Dog acting weird after grooming

dpt222 · 11-17-2007, 01:41 PM

I have a one year old Shih tzu/Maltese that we had shaven at the groomers on Wednesday. Now for the past few days he's been acting strange dragging his butt on the ground and licking his abdomen and chewing on his toes. Today (Saturday) I noticed him shivering a bit from time to time and following me around, whining if I go to the bathroom and leave him alone which is something he doesn't normally do. He just wants to be by someone all the time now. He does, however, seem to be eating and he'll play fetch. I did notice a small reddish patch between his groin and butt which looks like razor burn. When I noticed his shivering, I called the vet but it closes early on Saturday so I'll have to wait until Monday to bring him. Any ideas about this behavior is appreciated. Any advice on making him more comfortable is also welcome (I think first I'll buy him a sweater to keep warm if that may be the case)

Love's_Sophie · 11-17-2007, 03:38 PM

Was he matted when he was groomed? Not that a groomer is really excusable for clipper burning a severely matted dog, but sometimes it can and does happen when the coat is tight against the skin and they don't spray their clipper often enough with a coolant. If he wasn't matted, perhaps they just let their clipper get too warm, or he could have just reacted to something on their blades.

What you are describing does indeed sound like clipper burn; what I would do is put some baby powder on it for now; that will help with the itching and soothe it until you can get him in on Monday. You can pat the powder on as needed.

If he was shaved totally down (my guess is he was clipped down with a #7 blade) he is probably shivery due to his loss of coat; if you have an old shirt you can make a quicky sweater out of one of the sleeves; or if you have a sweater for him, put it on him for a while. I had a kitty that I kept clipped down, and he usually had to wear his sweater for a few days to get used to his 'nakedness'.

dpt222 · 11-17-2007, 04:28 PM

He had a little bit of matting under his armpits, but not too bad. I do think they used at least a #5 on him. I'll try out the baby powder and get a sweater on him for the time being. Thank you for the advice!

ACampbell · 11-17-2007, 08:01 PM

Just as a thought, maybe the clipper oil they used is an irritant to his skin...my husband breaks out from the clipper oil when they shave the back of his neck (that and military haircuts are bad anyway, they dont care if they knick or burn you) but maybe if he got a bit of clipper burn and the oil mixed it, it might have irritated his skin.

Just as another thought, I know when I get a haircut I feel "weird" for awhile - because of the less weight of having really long hair and I do get a bit chilled at first, so do my kids and hubby when their heads get buzzed down...your head is used to the warm and then there's nothing to protect it. I think the other suggestion of putting a coat on your dog is a good idea, at least until he gets to feeling normal about the lack of fur.

Gina · 11-19-2007, 03:12 PM

Yes, i think it could be razor burn, if he is dragging his butt, have your vet check his anal glands as well. They could be having issues and in need of draining. My lab had issues with his just once and he refused to sit down at all. The vet said his issue was caused because of his habit of having to back up to a tree or bush to poop. He is so silly! I would definitly bring this up with your groomer next time if you return to this groomer at all. His wanting to be with you constantly is just the fact that he isn't feeling righ cause of his rash and is being insecure. He just needs to be comforted and reassured until you get him to the vet. I'd really like to hear what the vet has to say!

Cobalt · 11-24-2007, 04:39 PM

I was thinking cold but the other suggestions are good. But, our maltese did need a coat when she was clipped and in the winter. They only have one layer of fur. Poor baby! Hope he feels better soon.

Lulilgus · 11-27-2007, 06:09 PM

Might just be the shock of being bald: dogs feel it when they've had a hair cut like us. Maybe he's feeling a bit self concious?

Alison · 12-02-2007, 03:08 PM

What you are describing sounds more like an irritation from being shaved too close to the skin, a lot of people mistakenly call it clipper burn. A clipper burn would be a full blown burn, just like you would get it say, you stuck a hot curling iron to your arm. Clipper irritation has nothing to do with heat and everything to do with your dog being clipped closer in those areas than is comfortable for his skin. Maltese in general have VERY sensitive skin. I would be sure that the groomer knows about this irritation so that next time they can clip those areas longer. There are times where it is necessary to clip really close, for example if the dog is matted. I don't know whether or not this was the case with your dog, either way you can get some desitin or some other diaper rash cream, it should help to make him more comfortable. Sorry you're poor little dude is uncomfortable!

Skyler · 12-07-2007, 01:04 AM

Im assuming that he was also bathed while he was there? If so, it could also be the shampoo that they used or perhaps didnt rinse him well enough. I had this happen to one of my dogs and they also dragged their rear afterwards. I rewashed her at home making sure to get her bum as well and it took care of the problem.

Some dogs just have issues with certain soaps like people. On her I had to use a particular oatmeal blend or she just itched no matter how well I rinsed. Heck, Im allergic to the purest and most gentle soap out there (Ivory) yet nothing else bothers me. Just food for thought.