Grooming Tragedy

[Renee750il]

A woman in one of the neighboring cities here took her Bichon to the groomers. When she came to pick him up, he was dead.

The vet determined the little dog had died of heat stroke while in one of the heat drying chambers . . .

How scary is that!

[gaddylovesdogs]

Omigosh that's horrible :( !! I'm weary of bringing my girls to the groomers....I need to know that they're handled correctly.

[Renee750il]

The story recommended that you do not allow your dog to be dried in a heat drying chamber. If there's a malfunction (not uncommon, evidently) your dog can be subjected to extreme heat in a matter of moments.

[EliNHunter]

That is just horrible!!! What the heck is a "heat drying chamber"? A box where their head sticks out? Poor dog!!! My friend used to take her cocker to a certain groomer and the poor dog would always act so frightened around the groomer. She thinks she was mistreating her dog. Needless to say, she stopped going to that groomer! :mad:

[Richie12345]

That's scary...

[showpug]

We used those kennel dryers at the vet clinic. I could never bring myself to use one to dry my dogs. I always settled for a towell!! That is so sad. I feel so bad for the dog and the owner :(

[gaddylovesdogs]

I'd rather bathe my dogs myself, save some money, and be sure they're safe. It doesn't take too long, even with three big dogs, for me to shampoo them, quick rinse, rub them with a towel until they're only damp and then let them air dry.

[joce]

Thats happened a couple times out here. I think it was consumer reports that did an article on them but it could have been the whole dog journal when I got that.

My moms x took his dog to get groomed and requested a specific groomer and that the dog not be put under wiht anything. htey had soemone else do it and put her under and she died. Its the vet offices out here that I'm always hearing things about too. Never heard bad things about a place that is just a groomer.

[Bella's Mom]

I have heard this sad tale too many times. I always tell the groomer NOT to dry my dog and let her air dry its better for her skin too.

[Tobysmom]

Yikes! thats awful!
I am grooming Toby myself. I just wouldn't trust someone else to do it. We towel dry.

[Barb04]

How horrible! Now I'm wondering what they do at Petsmart when our cats get bathed and groomed, if they need it.

[Ash47]

All too sadly,
This isn't too uncommon. I would never ever subject an animal to a heat dryer. Whatever it is, it doesn't sound like something too safe. I use a towel first, then I use the HighPower dryer being careful not to get in to dogs eyes or ears. I know that would be very uncomfortable. If it is a really small dog, then I just use a regular person hair dryer on cool setting. Then, I put them in their cage with a towel with a small fan attached to the cage. If they are shivering or something, then I turn the fan off. Not worth a pet getting the chills just to look pretty.

When I am grooming, I always think to myself, "How would I want my dog or cat treated if it was already frightened to be in a strange place with someone putting blades and scissors near its eyes??" I am very gentle and very re assuring to the animal. If they just insist on not wanting a part of their body shaved, then I don't put them through that stress. I send them home and tell the owner that it couldn't be done. Most of the time, they understand.

[mrose_s]

only daisy goes to a groomer (the vet to be clipped) and we dont let them be hydrobathed or anything as the chemicals (ffrontline and such) seem to knock them around a bit.

[Irish]

Many years ago, I took my cat to a groomer in my town, because she had mats on her back. I just wanted them to shave them off. I had a funny feeling when I dropped her off, the place was really unorgranized. I thought I made myself clear, just shave off the mats, I don't care what she looks like. Well, they called me twice at home to ask what I wanted done. Finally, I came to pick her up and I noticed one of the owners walking in the back door - with a case of beer! I vowed them and there to never drop off one of my pets at an unfamiliar place again. Now I work at a kennel/groom shop and I still would'nt just leave one of my animals.

[Ash47]

Agreed Irish.

[mrose_s]

wow irish, thats just scary, when we lived down south, Daisy got groomed by my auntie (a proffessional dog groomer) so we knew she was in good hands.

[becca_4321]

I'm just grooming mine myself. The only one I would trust to groom Gracie is Pro and she's to far away! So you groomers out there, I am new to this grooming so if ever I post a picture of Gracie and you see I may be doing something wrong, please tell me and give me some tips! :)

[yuckaduck]

Oh yes too scarey to trust someone else so we do our own. Can't wait to see what he looks like when we clip him. lol

[Ash47]

Awww becca, you are too kind! :o

[nedim]

Thats so sad. My groomer uses a fan on steroids.lol

[Raika's Mom]

There's a place here called "wipe your paws" that is a do it yourself grooming place...I may try it out since every time Raika has a bath I have a mess of hair in the tub to clean up. I'm not sure how much it is...I'll have to check that out.

[Renee750il]

I've seen websites about those kinds of facilities and I think they're a great idea - as long as they're disinfected well between clients and make sure Railka has her shots completed before you try it.

[Manchesters]

There's a place here called "wipe your paws" that is a do it yourself grooming place...I may try it out since every time Raika has a bath I have a mess of hair in the tub to clean up. I'm not sure how much it is...I'll have to check that out.

Many folks have never been shown how to SKIN brush a dog. Most will simply brush over the top of the hair. This is kinda hard to describe...but I will try.

First thing you need a high quality slicker brush....Warner makes the best and from what I understand they are still making them.

Second thing is to lay the dog on its side and KEEP IT THERE, lol. If you are right handed you start at the butt. You take your left hand and push the hair to your left toward the head. Hold the hair down, and use the slicker brush to PULL the hair out from under your left hand. As you brush, move your left hand to your left toward the head. Be gentle with the slicker--don't put hardly any pressure on it. If you try brushing your own arm with it you will get the idea of how to do it.

With a big dog, do this twice on each side---first time on the upper part of the side, second time on the lower part and belly.

I once had a cousin come over to visit and they brought their Pom with them. When I picked the poor dog up it was full of nothing but mats! But her hubby had brushed the dog before they left. But he had only brushed the surface of the hair.

While we chatted, I got the dog onto my lap, and started slicker brushing her. Well, I ended up with half a paper grocery bag full of hair, and they left with only half the dog they arrived with! Jim was absolutely flabbergasted! Lily told him they were getting one of those slicker brushes IMMEDIATELY and that he WOULD brush the dog the way I had done. I told her that since Penny had been stripped of mats, if they brushed her the regular way with the regular brush and just made sure they got down to the skin the dog would be OK. You can usually just do the slicker brush routine every couple of months.

Soooo, that is how ya get rid of doggie hair!!!

[Ash47]

Great way to explain it Manchesters! I am no good with describing things on the internet, but that is exactly how I keep Precious mat free. I wish my clients would actually do this method.

[Old Dog]

Dryers used in shops most put out too much heat. I never used heated dryers in the shop just air blowers like the back side of your cannister vacumme that just blows air. Blowing the dog dry, not cage drying, gets out the rest of the hair left behind from brushing really helps the shedding problem. To use those heated dryers you have to have some smarts and unfortunately most of the people that shops hire for bathers are not real bright in that dept. Sad when any dog dies because of someones neglect and stupidity.

[Old Dog]

Good job manchesterz explaining the brushing!Then after brushing bathe and get that vacumme out and blow dry and then you can turn it around and vacumme up the mess!!

[Athe]

If you take your dog to a do it yourself grooming shop to get out undercoat... The best time to brush a dog is when it is in the tub and sudsed up with shampoo. Take a slicker and go over the dog. I do this with Husky's, Pom's, Newf's, Pyr's...for all double coated breeds this works wonderful getting the dead coat out, with no pain, and any one can do it. Even some mats glide easiely out. If we didn't do this we would all have carpal tunnel trying to brush every single dog out completely :) We then dry them with the high velocity dryer until the dog is 110% dry, dry down on the skin (our dryers never run warm or hot, only cool, its the force that blows out the coat)...the undercoat just blows out. After the dog is completely dry we then brush them out some more. Mainly all the coat is out of the dogs coat after the drying. This makes our job easy, its easier on the dog and not painful like brushing out completely. This is how we can fit in 9 Newfoundland dogs in one day ;)
If you have access to a high velocity dryer, this is the best way to groom a double coated dog. If you groom at home, brush the dog when the dog is sudsed up with shampoo...the undercoat just glides out. Nice and not painful for the dog.

[Athe]

Many folks have never been shown how to SKIN brush a dog. Most will simply brush over the top of the hair.
It's unbelievabel how many people only brush the outer coat :( the undercoats are usually matted solid. Some people just don't catch on to proper brushing, even when shown how to do it properly.

[Zoom]

I told this story to one of our groomers and she thinks that groomer should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. It's one of the basics that you never leave a dog in a heat dryer without checking on it at least every 5 minutes. Our dryers at work are like the ones Athe uses, no heating elements involved, just room temperature air blown at high speed. The drying room is usually a little warmer to begin with anyway, so none of the dogs catch a chill.

[Renee750il]

Zoom, hopefully the groomer will be prosecuted under the new animal cruelty statutes in Tennessee that make it a felony, rather than a misdemeanor. Civil law still needs some re-vamping, as very little consideration is given to the emotional ties we have with our pets.

[Athe]

Exactly Zoom. We do use cage dryers, but, we have have a huge floor dryer that only blows cool air and we only put a dog in an open cage when under the dryer...never ever a crate.
In my area a dog breeder killed 2 of his cocker spaniels under a cage dryer. This breeder is very highly respected and his cocker spaniels are well looked after. I don't think people understand that a mistake like this can happen to a good person. He never intended on killing his own valuable show dogs...but, he did...it was a mistake. And there have been a couple of incidents of groomers in our area killing dogs under cage dryers....one groomer went for lunch and left a dog unattended under a cage dryer! :eek: The cage dryers that run warm can be very dangerous...
We also have a few groomers in our area that are really rough with dogs. We have one dog that comes in to us as the last groomer put its head under water to try to calm the dog down...it was a young dog and very hyper. The dog now has nuerlogical damage and suffered many problems after this incident. The groomer even told the owner what they had done and justified it as "tough love" :eek: You would never think this girl would do something like this...really sweet girl who loves animals and volunteers her spare time to the local rescue center.
There is another groomer (we can't prove it) but, he is known to be very rough with dogs and uses shoe strings instead of muzzles on all dogs that come in. He has been seen by some temp hires throwing dogs across the room, hanging them, punching them...etc.
Some gromers can make mistakes, then there are other groomers who are cruel and only in it for the money. the dog doesnt cooperate, they "make" the dog cooperate. If I didn't groom my own dogs I would do major research on a groomer before leaving my dogs.
So, I don't think a groomer should have charges pressed against them for a mistake. Mistakes happen, they shouldn't and with education they shouldn't happen....but, for groomers who are deliberately cruel to dog, I think they most certainly should have charges pressed.

[Zoom]

:eek: those stories are horrible! Personally, I'd never take my dog somewhere that didn't have windows on one wall so everyone could see what's going on. The people who use "rough love" techniques generally don't like those places because there are too many questions.

I know there are dogs that are hard to handle, but that's what approved muzzles and tons of patience (and a possible handling fee) are for.

[Renee750il]

Hehhehheh, Athe . . . Maybe I should start a business that charges for taking a full grown Fila in to be 'groomed' by one of these "tough love" :rolleyes: groomers :p

[Athe]

Renee750il, that would be a great idea :)
It is really shocking how some groomers (I found more male groomers to be rough) can be so sweet to the customers face and so rough with the person's pet. At the shop my Sister owns she has had a few dogs come in for grooming that were so tramatized we had to start getting them used to the groom all over again and take baby steps. If I hear a groomer works on their own and gets in 10 dogs a day and puts in a 6 hour day...I can be quite sure they are being rough with the dogs. Some groomers get money hungry and can't cope with a dog acting like a dog.
If you drop off your Fila to some of our local groomers you could help us stop animal cruelity...how sweet and generous you are. ;) :D we could also cut back on the unneccesary human overpopulation problem we have...haha

[Giny]

Oh my that's so sad! I've groomed since 1989 and never worked in a salon that used either cage dryers or boxes for the specific reason. Table drying is a lot safer.