Since Keisha's fur was one big ball of knots, the groomer said she needs to cut her short, but for some odd reason, she made my daughter sign papers about this so-called "short" haircut. I don't think my daughter really read the papers well but I just had a sinking feeling this was not going to be good.
I am not going to defend the groomer but I am going to defend groomers as a whole . A lot of people bring dogs in in such a mess that there is no alternative but to shave them off. That means under the matting and sometimes this has to be very close. One thing I have found is that when you shave off a dog that close there can always be problems with the dog and owner. First of all the dog that is that matted is not groomed well at home or it wouldn't be in this condition in the first place. So sometimes they are very hard to work on, just getting the hair off is sometimes a challenge. Then once you get it off the one thing that can happen that I try and tell everyone is that now there is no hair on the body and the tail will tickel the dog and make it walk funny for a few days, almost sideways and it will be a bit uncomfortable. That is the reason for the signing of the release papers. Some dogs have been so neglected that they are in such bad shape that there are sores and sometimes even maggets under the hair and matts. The owners do not stay and watch if they did they would see how much work it is to get a mess like that cleaned up.
There have been many times I wanted to call the Humaine Society on owners, a big ball of matts is no way to keep your dog.
In no way was Keisha THAT knotty that it couldn't be gently combed out. She had very very long hair that matts very easily and we bath her ourselves on a weekly basis, shampoo and condition her hair. But this time she was her usual knotty hair and we decided it was hot and time to cut it shorter. My regular groomer has taken her time in the past and has done an incredible job with Keisha. Keisha is generally a frisky dog, very friendly but she hates anyone touching her face and in my opinion she could be hard to handle. We told the new groomer this and the groomer herself looked at Keisha's fur and said, "I am going to cut it short." FINE. SHE DIDN'T SAY, "I'm going to buzz her down to her raw skin and she might turn purple with razor burns, she will be uncomfortable, cry pathetically for a few days, be fearful, afraid to be left alone, oh, and her tail might be tickely so she'll act and sit funny." Maybe if she said that I would have brought her to my regular groomer in the first place.
I am not asking you to defend the groomer either. I have heard from others in the past that this particular groomer could be a beast and she loses her patience very rapidly. All it took was the blatant lie from the assistant groomer whom I met at the vet's office a few weeks prior who stated that what I had heard about her boss were lies and I should give them a chance on my Yorkie, Ralphie. Good thing I didn't put Ralphie thru this ordeal. He's so delicate that I'm afraid I would have lost him. Keisha is feisty and gutsy...well, she was, not anymore!!!
I do not believe the groomers just sat there and beat your dog, why would they do that??????
I didn't say she definitely beat the dog but what the heck they do when no one is around to watch is anyone's guess, esp. those stories I heard about the groomer in the past now seem to come to fruition.
It is easy for a vet to be shocked at seeing a dog after a buzz cut, but it is not fair he did not see the before,
Not true in this case. Keisha was at the vet the day before as a matter of fact for a checkup. She was as lively and as happy as could be and the vet commented that she is like a wild 3yr old and good luck to us with our other 3 dogs when she's around. Usually we brush her before we go there but we figured she's getting groomed the next day so we didn't bother.
at our shop we also take pictures before for this very reason and when I tell the clients the dog is going to get a short cut I explaine to them it is going to be under all the matts down to the skin in some cases. We are only groomers not miricle workers.....
I wish I took pictures of her when I picked her up. You would say that NO VET with a passion for dogs would ever do that! She was practically bleeding between her legs and she has a cut near her anus. I don't think you'd be able to explain "bleeding" as a normal result of shaving close to the skin. Thank god they left her face with hair. She looks like a bobble head! I don't know how else to describe her.
The groomer did tell you she was going to cut her short , and you signed a paper to release her.....
Yes, short, not buzzed to her skin. Big difference. If my son gets his hair cut and asks for a short cut, it's with scissors. If he asks for a buzz cut, he looks like a skinhead...and I hate it
I sure hope you girl is back to normal in a few days, I know every one is being very supportive of you and I am too I just feel sorry that your dog was in this condition in the first place. There are always two sides to every story, and yours is the way you saw it. I always want to hear the other side of the story too.
The groomer was speechless when we told her the dog's condition. All she said was, "I'm sorry. I'll refund your money for the vet." She looked like she was going to crap her pants when I told her she better not see us back here because it will be to summons her. She said that sometimes when a dog is shaved for the first time, he/she can be traumatized and she feels this is what happened to Keisha. Granted, that is what happened. But she NEVER SAID SHE WAS GOING TO SHAVE HER. And if she was going to do that, she should have called us first. I worked most of my life as a court reporter and this is not the first time I've experienced horror stories about groomers. I just didn't think it would happen to us.
If she had you sign a paper it must have been pretty bad.
I am just defending groomers, not all of us are bad and we do a lot of good work to take care of your beloved pets. Again I am sorry your dog is not feeling well I do hope in a day or two when the hair starts growing back that she gets back to normal.