WWYD: Problem with grooming

[Deleted]

DH took the dog to our vet for grooming on Friday. This wasn't her first time, and they do a good job.

Yesterday (Saturday or the next day) we noticed that her entire throat region was raw and hairless. We didn't notice the day before because you have to tilt her head back.   She was scratching it mercilessly, which didn't help. But I wouldn't think scratching removed the hair.

I gave her a Prenisone today, and DH is taking her back tomorrow. But what do we say? I think something happened at the groomers. If her neck looked like this when they groomed her, I would think they would refuse to groom her. It is that large an area and that bad. Surely they tilted her head back when they were grooming her. Right?

We love our vet. We don't want to go in there with an attitude. But suddenly this grooming has turned into an expensive, big deal. She will have to be on antibiotics and have a couple of visits at a minimum.

WWYD?

[Peace Of Mind]

I would definitely say something to them about it but not in a way that's accusing since you're not sure what's going on yet.   The groomers are separate from the vet's office here and they would want to know if something is happening that shouldn't be.  They wouldn't know unless people mention it.   If you love them and want to continue to use them and if you have future concerns I'd take pictures of my dog before taking them in to be groomed the next time. 

I hope she is ok and that it's just an allergy to the shampoo or it's coincidence and they aren't harming her.  Do you give her flea/bug meds in case she picked something up? 

[Deleted]

I'm putting Neosporin on it. It isn't an area that she can lick. She might get it on her claws if she scratched, but we aren't letting her scratch.

Grooming and the vet aren't separate here. It is one and the same although, of course, the vet doesn't do the grooming.

I'm glad DH is going, not me. I'm pretty upset because she is so uncomfortable.

[Peace Of Mind]

Sept 7, 2014 19:01:20 GMT -5 @southernsusana said:

I'm putting Neosporin on it. It isn't an area that she can lick. She might get it on her claws if she scratched, but we aren't letting her scratch.

Grooming and the vet aren't separate here. It is one and the same although, of course, the vet doesn't do the grooming.

I'm glad DH is going, not me. I'm pretty upset because she is so uncomfortable.

I would be too.  Just so you know:  We've used Neosporin on dogs and cats (cats, according to our vet, are even more delicate to reactions to this sort of thing) and our cats have licked it right off with no issues at all so don't let that upset you too much if she gets some in her mouth.  The worst it would do would give them a smoother BM from the ointment part. 

Another thing you might need is a cortisone cream or ointment for her neck if it's really bothering her and it doesn't go away.  How old is she?  It could be a form of eczema that flared up from the shampoo they used (did it have some bug stuff mixed in it?) or chiggers from the grass from this brutal wet summer we've all had in the south.  I hoping it's nothing serious and that your pup is fine.   Please keep us posted when they get back from the vet.      

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

We had the same problem recently. We didn't realize it till after I had paid the bill and we'd taken Sabah home from the vet. She ended up with really nasty dermatitis on her butt and tail several days later.  Too late to prove it was piss poor grooming at the vet that had caused it.  

We've taken her to PetSmart previously and never had any issues. We decided to go with the vet this time since we were boarding her for vacation already.

DH and I said the vet won't be allowed to touch our dog again as far as grooming goes.   We'll go back to using PetSmart when needed.  They do a much better job and charge a hell of a lot less.

[Abby Normal]

Wow- I never heard of a vet having a grooming practice as well.  I've never seen that here. 

It could be something that she came in contact with while getting groomed.  I would just take her in to the vet and say- this showed up after having her groomed. Don't accuse, but be matter of fact.   If she's been to this groomers before, it could be that they used something different on her. Since it's the same place the vet should be able to find out rather quickly what caused it.  If they act like they don't care- find a new vet and a new groomer.

I'm glad that we just do our own.

[973beachbum]

I had a lab that got allergies that sounded a lot like what you are describing.  And I mean hay fever type allergies not allergic to shampoo allergies.   He got a spot on his neck/chest that lost all it's hair in a matter of a day and oozed green pus.  He hadn't been shaved so I knew it wasn't that but had no idea what it was.  The vet took one quick look and said it's allergies.  I was shocked because to my lay eye it looked like a wound not an allergic reaction to me!  He gave him antibiotics and a steriod maybe? and he got better pretty quick.

Maybe DVM gone riding can weigh in on what it sounds like to her.

[Deleted]

Update:  DH took her to the vet.  The vet said it was a staph infection, which she used to get frequently until we changed her dog food to grain-free.  He says dogs are covered with staph, which is usually ok.  But if the skin gets broken . . .   She doesn't scratch much since she went grain-free.

He gave her a shot (DH didn't say what) and said to continue the Prednisone and Neosporin for a few days until she is better. 

He didn't charge for the visit because there was really no way to say whether the grooming caused it or not.  

The dog is ok but basically sleeping it off.  Prednisone does that to her . . . as well as make her hungry, thirsty, and prone to "leaks."

It was interesting to see that other people had had similar problems.  Her neck just looked so awful, and it seem to come out of nowhere.