FURST CLASS LOUNGE
SKIN ISSUES AFTER CLIPPING
Few dogs experience skin irritation after grooming or a hygiene trim, and it’s not always obvious when it occurs. This means the dog might experience skin irritation at home due to abrasions or cuts that your groomer wasn’t aware of.
While beneficial for a dog’s health and appearance, dog grooming carries inherent risks for both the dog and the groomer. These risks range from physical injuries and stress for the dog to potential health concerns and strains for the groomer. Understanding these risks is crucial for ensuring both the animal’s well-being and the groomer’s safety; therefore, dog grooming has its limitations and risks.
Clipper sensitivity affects the outer layer of skin following a close shave. As part of a good grooming routine, dogs’ hygiene areas are clipped short to avoid the accumulation of urine or faeces on the fur, which may cause soreness, staining, and odours.
What to do when you first notice skin issues
Your initial action should be to prevent your dog from licking & scratching the affected area when skin irritation or injury occurs. In the beginning, the skin may become moist or turn a pale pink colour. Sometimes, the symptoms may not be apparent, but the dog still feels the discomfort. The problem goes unnoticed until the dog licks or scratches and aggravates the area. Natural responses include licking and scratching the area, which can turn a minor irritant into an injury which may require antibiotics to prevent infection.
Your groomer understands that brushing your dog between the legs, armpits and around their bottom is not easy, so they should be kept short as part of a regular hygiene grooming routine and regularly brushed by the owner. Skin irritation due to clipping short, especially in the hygiene areas, will be made worse when they are knotty or matted. The clipper blade can pull on the delicate skin as it removes the problem fur, leading to a greater chance of irritation, abrasion or cuts.
When shaving in sanitary areas, groomers’ tools lessen the chance of irritating the skin. The blades are made to be short enough to trim the fur without injuring your pet. However, occasionally, issues still happen because mats become entangled in the folds of the skin, especially in the armpits, ears, and genital area. Your dog may not stay still, moving around to avoid being trimmed in sensitive areas, which can also lead to accidental abrasions or cuts.
When trimming or scissoring your dog, things may not go as planned. However, your groomer always does their best to help your pet, who may unintentionally resist, becoming uncooperative, making the task riskier. Overly anxious dogs may also injure themselves or the groomer during the process.
Every dog is unique, just like every person. Usually, a fair-skinned person will have more sensitive skin. Dogs are subject to the same circumstances. The skin of puppies and young dogs is thinner than that of adult dogs. More sensitive than larger dogs are smaller dogs. Dogs with fine coats are more likely to experience clipping problems than dogs with thicker coats. When cut, matted and tangled coats are more likely to irritate the skin than well-brushed coats. Some dogs remain extremely sensitive even when every safety measure and the proper trimming method are taken.
But avoiding the hygiene areas altogether is impossible because doing so would result in skin issues. We’ll advise you to consult your veterinarian if irritation persists despite all precautions.
Grooming can be stressful for some dogs, especially those unfamiliar with the procedures or with negative experiences. This can manifest as anxiety, fear, or even aggression. Grooming can be difficult when working with dogs showing any level of anxiety, so it is essential to introduce all dogs to grooming correctly as puppies at around twelve to sixteen weeks of age.
The majority of dog owners keep a buster collar on hand. If you haven’t, you should have one for many reasons. You must prevent your dog from accessing the area if it has begun to lick the site and appears infected. It is always advisable to keep a basic pet first aid kit in your house or vehicle, complete with a self-conforming bandage, antiseptic spray or wipes, nonstick dressings, and saline solution, in case your pet suffers an unanticipated wound. Cooling the area with a damp or tepid cloth may help reduce the irritation.
Recommended
Leucillin Antiseptic Skincare First Aid Spray. Silver Spray and First Aid Ointment by Lila Loves It.
Usually, the condition doesn’t get bad enough to warrant a trip to the veterinarian because of irritation or even a minor abrasion. If your dog can lick an injury again without your help, bacteria from your pet’s saliva may cause an infection that calls for antibiotics.
Our expert dog groomers take every precaution to work as safely as they can with your pet. If they anticipate that your pet’s skin may become irritated following the grooming process, they will speak with you before leaving the salon. However, irritation might not be visible right away. Occasionally, a nail or nails may bleed slightly after trimming when your pet walks on hard ground. This is due to the blood vessel being closer to the end of the nail following a nail trim.
Occasionally, minor scissor cuts may occur around the feet and ears, especially on the pads of the feet, because dogs are not usually still. Your groomer uses professional scissors, which are very sharp and work close to the skin, and accidental cuts can happen despite taking every care.
We assure you that because dogs are our passion, we take your dog’s safety and welfare seriously and take every precaution to reduce those risks.
By signing the customer record card, you agree that the groomer (FURST CLASS LOUNGE Ltd.) cannot be held liable or responsible for irritation, abrasion, cuts, patchiness, or hair loss resulting from any pre-existing skin condition or as a result of the grooming process, de-matting, matt removal, thinning, hand-stripping, shaving, or any accident caused by failure to disclose your dog’s medical condition, coat condition, or behaviour. You are aware that there might be restrictions on how the grooming procedure can be carried out due to your dog’s age, temperament, lack of appropriate socialisation and behaviour. At any time, we reserve the right to discontinue the grooming procedure or refuse to provide our grooming services.
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