[mouseling]

today i took my 8 month old lhasa to get groomed. he gives me a hard time when i try to brush him, so i usually can only do a good job on his back and tail, but he doesn't let me get more than a few strokes on his legs/tummy/ears... as a result he had some big mats on those areas. this is his 3rd time going to the groomers. the first time he had a simple puppy trim when he was 5 months old, no big deal.

the second time i took him was about 3 months ago, and for the same reason as this time, he was all matted up on his ears and legs, but that time the groomer told me that she would be able to brush them out, and she did. he ended up coming home with very short hair, but he still had hair.

today, he ended up shaved. obviously i authorized him to be shaved, but last time i did as well, and his knots were just as bad last time but they were able to take the time to comb them out, so i figured today would be the same. but when i showed up he was completely shaved right down to his skin.. i mean... he looks like a little rat. not only that, but they were done in less than an hour. last few times it took much longer, several hours or half a day. i almost feel like they just rushed to shave him and get him out.

they also told me something strange that i had never heard before ever, and we've also got a 9 year old lhasa whose been getting groomed at the same place for years and also had problems with mats on her ears, and today was the first time that i was told that my dog might have to go the vet because his ears might bleed after they removed the mats. i had never heard of such a thing, and honestly it freaked me out. thats also why they called me to come pick him up so quickly, because they said he was shaking his ears and might start bleeding at any moment so they needed me to come get him. when i picked him up the groomer bandaged up his little naked head and told me to watch out because she already saw signs of "bruising" in his ears. once i got him home i took a look for myself and his ears looked totally normal. all i saw was some irritation on the inside which was there from before, which i already know from the visit we made to the vet last week, is from a small yeast infection he has that i'm currently treating.

his ears have continued to look completely normal and i'm kind of annoyed that the ladies freaked me out so bad and made me rush to come get him. they made it seem like his mats were deadly, when really they were just really heavy knots that i'm sure could have been brushed out, because i myself was able to get out some from his tummy and legs.

other than that, my puppy has been acting so weird. he keeps shivering a lot and curling up in corners and he refuses to walk, everytime he gets up to walk he hunches his butt close to the floor and then just sits down, as if he's deciding that its too hard to walk and he just gives up. i checked his legs and paws and butt and don't see any signs of injury, i patted him around those areas and he doesn't show any sign of being in pain, so i'm completely baffled as to what could be bothering him and not letting him walk.

my first instint is to think that he just feels very weird and disoriented having a good 3 inches of very thick fur suddenly shaved off. that i guess would explain the shivering. but i dont know what to think about his nervous behavior and not wanting to walk. i would of course call the groomer to ask if she knows whats up with his butt, but he was napping all day and just started acting this way a few hours ago, in the evening, so i'd have to wait till tomorrow to call anyway.

anyway, is it normal for a dog to act this freaky after a trip to groomers? is it possible that something might have happened to him? could it even be his nails that are bothering him if they were trimmed baddly? i just feel so sad because he looks so miserable. hes all curled up and shaking and looking at me with sad eyes as if to say "how could you do this to me?" and its just ripping my heart out. he's usually so happy and playful. even when he's sick.

should i be worried?

[DivaDog]

Ok first off - if you brought your dog to me in that state two times in a row Id shave it off to - unless they were minor matts that could be removed with no trauma to the dog. If your unable to brush his legs or tummy andhe went three months without a groom im guessing he was in a mess.

for the bleeding - watch out for hematomas when dogs have heavy matts on the ears that are then removed this can feel very strange causing them to shave their heads excessively - too much can cause the ear to fill up with blood - at the end or halfway up normally, you probably wont see it bleeding like a cut but the ear will swell and normally it needs to see a vet to relieve the problem. your groomer was absolutely in the right to warn you of this - I know it frightened you but at least you were prepared.

Your pup probably feels very strange and most dogs hate being that naked - give him a few days and he should settle down. But this is the kick you needed - you MUST learn to groom the dogs properly, it sounds like the groomer has dealt with the problems in the correct way and just because they got the knots out last time doesnt mean they could this time - they probably decided it would be two painful to put your pup through a heavy dematt session. Try not to pander to him - the more you do the worse the behaviour will get. As for his bottom - could be anything - very full anal glands, if the groomer expressed them it could be bothering him. If he had a matt near his bottom having that removed could make him act strange. Without seeing the condition of the dog before hand its hard to comment.

However I dont think the blame should fall at the groomers feet this time from what ive read. Your dog needs to see the groomer a bit more regularly and be brushed a LOT more - its no good saying you cant do it - he has to learn to tolerate it. I see this far to often and as a groomer we can do little more than make the dog comfortable and educate the owner. Id ask your groomer to show you how to brush him properly then have him bathed and tidied up every 6 weeks as his fur grows while you learn to manage it.

[briteday]

I have small breed dogs with long hair and fur. Every night when we sit to watch the news each of us takes a dog and a brush (keep it next to the chair where you sit) and we start with the worst places first. Do under the ears. Reallly feel with your fingers for the matts. Then you can move on to the rear where they might tend to matt on the hips and back of legs. Don't forget to say "rollover" in a happy voice as you roll them over in your lap to do their belly. Then all you have left is the fun part, which you say is no problem, the back and sides. Lastly, as they are sitting on your lap feel their feet for any burrs or stones that could be in their pads.

A bag of the yummiest treats can go a long way during grooming. I'm not suggesting that you feed the whole bag during one sitting, but put it in the basket with your gooming tools so you have it on hand. Lots of positive praise and treats. If you do it every day at a regular time they know it is part of the daily routine, just like being fed or walked, and they learn to accept it. Also, even if you aren't successful every night, at least you will have an idea of when a matt is starting to form and you can take them to the groomer right away to work it out so that it is not hurting their skin.

You really need to speak with a vet or behaviorist about your dogs. Not only are they matted to the skin in just a few months but they also have infections. This is not normal with regular home care.

[bluesbarby]

I comb out Riley almost every night. I found that holding him in my lap to try to groom him did NOT work. I set him on a high counter where he can't get off (I think this mimics what he experiences with a groomer)and comb him there. He now just stands there while I work. We have lots of plants with burrs on our back hill and Riley has found all of them. All the burrs have to be picked and combed out otherwise they would develope into huge matts. So if I feel anything on his body when I'm holding him I set him on the counter and comb. Riley only goes to the groomers every three months, for a face trim, ear hair pulling and cleaning, and cutting hair between the toes. The rest of the grooming I do myself including trimming his body hair.
5 minutes a day is all it takes unless of course he's covered in burrs like last night but even that only took me 15 minutes. Riley is a combo Shih tzu, Bichon and poodle.

[Penguincity]

one--I would NEVER go back to THAT groomer.
two--sounds like the dog is cold and/or insecure. After all, they are used to having some insulation from breezes and air movement across their skin. As for the insecurity, I had a dog shaved once, and she stayed hidden until it grew back quite a bit. I think they actually feel some sort of doggy-shame, that they know they have had a major change in themselves and, some primal instinct makes them feel vulnerable. Therefore, they want to hide and are frightened by the whole ordeal.
four--I would start "grooming" the little angel at least a few minutes each day, followed by a treat (food, but preferably love or a play session with thet most favorite toy in the world). I would include a non-desirable spot, then move to an ok spot while telling the pet just how wonderful it is for letting me touch that non-desirable spot for a few seconds. As the pet gets used to this, the grooming may become a more relaxed event, and you might be able to address those difficult areas at least a little bit every week, and the situation may not grow to be so drastic.
What ever way it goes, good luck with your little pal.

[Purplex15]

peguin-i would really like a reasoning for why she should never take the dog back to THAT groomer

from what you have typed, the groomer did not do anything wrong. the groom was done in less that an hour. i dont know how many customers want me to get their dogs done that fast. and if the dog was shaved, it does take a much shorter time at the groomers b/c the drying time is cut down a lot (normally the longest process). dogs like llasa's develop a lot of hair in the ear canal. this hair needs to be "pulled" regularly to protect against hemotomas, infection, and overall discomfort. if they pulled out 3 months worth of hair and infection, then it is completely normal for the dog to be shaking his head a lot. ive seen dogs almost freak out from being able to have air in their ear again. imagine have so much wax in your ears that you couldnt hear and got no air into you ear. if you just pulled it out one day, your ear would feel very strange. it was very good for them to warn you. i understand nothing happened, but omethig could have. and ghow mad would you have been if something did happen and they didnt warn you

as far as the inconsistency with the services, heres what i think. the first time you brought the dog in, it was matted. the groomer did all she could b/c you were a new customer/dog. me personally, i will demat a customers dog once (if possible) if it is matted, or at least try. but if that customer gets in the routine if not brushing at home, waiting 3 months for grooming, and letting the dog get completely matted, i wil not do it again. there is no point in putting a dog through that when the owner does not take the responsibility of keeping the dog in good condition.

i do not doubt you love your dog, but i really feel like you are angry for no reason. you agreed to the shave, they told you something may come up with the ears, and the dog has no injuries. as far as his behavior, maybe he feels weird after not being matted (somedogs get happy, some get depressed). he is probably picking up on your feelings about the groom. do not baby him. pretty much ignore his sad behavior and treat him normally. if it continues for longer than a few days, then maybe see vet.

if you really feel lie you cant brush your dog, then take it to the groomer at least every 4 weeks