and the British Dog Groomers Association (BDGA).
In accordance with the Animal Welfare Act (2006), we have a responsibility to ensure our cats and dogs are “protected from pain, suffering and disease.” Veterinary practices are considered Essential for this reason. The guidance from the CFSG is that groomers are also an Essential service for 'welfare reasons' (that is, grooming can be provided if, without it, the dog or cat is at risk of pain, suffering and disease. As with all businesses considered Essential, strict covid-secure protocols must be observed to provide a grooming treatment.