If a pet has vaccination in the last 48 hours, what should you do?

• A. Decline and reschedule.
• B. Proceed if dog seems well.
• C. Request vaccination certificate and proceed.
• D. Groom with reduced services.

Answer: (A)

Safety and welfare during grooming mean recognizing that recent vaccinations can cause temporary discomfort or illness. A dog or cat may be feeling unwell, have a sore injection site, or be more stressed and prone to overheating or dehydration in a grooming session. Because of that, it’s best to avoid adding that stress by scheduling grooming after the 48-hour window has passed and the pet has had a chance to rest and recover. This helps ensure the pet is comfortable, can be observed for any adverse vaccine reactions, and your grooming team isn’t masking or misinterpreting those symptoms as something related to grooming.

Even if the pet seems fine, presenting a vaccination certificate and proceeding or offering reduced services doesn’t fully address the risk, since you can’t guarantee the pet’s health status on that day or prevent a reaction from affecting the grooming process. Waiting to reschedule keeps safety as the priority and aligns with typical post-vaccination care guidelines.