Is something actually wrong with your pet? Grooming is not the right answer to a medical problem. If your pet has a wound, a hot spot, an ear that smells or is painful, a lump, a limp, a rash that is spreading, is scratching itself raw, or is in any distress, see a veterinarian first and come to us afterwards. We will happily groom around a healing problem once a vet has seen it, and we will tell you honestly when we think something needs a veterinarian rather than a bath.
Spa treatments are the small, finishing touches added at the end of a groom rather than a category of medical care: a gentle facial wash for a tear-stained face or a grubby muzzle, a little balm worked into dry paw pads, and a bow or a bandana if you would like one. None of it is essential, all of it is optional, and we will never assume you want any of it without asking first at pickup or at booking.
The spa facial is $18 and uses the same unscented, low-irritant approach as the rest of the salon: a soft cloth, a gentle wash worked carefully around the eyes, and a full dry afterwards so damp fur around the face does not sit and cause its own irritation. It noticeably improves how a tear-stained or grubby face looks and feels on the day. It does not treat the cause of tear staining itself, which is often breed-related and sometimes tied to diet, allergy or tear duct anatomy that only a veterinarian can properly assess.
Paw balm is a light, unscented balm worked into paw pads that feel dry or rough, purely as a comfort measure rather than anything medical, and a bow or a bandana is simply a finishing touch some owners like and plenty do not, at no pressure either way. If a tear-stained face is also sore, weeping, or clearly bothering your dog, that has moved past a cosmetic question into a veterinary one, and we will tell you so rather than wash over it and send you home. See /pricing.html for how these sit alongside a full groom, and /packages.html for how they are bundled into some of our plans.
The spa facial
A gentle wash for a tear-stained face or a grubby muzzle, done carefully around the eyes.
What it involves
A soft cloth and an unscented, low-irritant wash worked carefully around the eyes, muzzle and chin, followed by a full dry so the face is not left damp, which can be its own small irritation on skin that is already sensitive. It takes only a few minutes and is usually done at the very end of the appointment, once the rest of the groom is finished.
Who asks for it
Breeds and individual dogs prone to tear staining — often small, light-coated dogs — are the most common reason this gets booked, alongside any dog that has simply had a messy week and could use a tidier face for a photograph or a visit. Either reason is a perfectly good one. We never judge which reason brought you in the door.
What it does, honestly
It cleans the face and noticeably improves how it looks and smells on the day, which is a real and immediate result. It does not stop tear staining from coming back, since the staining itself usually has a cause — breed, diet, allergy, tear duct shape — that a wash does not touch, however gently or thoroughly it is done.
When it is more than cosmetic
If the skin around the eyes or muzzle looks sore, swollen, or is clearly bothering your dog when touched, rather than simply stained, that is a different situation, and we will say so rather than wash over it as if it were an ordinary spa facial. That is a conversation for a veterinarian, not another visit here. We would rather lose an $18 add-on than miss saying so.
The price, and how it is booked
$18, usually added at the end of a full groom or a bath and brush, though it can be booked as its own short visit if a tidy face is genuinely all your dog needs on a given day. Ask for it when you book, or simply request it at pickup if you notice the face looks like it could use it once the rest of the groom is done.
Paw balm, and the bow-or-bandana question
Small comforts you can take or leave, entirely on your terms.
Paw balm
A light, unscented balm worked into paw pads that feel dry, cracked or rough to the touch, most often on a dog that walks a lot on hot pavement or rock salt in winter. It is a comfort measure rather than a medical product, and if a pad looks genuinely cracked, bleeding or painful rather than simply dry, that is a veterinary question, not a balm we would reach for here.
Why we ask rather than assume
Some owners want the bow, the bandana and the balm every single visit; plenty of others would rather their dog left looking exactly like it walked in, minus the mess. We ask at booking or at pickup rather than default to adding any of it, because it is genuinely your preference to set, not ours to assume. Either preference is equally fine with us.
Bows and bandanas
A bow is tied in gently and comes out easily with a light tug if your dog does not like it, and a bandana is simply knotted rather than anything tight around the neck. Neither is charged for on its own; they are a finishing touch included with a groom for the owners who want one, and skipped entirely for those who do not.
What we will not do
We will not put a bow, a bandana, or anything else on a dog that is clearly unhappy about it, however much it might suit a photograph, because a small accessory is never worth a dog's genuine discomfort. If your dog pulls at it or seems distressed, it comes off, and we will tell you that happened rather than send your dog home in it anyway.
None of it is a treatment
Paw balm, a facial wash, a bow or a bandana are comforts and finishing touches, not treatments for anything, and we will not describe them that way. If what you are actually looking for is help with a skin, paw or eye problem rather than a nicer-looking dog at pickup, tell us, and we will point you toward a veterinarian rather than a spa add-on.
Booking spa treatments
Add them to any visit, or ask us to suggest one at pickup.
Adding them to a groom
Any spa treatment can be added to a full groom, a bath and brush, or most other appointments here, and the added time is short enough that it rarely changes your overall pickup time by more than a few minutes. Mention it when you book so we can plan for the extra few minutes properly. It is one of the simplest things to add to an existing appointment.
Asking us to look and suggest
If you are not sure whether your dog's face, paws or coat would benefit from any of this, tell us to take a look and give you an honest opinion at the coat check, rather than guess yourself or ask for everything just in case. We would rather suggest only what we think is actually useful. There is never a charge just for the opinion itself.
What it is not a substitute for
A spa facial is not a substitute for the soothing oatmeal bath if the issue is reactive skin rather than a dirty face, and paw balm is not a substitute for a proper paw pad tidy if the actual issue is overgrown hair between the pads. See /soothing-oatmeal-bath.html and /pricing.html for those instead. We will tell you plainly which one actually fits what we see.
The prices, together
A spa facial is $18, and a full conditioning treatment — for the coat rather than just the face — is $20 if that is closer to what your dog needs. Both are add-ons rather than stand-alone visits, and we will give you one combined total for the whole appointment before anything starts. Neither price changes based on the size of your dog.
When to skip it entirely
If your dog finds any of this genuinely stressful, or you would simply rather not, none of it is required for a normal groom to be complete, and we will never make you feel you are shortchanging your dog by declining. A groom without a bow is still a finished groom. We would rather you say no than feel any pressure to say yes.
Spa treatments in western Queens
The finishing extras: a gentle fragrance-free face wash for tear-stained faces, paw balm, and a bow or bandana if you want one. Cosmetic comforts, not treatments — priced from $18.
It starts the same way whatever you have booked: both hands over the whole animal before anything is switched on, so we find what is under the top layer rather than discover it halfway through. Then you are told the price and the finish time out loud, before you leave the building. If the coat turns out to be worse than it looked, we stop and call you, and you decide what happens next rather than finding out at collection.
Grooming is not veterinary care. Grooming is grooming, not veterinary care. This page describes a service we offer. It is general information, and it is not a diagnosis, a treatment or veterinary advice for any particular animal. We are groomers, not veterinarians — we do not diagnose, we do not prescribe and we do not treat medical conditions. If your pet has a wound, a lump, an ear or skin problem, a limp or anything that worries you, speak to a licensed veterinarian who can actually examine it.
How we handle your animal. We do not sedate animals and we never will — sedation is a veterinary decision made by a veterinarian, not a grooming shortcut. We use no heated cage dryers of any kind, and no animal is ever left alone with a dryer running. Every pet is hand-dried by the person grooming it. If your animal tells us clearly that it has had enough, we stop, and you get an honest conversation instead of a finished haircut.
Questions
Spa treatments — the questions we are asked most
What is included in a spa treatment?
It covers a few small finishing extras: a gentle, fragrance-free spa facial for a tear-stained face or grubby muzzle at $18, paw balm for dry or rough pads, and a bow or a bandana if you would like one. None of it is included automatically, and none of it is a treatment for anything — they are comforts added at the end of a groom, entirely at your request.
Will the spa facial stop my dog's tear staining?
No, and we would rather tell you that plainly than let you assume otherwise. It cleans the face and noticeably improves how it looks and smells on the day, but tear staining itself usually has a cause — breed, diet, allergy or tear duct shape — that a wash does not touch. A veterinarian is the right person to ask about the staining itself.
Does the paw balm help with cracked or sore paw pads?
It is a light, unscented balm meant for pads that feel dry or a little rough, and it is a comfort measure rather than a medical product. If a pad actually looks cracked, bleeding or painful to the touch rather than simply dry, that is a question for a veterinarian, and we will tell you so rather than reach for the balm instead.
Do I have to pay extra for a bow or a bandana?
No — a bow or a bandana is included with any groom at no extra charge for the owners who want one, and skipped entirely, with no pressure either way, for those who do not. Tell us your preference when you book or simply mention it at pickup. There is no upsell attached to either choice.
My dog hates having a bandana on. Will you still put one on if I ask?
We will try it gently once, and if your dog pulls at it, seems distressed, or clearly does not want it, it comes straight back off and we will tell you that happened rather than send your dog home in it regardless. A small accessory is never worth real discomfort to your dog. We would rather you ask again next time than push it once.
How much does a spa facial cost, and can it be added to any groom?
$18, and yes — it is usually added at the end of a full groom or a bath and brush, though it can be booked as its own short visit if that is genuinely all your dog needs that day. Ask for it when you book, or request it at pickup once the rest of the groom is done.
Is a facial the same as the soothing oatmeal bath?
No, and they solve different problems. The spa facial is a cosmetic wash for a tear-stained or grubby face; the soothing oatmeal bath is a fragrance-free full-body wash for skin that reacts to ordinary shampoo. Some dogs benefit from both on the same visit, and we will tell you honestly if we think that applies to yours.
My dog's face looks sore under the tear stains, not just dirty. Should I still book the facial?
Tell us before you book, and we will look at it as part of the coat check rather than wash over it as if it were an ordinary facial. Skin that is sore, weeping or clearly bothering your dog when touched has moved past a cosmetic question, and we will say so plainly and point you toward a veterinarian rather than proceed with a spa treatment.
Related
Usually booked alongside this
Bath, Skin & Coat
Soothing oatmeal bath
A gentle, fragrance-free oatmeal bath for a dog whose skin is easily upset, added to any groom for $22. It is a comfort measure, not a treatment, and we say so plainly.
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Flea & tick bath
A $35 bath that washes fleas and ticks off your dog's coat today. It is not a treatment for an infestation — that is a veterinarian's job, on your dog and in your home.
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Bath, Skin & Coat
Deep clean & deodorising
For the dog who rolled in something — skunk, mud, drain water, worse. Multiple washes with a degreasing shampoo and careful face work, for $45, with an honest answer about what one visit can and cannot remove.
Read moreA price agreed before the clippers come out
Book an appointment
Call the salon with your pet's breed, weight and roughly when it was last groomed, and we will give you the price and the honest timing on the phone. Nails, ears and sanitary tidies are walk-in whenever we are quiet, and Saturday morning is a dedicated walk-in nail clinic.