Nov 23

How Much Does Pet Grooming Actually Cost?

Our vets take the clippers to the real cost of grooming a dog or a cat these days.  

On average, grooming a pet happens every 2-3 months, or whenever they start to get that wild, woolly look. (You know the one: when they can’t quite see out from beyond the ‘fro!)

And did we say ‘cat’ grooming? Sure did. It’s a real thing––so if you don’t do it currently, we’re here to help get you started.

Dog grooming costs

This all depends on the length of your pup’s hair and whether you do frequent mini grooms or the full shebang.

  • Mini groom: approx. $40-60
  • Full groom: approx. $80 (small Cavoodle), $90 (large Groodle)
  • Dog washes (at home): time cost only
  • Mobile groomers (wash only): approx. $25
  • Home supplies (shampoo etc.): approx. $20
Pooch’s ballpark
TOTAL: $30 pa  (+~ $320 with clipping small dog)

Cat grooming costs

Teaching your cat to be happy with regular brushing is important to prevent matting of the fur and skin issues––especially if you’ve got a mid to long-coated kitty. Matting of the coat leads to pain and skin infections, which will only make your kitty resent grooming even more.

The good news? Cat grooming is mostly DIY at home. It should a rewarding, happy time for both you and your cat. However, without regular brushing, long-haired cats will develop matting of their coat, and definitely need the help of you or a professional groomer. Some might even require an anaesthetic at the vet clinic to facilitate this (usually annually), which is expensive, not to mention largely avoidable.

  • Clipping mats only: ~$50
  • Full body lion clip: ~$80 (with anaesthetic: ~$150+)
  • Comb or brush: $10
  • Home supplies (shampoo etc.): $20
Kitty’s ballpark
TOTAL: $30 pa  (+~ $150 with clipping)
The Ballpark Cost Series
So how did we arrive at these totals? And what other costs come with caring for a pet?
Read the Vetchat Ballpark Cost Series. It goes into detail on the price of buying a pet upfront, the things you’ll need to pay for in the first year, plus ongoing expenses like pet foodvet visits and grooming.

About The Author

Claire is a QLD graduate with 19 years experience as a neighbourhood Veterinarian in Australia and the UK. Animal lover and the founder of VetChat, born from a passion to help pet carers everywhere access trusted advice earlier, for healthier, happier pets. Grateful to be carer to her beautiful Red-dog.

4 Comments

  1. How much are emergency trips to the vet? | Vetchat
    August 27, 2019 at 1:25 pm AEST ·

    […] Pooch’s ballpark emergency visit TOTAL: ~$500 Kitty’s ballpark emergency visit TOTAL: ~$400 The Ballpark Cost Series So how did we arrive at these totals? And what other costs come with caring for a pet? Read the Vetchat Ballpark Cost Series. It goes into detail on the price of buying a pet upfront, the things you’ll need to pay for in the first year, plus ongoing expenses like pet food, vet visits and grooming. […]

  2. What are the ongoing costs of caring for a pet? | Vetchat
    August 27, 2019 at 10:24 pm AEST ·

    […] Pooch’s ballpark (not including insurance) TOTAL: $1,300 (+~$320 with clipping small dog) Kitty’s ballpark (not including insurance) TOTAL: $900 (+~$150 with clipping) The Ballpark Cost Series So how did we arrive at these totals? And what other costs come with caring for a pet? Read the Vetchat Ballpark Cost Series. It goes into detail on the price of buying a pet upfront, the things you’ll need to pay for in the first year, plus ongoing expenses like pet food, vet visits and grooming. […]

  3. […] Pooch’s ballpark (not including insurance) TOTAL: $2,500 (+~$320 with clipping small dog) Kitty’s ballpark (not including insurance) TOTAL: $1,900 (+~$150 with clipping) The Ballpark Cost Series So how did we arrive at these totals? And what other costs come with caring for a pet? Read the Vetchat Ballpark Cost Series. It goes into detail on the price of buying a pet upfront, the things you’ll need to pay for in the first year, plus ongoing expenses like pet food, vet visits and grooming. […]

  4. […] The Ballpark Cost Series So how did we arrive at these totals? And what other costs come with caring for a pet? Read the Vetchat Ballpark Cost Series. It goes into detail on the price of buying a pet upfront, the things you’ll need to pay for in the first year, plus ongoing expenses like pet food, vet visits and grooming. […]