Dog Hurt at Groomers??

Question

My poodle puppy was groomed today. This was like or 4 or fifth time there. Well I didn't notice it at first but I did just now she has a nick under her arm. Its not big but its good size and a little deep. It looks a little raw. There are also two bumps under her other arm. Should I be worried? No one ever said anything to me so should I call them. She is a hyper dog and I know they have had a little trouble grooming her in the past. What should I do?

Answer 1

I would take her to the vet tomorrow and present the bill to the groomer.

Be sure to call the groomer and let them know what your plans are.

Answer 2

As a professional groomer, and being at the other end of the situation before I would say that the groomer has a responsibility to tell you when she nicks your pet. As a groomer I am appalled to hear that you weren't informed when you picked up your pet. If the cut is deep the groomer should have called you right away to see if you wanted a Veterinarian to take a look at it.

I agree with those stating you should find another groomer, not because your dog was nicked, but because that groomer was dishonest by not telling you they had made a mistake. It is extremely easy to nick a puppy, especially if they are nervous, excited, or aggressive. Even seasoned groomers can nick an excitable, jumpy, or squirmy puppy/dog. You need to keep in mind that the groomer didn't do it on purpose, they didn't plan on nicking your dog that day...it was an accident.

The hardest place to clip, and the easiest place to nick is under the arm. There is a fold of skin that is impossible to pull flat, and clippers are big which makes it hard to clip under a tiny puppies arm...imagine trying to scrape the inside of a grape out with a spoon...it's harder than you think. I am not excusing the groomers mistake...I just want people to know that it isn't always easy for us.

Call the shop and explain what you found. If you have to, bring the puppy in and show them. If you feel it is necessary to take the dog to a vet, do so and ask them (politely) to reimburse you.

Most groomers sanitize every tool they use between dogs and all groomers nick a dog...it isn't just trainees that do it. It happens, it's a mistake. There is no need to sue the groomer or shop for this. Would you sue a barber for accidentally giving you razor burn?

Answer 3

It was defiantly wrong on their part not to tell you about the injury sustained to your dog. But you have to realize how many dogs they handle everyday and have other things on their mind like i need to get the next dog done now because the owner will be here any second. Being a Groomer is a very demanding job. Dog owners have no clue what we go through on a daily basis. Its amazing that we don't loose our patience and throw a dog across the room. But as far as going to a new groomer. It could very well happen again somewhere else especially if you have a wiggly dog. I'm a dog groomer and some dogs are very difficult to groom and we can't help the fact the dog won't stay still. Accidents will happen. Imagine you trying to work on something that is constantly moving that has teeth. It's very stressful job. You as the dog owner should work with your dog at home and teach it to get used to being brushed and combed out. Handle the dog often massaging the feet and touch the dog ALL over the body so she gets used to being handled and touched. And maybe when she goes to the groomer in the future your dog won't be so difficult. Every dog I've owned i have never had a problem with getting them to sit still while grooming. I have always handled my dogs the way i explained. The reason I've been grooming for so long and haven't quit doing it is because i like the challenge of how many dogs i can get done in a day and making them look like show dogs. Grooming is form of art work and i like seeing the end product of accomplishment.

Answer 4

Did you know that there are NO LICENSING requirements to be a pet groomer in most states. That means that ANYONE can be a dog groomer even with little or no training. It is imperative that you call the grooming salon as soon as possible and let them know what you have found. A quality, qualified groomer should have notified you immediately of the injuries even if they were minor, and instructed you on how to properly care for them. Sometimes things happen when grooming dogs that wiggle or jump around, it is a hazzard of having your dog groomed. However, your groomer is responsible for your dog from the moment you leave it at their facility. They should NEVER try and hide something like an injury to your pet. I would suggest finding another groomer and find one that belongs to a state or city grooming association, just google your city or state with grooming association to find their listing. You can also look for nationally certified master groomers on the websites I list below. The associations make you adhere to stringent rules and regulations as well as continue your education and attend seminars about grooming. It is way to easy for people to decide to be a pet groomer with out any real experience, continue their education and adhere to any safety regulations when grooming. You should ask to see photos of other dogs they have groomed, ask to talk to other clients, find out how long they have been grooming, where they were trained and any other info that will make you feel more comfortable leaving your beloved pet with them. As a professional groomer and on the board of directors of my state grooming association I know that I take the utmost care not to injure my clients pets, but at times I have had the occational accident due to a dog with bad grooming manners or puppies that just wiggle and squirm wich makes it harder not to nick or cut. I always call the owners and ask them to come down to help hold the dog and try and calm it while I work. If the public was aware of the horrors that happen in most grooming stores they would never take their pet to the groomers. They just assume that the people weilding scissors and clippers know what they are doing. Most do not. Do your homework, research where you are leaving your best friend. Don't assume because it is a large corporate grooming facility that the people are well trained. Ask to see where they groom the dogs, ask to see the "back room" where the dogs are kept. Inspect the facility, if it doesn't look clean and sanitary then leave. There are NO HEALTH INSPECTIONS for grooming salons. It is NOT like your cosmotologist who has to pass schooling, meet state and local requirements and also get inspected by the board of health and the state cosmotology board. NO ONE is policing the groomers and the grooming salons so that is why they can get away with substandard services, cruelty to the animals and unsanitary conditions. Go ahead and be a big pain in the neck, grill them on what they know, how they groom and how their shop is kept sanitary. You are the only one who can change the way that the grooming industry is run.

Answer 5

If this was noticed when you picked up the dog from the groomer's then you took dog to the Vet, immediately after the groom, get the Vet's written report and be prepared to litigate against the groomer/facility. Sounds like serious negligent behavior and the groomer/facility needs to be called on it. It sounds like a groomer left the dog on a table and went and did something and the dog hanged itself, mabye not quite quit breathing. Or could have jumped out of the side of a tub if restrained by the neck, hanging itself. In either case, see if you can talk to people who work at the grooming office and if they can tell you what happened to your dog. This mode of restraint and lack of supervision or mode of restraint without other restraint in case the dog got excited and tried to jump, was negligent. Not to mention improper use of a mode of restraint could have caused it. The burden of proof would be upon you, but if you took your dog to the Vet, straight from the groomer's, then you have some significant documentation. First of all, if a groomer uses anything to secure a small dog, they should have a hand on the dog at all times and in most cases, something that slips on the other end of the dog, in front of the hind legs so that the dog can't jump off or strangle itself. There is NO REASON other than neglect or, I hope not the case, but there are some BAD groomers out there, outright abuse of the animal- that your dog left the grooming shop in this shape. Further, if the injury occurred at the groomer's it was extremely negligent of them to give you your dog, injured as it was and not tell you about it or actually, as soon as anything injurious happened, rush it to their Vet and call you immediately telling you what happened. YES, restraints could cause this if only a neck restraint was put on the dog and the dog was not supervised at all times, was put on improperly, OR if there was a neck restraint on the dog and whomever handled the dog got angry with it. Shouldn't happen but it has been known to happen!

Answer 6

you need to change groomers. do not bring your puppy
back there and do take her to a vet and give the
grooming shop the bill. they have to pay for it and they
should have told you about it. the fact they didnt say
anything means they dont care and didnt think you would
notice and it will happen again. i was a groomer and i
never cut any dog even if he or she didnt stay still. in my
shop if a puppy or dog was scared then we had two
people with the dog one hugged and the other groomed.
we also let the owners know the dog was scared and
sometimes it would help if the owners stayed. we never
cut any dog. find yourself a grooming shop that you can
see in the back of and that does not crowd the dogs in
and make sure the people are nice. make sure you tell
them that your puppy is scared and did get cut by
another grooming shop and if they dont think they can
handle her let you know. you might even ask if they would
let you stay with her the first few times until she gets used
to them. also if your puppy is afraid of them and tries
to run out then dont use that place.most of the time the
groomers are in a hurry and they will do anything they have
to do to groom the dog. they know dogs cant talk. but i
know they can. when your dog fights you to go into the
groomers then he or she is talking. my dogs ran into my
shop and didnt want to leave. the owners could not believe
it. look for a grooming shop that really loves the dogs and
is not only about money. good luck

Answer 7

I have nicked about 4 armpits on dogs in all my years of grooming. It is one tough spot to groom. Never nicked any other spots, thank God. I ALWAYS tell the client that I have accidently nicked their dog. All have been shown the nick before they left, and all were offered the grooming session for free. Not one became irate. Not one of the nicked dogs left for other groomers. I really feel that this was because I was honest and offered to make it right. Honestly, I HATE on myself forever when I nick a dog, whether clipping nails or fur. If your groomer doesn't admit and point out mistakes, they shouldn't be grooming your dog.

Answer 8

You need another groomer- but you should also take your dog to the vet to get antibiotics to keep those cuts from infected.

As you may not know, they do not CLEAN their scissors in between grooming their dogs--therefore whatever the other dogs may or may not have, your dog can get--and an open wound I wouldn't fool around with....your vet may give you an antibiotic ointment and oral antibiotics to make sure he's okay...........I would take the time to call that groomer and tell him what they did -- and tell him you won't be back---it may be a new person there that worked on your dog--and if so, they can get rid of him....and don't feel bad, if we don't report people who do not do their job properly nothing would be done right in this world.!!!

Answer 9

Just talk to the groomer about this. I groom my own dogs, and it is difficult to groom a young, squiggly puppy. The underarm area is very sensitive and easy to nip. If you talk to the groomer about it, she might be more careful in the future. Or, you can find a more patient and/or experienced groomer. A deep cut should be seen by a vet. A small nick can have neosporin applied twice a day.

Answer 10

Call them ASAP and let them know how upset you are that no one bothered to mention that they knicked her or caused any harm what so ever to your poodle! I've had this happen to me and they offered the onstaff vet to look at my pom and he did a full checkup of her skin and fur. Please always speak up for your pet, we know they cannot! i know that sounds trite, but it's important for you to do this. my poms nipple was actually shaved off, they said it was becasue of her matted fur. well......i brush my dog 3-4 times a week and trim her fur in the heat. there was no way they could have mistaken her nipple for a mat!! my point is that if you feel like it's was more than the average problem at the groomers, you should be offered your money back and a free skin check of your pup!!! any reputable groomer will do that. mine at the time was petsmart, and they were wonderful about making sure my dog was ok!!

Answer 11

These things happen sometimes. I've seen it on all our dogs. Sometimes the dog jumps, or the clippers slip, and it scrapes the skin a little. The dog won't really care much, even if it's a little tender. Just let your groomer know, so they can pay special attention next time.