Behind the Standards
The decisions made during a grooming appointment have real consequences for a dog's physical health, emotional state, and long-term relationship with handling. This page provides the research and veterinary literature behind the standards and policies Grooming by Kaitlyn follows. Every source linked below is peer-reviewed, published by a veterinary institution, or authored by a licensed veterinary professional.
Comfort & Safety Standards: The Research
Ear Plucking
Routine ear hair plucking in a healthy ear is not supported by veterinary dermatology research and may cause more harm than it prevents.
A 2025 peer-reviewed study indexed on PubMed concluded that ear canal hair plucking is likely to incite severe primary inflammation prior to the development of suppurative Malassezia otitis, meaning the plucking itself can cause or worsen the exact infections it is sometimes thought to prevent.
Source: PMID 40676767, 2025
A PMC-indexed article published in Today's Veterinary Nurse classifies hair plucking as an iatrogenic (human-caused) factor in otitis externa, documents that it can damage the epithelial lining of the ear canal, and states that plucking is contraindicated in the normal ear because it can cause inflammation and predispose the animal to infection.
Policy: Ear plucking is performed only when specifically recommended by a veterinarian following an assessment of the individual dog's ear health.
Dematting (Brushing Severe Mats)
Attempting to brush out severely matted coats causes pain, risks injury, and is contraindicated by veterinary literature. Shaving is the recognized humane standard of care.
A 2022 peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science found that chronically matted hair causes skin irritation, infection, restricted movement, and in severe cases can encircle limbs and constrict blood flow and lymphatic drainage, resulting in soft tissue death, bone injury, and in some cases amputation.
Source: PMC8907591, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2022
A second peer-reviewed study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science characterizes strangulating hair mats as soft tissue injuries that can result in bone remodeling, bone atrophy, lysis of bone, and joint subluxation, with over half of evaluated limbs in the study showing osseous lesions.
Source: PMID 33184951, Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Forcibly brushing out mats does not resolve these risks; it adds pain, psychological stress, and risk of behavioral setback on top of them.
Policy: Severely matted coats are addressed by shaving. Prolonged brushing will not be performed for the sake of preserving coat length. This is not a cosmetic preference; it is a welfare standard supported by peer-reviewed veterinary literature.
Anal Gland Expression
Most dogs express their anal glands naturally and do not require routine manual expression. Repeated external expression without medical indication can cause more problems than it prevents.
A PMC-indexed cross-sectional study on canine anal sac disease documents that recurrence of impaction and inflammation occurs on average within four to five months and that anal sac disease affects approximately 15.7% of dogs, making it one of the most frequently recorded disorders in primary veterinary practice. The frequency of recurrence and the range of underlying causes (diet, stool quality, anatomy, allergies, infection) make clear that this is a medical issue requiring veterinary evaluation, not something routine grooming can manage.
Source: PMC8749694, cross-sectional study on canine anal sac disease
A licensed veterinarian writing for Preventive Vet notes that external expression by groomers does not fully empty the gland, leaving secretions behind that create inflammation, narrow the duct, and allow secretions to thicken, potentially accelerating the development of the very problems it is intended to prevent.
Policy: Anal gland expression is performed only under veterinary direction and when there is a documented medical indication.
Teeth Brushing
Teeth brushing is not inherently harmful, but brushing a dog with undiagnosed dental disease can cause pain, and sporadic brushing without an established home routine provides no meaningful clinical benefit.
A PMC-indexed study on dental homecare protocols found that dogs with severe periodontal disease were excluded from toothbrushing study protocols entirely, and that periodontal disease is widely underdiagnosed because most dogs continue eating normally until it becomes severe. A separate PubMed review found that periodontal disease prevalence in anesthetized dogs ranges from 44% to 100% depending on the study, meaning the majority of dogs seen in a grooming context likely have some degree of existing dental disease that a visual check will not reliably detect.
Sources: PMC11894899; PMID 32955734
The American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Dental College both state that dental cleanings without anesthesia do not allow for inspection below the gumline, where most significant disease occurs.
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine's veterinary dental specialist Eric Davis notes that attempting to brush the teeth of a patient with pre-existing inflammation may add to discomfort, which would then make the patient less cooperative in the future.
Policy: Teeth brushing is offered only when it is part of an established, consistent at-home dental care routine and when there is no indication of existing oral disease. A groomer brushing a dog's teeth every six to eight weeks, in the absence of daily home care, does not prevent dental disease and may cause discomfort in a dog whose mouth has not been recently evaluated by a veterinarian.
Sources & Further Reading
The Pet-Friendly Veterinary Practice — Herron & Shreyer, Ohio State (PMID 24766695) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24766695/
Ear Plucking Ear Canal Hair Plucking and Malassezia Otitis (PMID 40676767) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40676767/
Dematting Chronically Matted Hair: Skin and Tissue Consequences (PMC8907591) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8907591/
Strangulating Hair Mats and Osseous Lesions (PMID 33184951) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33184951/
Anal Gland Expression Canine Anal Sac Disease: Prevalence and Recurrence (PMC8749694) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8749694/
Teeth Brushing Dental Homecare Protocols and Periodontal Disease (PMC11894899) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11894899/
Periodontal Disease Prevalence in Dogs (PMID 32955734) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32955734/
VCA Animal Hospitals — Common Emergencies in Dogshttps://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/common-emergencies-in-dogs
BluePearl Pet Hospital — Pet Emergency Symptomshttps://bluepearlvet.com/pet-blog/pet-emergency-symptoms/
Turid Rugaas, On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, the foundational text on canine calming and displacement behaviors
Dr. Sophia Yin, Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats, referenced extensively in veterinary clinical literature