BIBLE HILL, N.S. — When Darlene Westhaver began grooming pets, she had no idea her clients would include rodents and poultry.
“I’ve had chickens, rabbits, rats and guinea pigs in, but the smallest was a teddy bear hamster,” said Westhaver, who has run Darlene’s Pet Grooming since 1988. “With the hamster I used a stiff-bristle toothbrush. The trick is to be fast and keep them warm.”
Westhaver, a veterinary technician at one time, pays close attention to an animal’s body language.
Dogs will give warnings, so you can avert being bitten "pretty well 99 per cent of the time,” she said.
“Some hate being groomed if they’re not used to it, but usually, partway through you see a change taking place. They’re feeling better and it makes them happy. That’s very gratifying.”
She’s seen cases where badly matted hair was hiding a more serious problem.
“The worst was an older dog who came in smelling bad. When I clipped hair, I discovered a sore infested with maggots.”
She recommended they get the dog to a vet right away.
“I wish pet owners would do their homework. If you haven’t got much time for upkeep, get a short-haired pet."
One dog who came in to be groomed had a very noticeable head tilt. Matted hair was preventing him from straightening it.
“There are some cases where my heart bleeds for them,” said Westhaver.
“I wish pet owners would do their homework. If you haven’t got much time for upkeep, get a short-haired pet.
“For every dog we do, there are more that don’t get done because of the expense.”
Westhaver has noticed a change in styles over the years. At one time, many people with purebreds wanted their pet to have breed-specific trims. Now, most just want the hair clipped shorter.
She’s also noticed an increase in mixed-breed dogs coming in.
Westhaver enjoys her work and rarely misses a day. When she suffered a broken pelvis she only took four days off.
Even when she’s home, she has animals to groom. She and her partner live in Manganese Mines with five dogs, cats, horses, miniature donkeys and chickens.
