Grooming for dogs who need a different kind of care.
Senior dogs that cannot stand for a full groom. Dogs living with chronic pain. Dogs who panic the moment the dryer starts. We assess first, write the grooming plan before we begin, and groom at a pace your dog can handle — so these dogs are not sent away.
We groom to an agreed written plan. We do not diagnose medical conditions, administer medication or provide veterinary treatment.
- Focus
- Special care grooming only — senior dogs, chronic pain, anxiety and more
- Plan
- Every dog is assessed first and gets a written grooming plan
- Specialist
- Ryohei Otaki — grooming since 2007, 30,000+ dogs across Sydney and Tokyo
- Scope
- Dog owners · veterinary clinics · groomers
Who the studio is for.
Special care grooming
For senior dogs, dogs recovering from surgery, and dogs whose handling needs a slower, planned appointment. Assessed first, groomed to a written plan, at a pace your dog can handle.
See how special care worksTrain your own groomers — or refer a case
We come into your clinic and train the groomers you already have. If the case is better with us, refer it: we take the dog on and groom it to our own written plan.
For veterinary clinicsLearn special care grooming
Training built on real clinic cases — handling, support positioning, and the judgement of when to stop. Program details, including assessment, are set out in the program outline.
The programNot sure which one is yours? Book a consultation and we will point you the right way.
Care is decided in advance, not improvised on the table.
The plan and the stop points are set before the dog is on the table. Every special care dog begins with a pre-grooming consultation: how they stand, lie down and react to the dryer, and what they will tolerate and what they will not. From that we write a grooming plan — what we will do, what we will not attempt, and why.
The groom follows the plan, not the clock. If anything changes mid-session, we stop.
Ryohei Otaki
Special Care Grooming Specialist & Educator
Founder, Filicious Pet Services
Creator of the Special Care Dog Grooming program and the Puppy Classroom program (puppies under 16 weeks)
- Creator of the Special Care Dog Grooming program and the Puppy Classroom program for puppies under 16 weeks
- Trained at Yamazaki Gakuen College of Animal Health Technology, Tokyo
- Groomed inside Takano Pet Clinic in Japan, alongside veterinarians on live cases
- Senior groomer across Vetmed veterinary clinics in Sydney
- Invited by Pet Forest Trimming School in Japan to run a special care seminar for around 15 of their groomers
- Volunteer groomer at Monika's Doggie Rescue
Not sure whether your dog is a fit?
Tell us about your dog — age, condition, and what has made grooming difficult. We will tell you honestly whether special care grooming is the right route.
Book a consultation