Groomer Experiences

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

Bella went to the groomer's today. My mum decided to book them with a woman she kind of knows who started grooming last winter/spring (because I've been talking about it for awhile but haven't gotten around to booking an appointment with anybody yet).

I am not impressed with the results and Bella definitely won't be going back there (and will definitely encourage others to avoid her should they ask about a groomer).

The cut is along the same level as I can do myself at home (if not worse than I've done) and I don't think she really did anything to the body (just face, ears [did not want done but mum's doesn't listen that well], feet and bum).

She nicked or clipped or whatever Bella's ear. Didn't charge for the appointment because of it (felt bad), but still.. I have no experience or training or anything and I've never drawn blood. Bella scratched her ear this afternoon, because she doesn't have a cone right now (Zoe 'ate' it) and I didn't even think about it being a problem earlier - vet was closed by the time I got off work and she did so. She bled big time from it (not like excessive massive bleeding, but a hell of a lot more than I'd have expected).

Hopefully we'll be getting a cone in the morning (assuming mum can sneak out of work for ten minutes to run to the vet's, grab one and bring it to me - being vehicle-less right now, I won't have time to do so before work) to prevent further issue.

I was wondering if it would be safe to put the ointment I have for hot spots on it (not when bleeding, but when slightly scabbed to help with healing). I don't remember the name right now and it's at the other house, but it's similar to polysporin.


Plus, if anybody takes or has taken their pets to a groomer: experiences, stories, things they did you loved, things you wish they hadn't done, things you'd look for in a future one or looked for when finding your current?  

[[ Jinx ]]

Oh wow that's terrible. That's good that you didn't have to pay for the service. I'd be so so angry if someone cut my dogs ear.

I took my dog to the groomers a while back during the winter. It was just the basics, they gave her a wash, trim, and all that other stuff. I was really hoping for them to trim her nails because it's difficult for me to do, but they didn't. Basically I paid for a service for what I could have easily done myself. The only upside to bringing her to the groomers was when they tied a bandana around her neck, it looked so adorable. =u=  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

Just make sure the hotspot cream doesn't have a steroid in it. I can't see it harming much but, a bit of regular polysporin or maybe calendula (which I have never been able to find for my own first aid kit by the way)

When I first got Cowboy, I knew so very little about dogs. I didn't realize how often nails needed clipping or to start em young and get em use to it. The first time he got em he was 7 months and he wiggled a bit so they charged extra. Well I learned right quick to do em myself. I then ended up working for that same groomer, and so, I was the only person who ever groomed Cowboy. Now being an Aussie he doesn't need much. A trim between the toes and under the belly. That's it really. But after I left I sent him there to get groomed and they charged me extra, said he was horribly behaved. I was like...COWBOY, are you kidding me? Never went back. Groomed him myself again at store that has a free tub and dryer. Well sure enough he freaked out. But he'd never done that before they groomed him. So I dunno what the heck they did to make him hate the dryer soo much.

It took almost a year to get him over it. He still freaks a bit when I turn it on, but he relaxes after a few minutes now and even lets me dry near his face. So when we WON free grooming at a different place, I was a bit nervous of letting someone else groom my dog again. Well this girl is amazing! She has this wonderful set up. And she's the only one I've seen do this, but she has a gentle leader that attaches to her table arm. And it calms him right down he doesn't even bark. The ONLY thing I didn't like was that, well I drive all the way out there to get the "professional" job but she wouldn't do his knots. She offered to shave them off but wouldn't spend the time getting em out. Which is understandable since I'm not paying her. But it took me like 20 minutes to do it myself. And I have a tub and dryer and good shampoo at my work so most of the time I still do him myself.  

[Vanilla Acoustic]

My dog, Finna, went to the groomer to get her nails clipped. I went to go get some five second groceries, and when I looked at one of Finna's nails, it looked like it had been nicked. Finna has had problems with that nail in the past, and she chews at it furiously, it get's dirty, and I have to clean it everyday after work. On top of that, the groomer forgot to clip one of Finna's nails. Ergh, I could've done that home.

So, now I've gotta make sure that Finna has a distraction...or she'll chew on her nail.  

[SmoothSavage]

As a groomer, I really loathe posts like this. It often just turns into "horror stories", and half the time the crap people freak out about is nothing serious.

For instance, Aki, if your mom didn't ask for a full haircut, why would the groomer do it? I don't cut hair unless the owner asks for it, since doing a haircut when not asked usually ends in a pissed off owner. And why call the cut low level if you don't think she even DID a cut?

As for the ear, it sucks, but it HAPPENS. No, groomers shouldn't be nicking dogs often, not at all, but it does happen. I nicked an ear on a Pom a year or so ago because I was trimming the hair and he whipped his head around right as the scissors closed. The fact that she told you and didn't charge you speaks well- I'd be MUCH more concerned if she tried to hide it. Also, ears are horrible, horrible bleeders. Riddle nicked her ear playing as a pup and it looked like a damn bloodbath, took forever to heal to boot.

Ruthfully, please tell me you're joking, by the way. You say right in your post that Finna had issues with that nail before the groomer ever touched her, but suddenly its all the groomer's fault for quicking the nail? Quicking is a minor thing that happens to every groomer occasionally, no matter how experienced. It didn't cause your dog's issues. Although missing a nail altogether is unprofessional.

Also, Gaby, do I need to send you some calendula? rofl  

[Whiskey On A Sunday]

Savage beat me to it. Accidents happen, a nicked ear or toe nail will happen every once in a while.  

[Skeksis]

It's up to you to decide if you will support that groomer again in the future, you are the only one who can decide if you are happy with the service. Or not. However it is good that they were completely transparent about nicking Bella's ear.

As for the ear itself, I wouldn't worry. Ears always bleed a lot. Pawpaw ointment or simple old vaseline smeared on the cut will create a barrier[make sure injury is clean first] and keep the injury moist to promote quick healing.

I don't have any horror stories about groomers as none of my critters have ever needed that service...however I do have a few horror stories about grooming. most notable was the day I got Roland- filthy and riddled with fleas. Any animal that comes to my house like that gets cleaned up immediately, so I had a couple of buckets of warm water and ferret shampoo to sort him out...and of course the poor guy thought I was trying to drown him and bit me to the bone and wouldn't let go for about 10 minutes. whee  

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

I realize accidents happen and that I don't know what happened at the time (mum scheduled it for when I couldn't make it). My main concern is sanitation/infection. I don't know what sort of setup the woman has, if she sterilizes her equipment between animals, etc.. Just because my dog is up to date on her vaccinations doesn't mean that the last animal was and that she couldn't catch something still.

And you can't really hide a big reddish-brown spot on the end of the ear and blood-stains all over a small tan head very well.

My mum (obviously supposed to be my voice in this case as I had nothing to do with the appointment) knew it was supposed to be a 'full haircut' (trim, not shave); that's why I was looking to take her to a groomer in the first place - I can handle small trims on my own, but I don't have the training or experience to keep her body looking nice. I call the cut low-level based on what was cut - the stuff around her face looks choppy and similar to my turnout on the first few cuts I gave her.


And the ointment I have is Fuciderm - it says it's a topical antibiotic/corticosteroid.  

[Krissim Klaw]

I find groomers are a lot like any other service out there, if you care then shop around, meet the people, watch them work, and so on. Unfortunately there isn't really a standard practice for grooming. There are grooming schools but the levels and training that groomers get can be rather hit or miss.

I groom Kirby myself, one of the ups of having such an easy breed. It is sort of funny how often people ask me what I do for his coat or where I get him groomed. Truth is, papillons are super easy to keep pretty.

Only real grooming experience I have is when one groomer tried to convince me when Kirby got older I was going to want to bring him in routinely to have his body, face and ear fringes shaved because as a pet owner I wasn't going to want to deal with the work involved. Shave a papillon's ears.... shave a papillon's precious ear fringes... that would be like purchasing a diamond ring and ripping the diamond out.  

[Krissim Klaw]

Skeksis

most notable was the day I got Roland- filthy and riddled with fleas. Any animal that comes to my house like that gets cleaned up immediately, so I had a couple of buckets of warm water and ferret shampoo to sort him out...and of course the poor guy thought I was trying to drown him and bit me to the bone and wouldn't let go for about 10 minutes. whee

Owe... owe... gonk

That does remind me of the first time I washed my ferret Blade though. He did manage to give me a little scare when he went completely limp at the touch of the water. I mean like dead noodle limp where if you set him on the ground or tried to stand him on his feet there was absolutely nothing. You would have thought his neck had been snapped. It took a good ten minutes for him to slowly perk up once I finished and started drying him off.  

[Skeksis]

~ Aki - Fairy ~

And the ointment I have is Fuciderm - it says it's a topical antibiotic/corticosteroid.

I'm hesitant to use antibiotics of any type unless they are specifically needed. All I do is mix up a saline solution [boil some water and dissolve salt into it, let cool until warm] and wash the wound out well. Then apply the pawpaw or vaseline, either will act as a protective barrier.

I'll have to put up some pics of injuries I've healed using just that sometime. smile  

[Skeksis]

Krissim Klaw

Skeksis

most notable was the day I got Roland- filthy and riddled with fleas. Any animal that comes to my house like that gets cleaned up immediately, so I had a couple of buckets of warm water and ferret shampoo to sort him out...and of course the poor guy thought I was trying to drown him and bit me to the bone and wouldn't let go for about 10 minutes. whee

Owe... owe... gonk

That does remind me of the first time I washed my ferret Blade though. He did manage to give me a little scare when he went completely limp at the touch of the water. I mean like dead noodle limp where if you set him on the ground or tried to stand him on his feet there was absolutely nothing. You would have thought his neck had been snapped. It took a good ten minutes for him to slowly perk up once I finished and started drying him off.

'Owe' was my first reaction...then when I realised he wasn't going to let go it was more like 'OMGWTFOWCH!'.
That has got to be the most hilarious bath reaction ever! Nice effort Blade. XD