Our guide-dog-in-training Pax, enjoying the Texas bluebonnets

How Our Grooming and Boarding Facility is Different

So, you've probably never heard a company say "Quantity, not Quality"...but that is exactly what you get in some of the "big box store" grooming and boarding facilities.  In addition to the fact that respiratory diseases can run rampant since most only require rabies to groom and board....there are some other scary facts about the grooming/boarding facilities that follow this mentality. 

Maximum of 15 grooms per day - all are ready to leave by noon!

At Animal Hospital of Rowlett and Animal Hospital of Heath, we pride ourselves on being just the opposite....QUALITY OVER QUANTITY...so instead of taking as many groom dogs as humanly possible and having lots of loud, un-vaccinated barking dogs shoved in a large, loud room--all being groomed at the same time by numerous different groomers...we take a maximum of 15 grooms per day and they are all ready to leave by noon! 

Your pet will always have the same groomer, every visit

At Animal Hospital of Rowlett and Animal Hospital of Heath, our groomer has lots of experience and has been grooming for over 25 years.  Many large grooming shops offer on-the-job training and have groomers who are brand new graduates of a two or three week grooming course.

In fact, many are tought quick tips like just washing the head and the back of the dog since this is what most people "smell" when they pick them up.  We pride ourselves on high quality shampoos and conditioners and have pets soak to get off that stinky mutt smell.

At Animal Hospital of Rowlett and Animal Hospital of Heath, you always  have the same groomer who learns your pet (what they like and don't like, how they prefer to be handled, how you like their hair cut, what their skin type is like for shampoo selection, etc).  Many of the large grooming facilities have 20-25 groomers on any given day and rotate through working for these companies for short periods of time.  You never know who you are going to get.

We never use high-heat dryers

At Animal Hospital of Rowlett and Animal Hospital of Heath, your dogs are treated as individuals and are catered to depending on their specific needs.  They are given water and are walked during their grooming stay.  They are given fresh blankets and towels to lay on. We never use high heat dryers to make them dry faster (this can actually cause some breeds to overheat). 

We take the same approach to boarding...instead of an enormous facility who can accept hundreds of dogs to board in a loud open room, we accept a minimal number of boarders at any given time, which allows us to ensure individual attention and make sure that we provide a stress-free environment for all our patients.

Read more about our Pet Grooming and Pet Hotel Services - Book your grooming or boarding appointment now. Spots fill up fast

Block It, Block It Good...

This is a photo of Dorothy, one of our long time registered veterinary technicians, performing a dental cleaning on an anesthetized patient.

You may notice the sign in the background of this picture that says "Block It".  This is because we use local nerve blocks on our dental procedures as an added "layer" of pain prevention.

When your pet arrives for a surgical procedure, they are given a cocktail of pre-anesthetic drugs and pain control.  Throughout their procedure, they are often given pain medications in their fluids.  Post-operatively, we give more injectable pain medications to prevent them waking up from anesthesia in pain. Then, we send you home with a combination of drugs to give for the days/weeks following surgery.

Pain control is our number one goal.  Can you believe there are actually veterinarians that don't use pain control after surgeries!  Ouch.

--Christen Lynch

Bonnie Extraction Fest

We get lots of clients who worry about dental cleanings and think its better for their pet to keep bad teeth than to have no teeth.  When we ask them why, they usually say because they are worried their dog won't be able to eat or that they will have to eat canned food forever.

Here is a video of my dog Bonnie, a 14 year old rat terrier.  She had over 10 teeth extracted by Dr. Downes during her recent dental cleaning.  Six months prior to that, she had another 4 teeth extracted.  She doesn't have many teeth left anymore.

Since her dental cleaning, she has gained 2 pounds...and here she is, crunching away on a large kernel dental diet by Royal Canin.  I am so thankful I had her teeth cleaned and that we extracted the teeth that were causing her pain and discomfort.  She is gaining weight and much more comfortable now!

--Christen Lynch

"Tony" and "Stone" Join the AHR Registered Therapy Team with Recent Pet Partner Certification

Tony (our Heath hospital cat) and Stone (our career-changed Guide Dog for the Blind) both recently passed their Pet Partner evaluations and are now registered therapy animals. Good job, guys! Pet Partners is a National organization that promotes the benefits of animal therapy and certifies animal therapy teams.

Dr. Downes and her registered animal team can be frequently spotted visiting local Assisted Living Centers where they've become popular guests. She hopes to eventually encourage dozens of teams to provide assistance, joy, and whatever else they can to those in need. The new work of dogs!

Tony, Stone, and Maggie (also certified) can be seen in action below.

"Stone" and "Maggie" Spreading their joy

"Maggie" has never met a lap she didn't love!

"Tony" the registered therapy cat

Bob, Keeping Warm

Bob the clinic cat warming himself on the warm water circulator buried in the towels in preparation for a prophy. Doesn’t he look comfy?