Editorial policy
How we decide what to publish, how we stay independent, and how we keep grooming advice on the safe side of the line between home care and veterinary care.
Independence
Coat & Clipper is independent. No grooming brand, salon, retailer or veterinary business pays for, reviews or approves what we publish. We don't run advertising, we don't use affiliate links and we don't accept free products. That lets us describe tools by what they do and tell readers when they don't need something. Details are in our advertising disclosure and affiliate disclosure.
Who writes and edits
All guides are written and maintained by Megan Lowry, a pet-care writer and long-time dog owner. She is not a vet or a professional groomer. We don't claim veterinary review,, and we describe the site as exactly what it is: one writer, working carefully.
Where home grooming ends
Grooming sits right next to pet health. Our rule is simple: we explain routine care, and we refer anything that looks medical to a vet. In practice that means:
- We never suggest medications, supplements or doses, including human products.
- We don't describe home treatments for ear infections, skin conditions, wounds or eye problems.
- Every guide where it's relevant lists the signs that mean "stop and call the vet."
- We advise against risky home techniques, such as cutting mats with scissors or putting swabs into ear canals, even when they are popular.
Choosing topics
We write about the grooming jobs owners actually face at home, guided by reader emails and common questions. We prefer depth on a few tasks over thin coverage of many.
Accuracy and updates
Each guide is researched as described in how we research and checked under our fact-checking process. Guides show the date they were last updated. When we make a meaningful change to safety information, we update that date.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we fix it promptly. Send corrections to [email protected]. Significant corrections that change advice are noted on the page.
Use of AI tools
We may use software tools, including AI writing assistants, to help with drafting, structure or proofreading. A person is responsible for every published page: Megan reviews, edits and checks all content against the sources and standards described on this site before it goes live. Photographs and illustrations on the site may be generated or edited with software and are illustrative, not photographs of our own pets.
Related policies
See our content standards for how we write, and sources for the kinds of references we rely on.