To all you groomers! - whats the worst thing youve seen on the job?

0hmyd0g · 04-26-2009, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PlushPupsGirl

The worst i have ever seen was a little mini schnauzer that came in and his entire coat was matted to his body in a thick layer of urine, feces and dirt. You could not even see or feel his body under the coat. The woman DARED to ask us to put him into a schnauzer cut!!! We blatantly told her that there is no way we could do anything but shave everything. even the coat on his face was as matted as the rest of his body! Apparently he had had a UTI for a while which the owner of course didn't know. The dog just reeked of bodily fluids....

I have to let you know that we have this thing called the Wall of Shame, where we hang up things we have found on dogs, or cats, bodies, pictures if nothing else. Well we shaved the dog down and the entire coat STAYED TOGETHER, so we had this thick blanket of his fur left and we laminated it and stuck it on the wall along with the owners name. It may seem mean, but we tell the owner that if the dog comes in next time and doesn't look like that their name will be taken down but the coat will still be there. Needless to say, it really does work...

The wall of shame is an interesting idea. I don't know if I like the idea of the dog owners name up there though. As if they aren't embarrassed enough. I think I prefer pictures of nicely groomed dogs up on my wall when people come in. I defiantly do keep some "samples" of mats that come off in one piece to show people, but I keep that in a bag under the desk, out of view of the nice clean shop.

Love's_Sophie · 04-26-2009, 07:07 PM

I kind of like the wall of shame too...maybe putting the dog's name only; it's not like the owners won't know who it was.

Dunixi · 04-26-2009, 08:32 PM

I'm not a groomer...but I saw something that made me sad the other day. I was out shopping with my mom and got to meet the cutiest little Maltese looking dog. Her owner said she had just come from the groomer. Her fur was sooooo soft and this pretty grey. She had a cute blue bow in her hair. Then I looked at her feet, her nails were so long they were almost curved into the bottoms of her feet. I almost started crying. I don't know what groomer her they took her to, but I can't believe they left this little dolls nails like that.

GroovyGroomer777 · 05-01-2009, 06:33 PM

Dunixi, I'm sure you already know this - but dogs have a "quick". If the nails are neglected for a long period, usually the quick grows out with the nail. If a dog comes into the shop with overgrown quicks, there is not anything we can do besides cut the nail to the quick. Otherwise the nail bleeds. While some dogs don't seem to notice, some dogs find it very painful. I personally, never cut the quick intentionally just to shorten the nail.

Its the owner's job to keep the nails at a proper length. You can always bring your dog for nail trims in between groom visits. Or you can do it at home. The groomer cannot fix this in one visit. If the nail is already too long, the dog should start coming in for a trim or dremelling every week or so to try and recede the quick.

Dunixi · 05-02-2009, 12:54 AM

Yeah I understand that Groovy. The poor doggy just looked so sad with those long ol' nails. I'm hoping its a case of she was an adoption and came to them that way or something like that. I really didn't get ask much more about her then where she got the pretty bow. She was a really sweet dog too.

Ruby_S · 05-02-2009, 09:22 AM

Im not a dog groomer and havent seen anything bad on dogs other then what thay show on the animal planet but im a hairstylist and i gotta say it can be just as gross sometimes...we've had clients come in with lice in their hair which somehow they didnt know they had...crusty thick dandruff stuck to their scalp and it flakes off everyime you move the hair...some people are just as neglectful with their kids as with their pets...i had a client not to long ago that took her 2yr old son(he was really cute) to get his hair trimmed and his head smelled pretty bad and he had that crusty yellow dandruff his nails were so long that all u could see was the dirt underneath them...same thing happened with a little old lady that was brought in by her daughter it looked like they hadnt brushed or washed her hair in more than a week...i work in a nice salon and most of the clientele are well off so you would think they would take better care of themselves and their loved ones...

sizzledog · 05-02-2009, 10:57 AM

I think the worst I ever saw was a sheltie whose rear was so matted, maggots had actually eaten through the poor dog's tail - we soon found out that the dog's tail was ONLY held on by the matted fur... so the poor dog's tail fell off as soon as we started brushing.

It was...horrific.

Best*In*Show · 05-03-2009, 03:45 AM

Oh, my, gosh!!!

That poor dog!!

I didn't know hairstylists had to deal with this stuff, too -- how shocking!!

ThoseWordsAtBest · 05-03-2009, 07:32 PM

Oh lord. Well, it's a tie. There was the couple who brought in their Collie who was horribly matted. We could do nothing but shave him, and once we shaved him, we found hundreds of ticks. I literally mean hundreds. Some were the size of quarters, they were so engorged. We flipped up his gums and they were pretty much white. I don't know how this dog was alive. Luckily, there was a vet next door, who took the dog in immediately for treatment. When the owners picked the dog back up it turns out he is an outdoor dog, but they have never treated him or their yard for ticks and other parasites. They were warned that animal control would be called if we ever saw him in this condition again.
And the guy who brought in a 15 year old blind and deaf Cocker. He was greasy and matted around the face, which the owner was ADAMANT about having them shaved out. Checking the mats out we found they were over/tangled with bleeding, inflamed ulcers. When we called the man to pick up the dog and advised it see a vet immediately, he just screamed at us to do what we were being paid and shave the mats out and that he wasn't paying a hundred dollars (random figure?) at a vet to take care of them when he could pay 60 here. We found out he's been told several times at different salons that he must see a vet and was apparently just hoping we wouldn't notice and shave the mats. After we explained several times we would in no way do that, he stormed into the grooming area, ripped his dog away, and dragged it out while it was slamming into tables and completely disoriented. I called animal control immediately.

chilee1 · 06-06-2009, 01:43 PM

I am not a groomer, but today I encountered something that to me was horrific, so much so I called the vet near hysterical and in tears...we've changed dog foods and my queenie's tummy has not been happy about it, she's had the squirts for several days, so much that she was making huge messes in the house, so we have had her outside on a bland diet (pumpkin, boiled chicken, rice) until it clears up a bit. Needless to say, I went outside this morning to give her a quick bath, and discovered to my horror that her entire butthole was covered in a mass of wriggling little white worms! What I thought was part of the diarreah was actually live worms! Needless to say she has been hosed down and is now sectioned off in the living room until the diarreah passes!

PoodlePerson · 06-06-2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashes

ok a few days ago a dog came into the grooming shop completly matted. he was about 13 years old, over weight, some kind of standard poodle mix, lived outside, and hadnt been to the groomer in 7 years the woman told me. i told her right up front that due to the dogs age and coat condition i would have to just shave it all off. she was fine with that and just said whatever you have to do. i brought him back, put him on the table and began shaving. i hadnt gotten 3 strokes in when i noticed a sore of some kind on the dogs back. i went around it for the time being since old dogs get stuff like that. but then i found another and another. upon closer examination i was appauled to find that the sores were actually HOLES IN THE DOGS SKIN and what had created these holes? MAGGOTS.. the holes actually had woms crawing in them. -shudders- so we called the owner.. he went right to the vet and was treated. the owner called us the next day in tears thanking us for helping her dog. it turned out in total he had five holes in his body and would have surely died if we hadnt found them.

but what i want to know is.. has anyone else ever seen anything like that before???

OMG... Does this woman run a puppy mill??? I've seen that before and it was on a puppy mill dog.... it also was soooo badly matted that it couldn't poop... I had to shave his butt just so he could go to the bathroom... there was poop and urine soaked into the matts - so you can just imagine what it smelled like.
Poor guy!!!! This is heart breaking!!!!

zimandtakandgrrandmimi · 06-06-2009, 05:19 PM

this thread.....wow..just wow.

you know...I deliberately avoid getting dogs that require extensive grooming...Im not a person who can really handle more than a good regular brushing/wipe down/nail trim and the occasional bath...

you would THINK if people weren't the type to do extensive maintenance...they wouldn't get a dog who needs their coat maintained....

apparently not.

Raggs · 06-08-2009, 11:22 PM

I had a guy bring his cat into me to be shaved.. When I saw the cat I freaked out and called the SPCA, humane society and animal control...

The cat had been matted severely for so long that it had actually ripped the skin off this poor thing.. And I'm not talking about a small area. It was the entire back and sides.. The belly was fine... So were the front legs, but the back legs were also gone..

How this poor thing didn't die of infection is beyond me.

six pack · 06-12-2009, 07:38 AM

I had one incident with a dog with maggots. I had a cocker come in with an open abcess on the side which was under about three inches of pure matted fur. I had a GSD come in with so many ticks in his ears, I could not see any skin on the inside of his ears. I had another cocker come in with her collar embedded in her neck. Times like these my job upsets me and the entire time I am on the verge of tears. And what was amazing about the dogs, they were so very sweet. I swear I could see relief in their eyes.

Kina_A · 06-12-2009, 05:00 PM

OMG, the stories in this thread are just horrific!! I have not read every post in this thread, but have read quite a few.

Can the owners of these dogs and cat not be reported to the authorities and be charged with animal cruelty?

People who can not commit to brushing their dog should not be allowed to own a dog. Long haired or not!! Even if you own a short haired dog, they still require to be brushed!!

This thread is just heart breaking!!

Loving Touch · 10-15-2009, 12:24 AM

I am a mobile groomer and went to a ladys house one time and her little sheltie had maggots. She didnt take care of the dog and needed it shaved. I took it in and began to shave and alos noticed a horrible smell. Started shaving and made one pass with the razor and she was full of maggots. Called her vet and they said she had been there and forgot the med the dog needed. It was awful. I never went back there.

check out my grooms @ ruthieslovingtouch.spaces.live.com

$5.00 off new clients until October 19th.

Jen D · 10-18-2009, 01:53 PM

Today I stood in Petco waiting to cash out and these people were dropping off their poodle to be groomed. The dog was matted and I could seee it had sores on its butt. After taking the rest of the info from the people the girl went to take the dog from the people and they had the balls to tell her to be careful she is our baby.

I looked at the girl after they left and asked her how do you do it? She just said some days are worst then others.

All you groomers on here I never gave it much thought on all that you do but you have my respect. I would never be able to do what you do for a living and these dogs that are at their worst are lucky to end up on your table.

GottaLuvMutts · 10-18-2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kina_A

People who can not commit to brushing their dog should not be allowed to own a dog. Long haired or not!! Even if you own a short haired dog, they still require to be brushed!!

Sorry, but I have to disagree. Some breeds simply do not require it. I rarely get out a brush (generally just after bath time once a month, so that all the shed hair doesn't end up in my house). My dog's coat is nice and shiny and she gets compliments all the time on how soft it is, even if it's been a month since she's had a bath. She's pretty ambivalent about being brushed, so it's not something I would do for her enjoyment. I know that brushing and grooming (particularly of the professional kind) is not something I ever want to deal with, so I'll never get a dog that requires it.

I agree 100% regarding the longer-haired and curly-haired breeds. If you don't want to put in the effort or pay a groomer to do it for you, then you shouldn't have one of these breeds, simple as that.

azh25 · 10-18-2009, 04:56 PM

I have a long haired or "plush" Shiloh Shepherd. I have groomed him since he was 8 weeks old. Not everyone needs to see a pro groomer. On recommendation of my vet, gets bathed 1 time a year, but when we swim or play in mud he gets extra baths. He is combed, brushed and raked just about every day because tiny mats start forming almost every day. Thanks soo much for the tip on the quick being extended. This is something that scares me because my pups nails are black and I have a tendency to leave them a little longer than they should be.
These stories are beyond comprehension and have seen a little of this on animal planet.an I post a pic of my pup?