Bark & Wag 15 Minute Vet Talk

Welcome to Bark & Wag 15 Minute Vet Talk – I am your host Polly ReQua Today we are talking to Kelly Burkholder, owner of Dirty Hairy Dog Wash, from Daphne, Alabama.  Many of us take our dogs to the groomer. What happens during that time of drop off to pick up? Many of us simply just drop our dogs off and assume we left our beloved four-legged companion in capable hands. However, we are assuming a lot. Leaving the dog with the groomer is much like leaving him with a day care or the vet. We entrust the groomer with our dog's health and safety, not just the length of the cut or the trimming of the nails. Leave Your Contact Information On the very first visit, any responsible groomer will ask all new clients to fill out a grooming card. A grooming card includes your vet's number, your cell and home phone numbers and who to call in case of an emergency. Provide Physical Health Info Any grooming shop worth its salt makes sure that each canine client is up to date on its vaccinations. This ensures the greater safety of all the clients against many contagious diseases. You should also expect to provide additional info about your dog's health such as whether he has a murmur, arthritis or any other condition that might be relevant. It's important that your groomer knows these things in case your dog becomes ill while being groomed. Accidents Accidents can happen at even the most reputable grooming salons. Razor burns, nicks, styling mishaps and nails clipped too short can all happen when working on a wiggly dog. Stylists are sometimes even bitten by a frightened dog. These things can still happen even if you have been going to the same groomer for twenty years; that's why they are called accidents. In the case of an emergency, a good groomer will notify you immediately and make sure that your dog receives proper medical care as needed. Health issues that an owner and vet might miss on your pet. A groomer is watching for anything that might be suspicious and examined by the vet. Stress Our dogs usually experience some amount of stress while being groomed, but severe stress might be a sign that something went wrong. A good groomer will recognize the signs of stress in your pet and call you if your dog is so stressed that the session cannot be completed. Signs of stress: Glazed eyes Dilated pupils Refusal to make eye contact Yawning Drooling Excessive licking, scratching, panting Biting Growling Snapping Tremors Involuntary urinating or diarrhea Should you notice any of these signs when picking up your dog, please take a moment to talk with your groomer and find out what happened. The idea here is to make a grooming day fun day for your dog.