# The importance of grooming (Warning: Sensitive Content)



## X skully X (Nov 21, 2021)

This brings tears to my eyes, how terrible!


----------



## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Sometimes I hate people. These owners should be reported for animal cruelty and forbidden to ever own dogs. Don’t tell me they didn’t know. This dog can’t have been walking properly. This is so upsetting.


----------



## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

yikes. i appreciate you bringing your experiences from the clinic to the forum.


----------



## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

I'm saving your post to add emphasis when this comes up. This is a shame and a pity. 
I hope the little pup comes thru and either finds new owners or the owners understand the tragedy they created and learn.


----------



## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Poor dog 😥. I hope he makes out OK. 🙏


----------



## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

Dechi said:


> Sometimes I hate people. These owners should be reported for animal cruelty and forbidden to ever own dogs. Don’t tell me they didn’t know. This dog can’t have been walking properly. This is so upsetting.


We did report them but don't have high hopes of any real repercussions. They might be followed up with but since they are now providing treatment it's unlikely they will have any restrictions unfortunately. 
And yeah, some times I tell myself I shouldn't be so cynical. Other times I think I'm just realistic. Particularly in a span of two weeks where we've had to terminate two clients and call police on a third, for abusive behavior to staff. 
People think that the hard part of being in the veterinary field is dealing with death, but I think the worst is seeing animals suffer due to neglect, indifference, and selfishness.

I do actually love my job, and I promise I will share good stories sometimes too. Today is just not that day.


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

What a horrible thing for that poor dog. And for you as well. Thank you for doing your best to treat this little one and for trying to educate the owner. Blessed be.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Poor little dog - a victim of ignorance rather than malice, perhaps? It is so important to get across the message that grooming is a welfare issue, particularly for dogs with long hair and those that do not shed. Having spent several days clearing the tiny mats from behind Freddy's ears I know how quickly a tiny tangle turns into a pip, and a pip into a felted mat - only really thorough brushing and combing will find them before they become too painful to remove that way.


----------



## TK9NY (Jan 6, 2017)

Starvt said:


> We did report them but don't have high hopes of any real repercussions. They might be followed up with but since they are now providing treatment it's unlikely they will have any restrictions unfortunately.


Okay. So. I work at a corporate grooming salon. It's not uncommon for us to deal with matted, flea infested, or otherwise neglected dogs. Sometimes it's genuine owner ignorance, other times not. We are not allowed to do anything except try to educate the owner, because and i quote "they are providing care for the dog by bringing it to the salon now, so legally there's nothing to report". 

Like, the fact that we haven't seen the dog for a year doesn't matter because of the one day they take care of it? I don't think that's how it works, but because the higher ups said so we aren't allowed to do much of anything. It sucks, especially when these dogs are coming in once a year in the exact same poor shape. They should not have to suffer for 364 days of the year because no one wants to try to do the right thing. 

We had this one pair of dogs that used to come in once a year, usually in the spring. They were ALWAYS matted and under the matting was severe flea infestation. When we washed these dogs, the soap suds turned red from all the flea dirt. I was always genuinely concerned about the dogs because we all know what can happen with severe infestation, and severe matting. Nothing was ever done. We talked to the owners but they obviously didn't care because the condition of the dogs never changed. We tried to educate them - nothing. It wasn't a $$ issue, either, because these people drove a very expensive car and kept themselves perfectly groomed. It was just... laziness. The dogs lived outside so the flea thing didn't "bother" the humans, and they didn't have to SEE how badly the dogs were matted every day. 

Haven't seen the dogs in a long time, so i'm hoping they were either re-homed or rescued and not something worse. But yeah, we see it fairly regularly too. Sometimes we can educate the owner and they learn a lesson, become great dog owners. Other times it's like talking to a brick wall.


----------



## Happy'sDad (Jul 4, 2020)

This is heartbreaking. I’m going to agree with @fjm and @TK9NY that this is likely a case of ignorance rather than malice. That said, that’s is not a valid excuse for their negligence.

I’d like to take this opportunity to address something I’ve often wanted to say, but remained silent for not wanting to seem harsh. Occasionally, someone will pop up here on PF asking if a Poodle is a good fit for them. While most of these inquiries are legit, some come from people who obviously should not own a Poodle. I think too many potential Poodle parents think all this cute non-shedding fluffiness occurs naturally. We need to be honest with potential owners that, while Poodles are perfect in almost every way, they require a GREAT deal of work and/or money to ensure they stay healthy. And, if they can’t commit to that, they should move on to a short-coated breed. Just imagine if your dog ended up in a home like the one the poor pooch in the pictures came from – it’s horrifying!

I recall a poster from the not-so-distant past asking if they should get a Poodle. After analyzing the poster’s expectations, I really wanted to say: a cat, you should get a cat! I held back as I realized my comment would have been less than constructive. Anyway, I’ll end my rant by saying Poodles aren’t for everyone and we need to be honest about that. I really hope that little doggy keeps her leg.


----------



## X skully X (Nov 21, 2021)

Happy’s Dad makes a valid point although I’m not sure that the dog in the picture is a poodle. I have a small mix breed that has a single coat, I have no idea what kind of dog he is but his legs got so matted last summer I shaved him down super short. Then I went and got a better brush. At no time did I NOT realize he had mats…. Anyone who regularly pets their dog should feel mats coming in. Maybe it’s different with a curly coat… but for a dog with a straight or wavy coat the mats are easily felt with hands and fingers.
So ignorance or perhaps ignore-ance. I could have ignored it, but what would that say about me as a pet owner??


----------



## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

I do think it is different with a curly coat. Phoebes hair clumps together, don’t really know how else to say it. It feels like a mat sometimes, but I can put a comb through it easily. I can see how you would assume that is what is going on but then the whole thing turn into an actual mat easily. A few weeks ago I discovered she was starting to mat in her armpits, which I thought were short enough to prevent it. I’ve had double coated dogs and never experienced an armpit mat before. If you’re not being hyper-vigilant, I can see how those could get out of control easily, leading to a shave down. I do not see how you can get past that to this situation though. This is pure neglect, poor little thing.


----------



## Rian (Sep 17, 2021)

Wow, I am shocked. I'm a first-time poodle owner and I kicked myself for how much money I spent on scissors, clippers, combs and brushes thinking it was "probably ridiculous" - but reading this story and the comments I realize now it's just part of poodle ownership. I had no idea matting could lead to this, those photos are absolutely horrifying. My baby will be going through her coat change soon and I've heard that's a matting nightmare, I'm really glad I got all the proper materials now. Thank you for sharing this so people can learn. I hope that little pup gets the care he needs moving into the future. And thank goodness for people like you!


----------



## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

When I got Pogo and Snarky I thought I understood how demanding grooming would be. After all, I'd owned spaniels before, and they don't exactly have low maintenance coats. Learn to do the poodle trim myself? Sure, how hard can it be? A broken collar bone, followed by major surgery, followed by a frozen shoulder made it pretty clear I was not going to be bathing, blow drying, and clipping two spoos on a regular basis. I spent probably half of Snarky and Pogo's life suffering from some kind of major disability. So, fine, send the dogs to a groomer instead.

Then I discovered the difficulty of actually getting two spoos into the groomer when I work full time. Surprise, lots of groomers don't like taking on standard poodles. I can't blame them; they can bathe and blow out a Pomeranian and three corgis in the time it takes them to do one standard poodle. Early on I left messages for lots of groomers and never heard back from any of them. Finally, yay, I found one who did poodles. Then it was a matter of scheduling. If the groomer doesn't open until 9, that means I don't get to work until 10. Then I get a call anywhere between 2 and 5 to go retrieve the dog. The groomer gets grumpy if I can't be there within half an hour. My boss gets grumpy when I leave early on a day I've already come in late. Repeat on a monthly basis, and eventually someone fires me. Given that I like having an income and health insurance, I made darn sure my boss came first. Yes, I've been fired as a customer by my groomer. 

Eventually I found workable situations. For a while I was able to take Snarky and Pogo to a groomer with Saturday hours. She wasn't great with poodles. They came out looking terrible. However, they were clean and mat free. My husband and I both changed jobs. We found another groomer halfway between our offices. I was able to drop the dogs off. My husband is able to pick them up. Ritter goes in caroling because he is so excited to spend the day at the doggy spa. They come out looking great. I hope she stays in business for many years.


----------



## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

Thought you all would like to hear an update.

Although originally, the plan was to amputate the paw asap, that was not able to happen as the dog was not stable enough for surgery. The vet was also concerned that any post-op complications would not be noticed.
After a few days to stabilize and daily sugar bandages, there were good signs of healing but the paw was still really swollen and the vet was still concerned that all the skin on the paw would die off.
Today, one week after it first was seen, the paw is nearly normal sized. The skin that had been pushed up around the hock has also come down and we can see that it had rolled and folded under itself. Tonight the vet is attempting to unfold it, but even if that is not possible, it looks like this little pup will heal well. It has been boarding with us so that we can monitor it properly.


----------



## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

It's difficult to see these photos, but I'm so relieved he is recovering well. He is so lucky to have arrived at your vet when he did! Thanks to you and your vet for your hard work, patience and care for this little guy.


----------



## Happy'sDad (Jul 4, 2020)

Liz said:


> It's difficult to see these photos,


I can't look either and have to cover the pictures with my hand, but your news is very encouraging. Thank you for the update.


----------



## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

This, at least, is wonderful news for the pup! Since there's no identifying info to cause any HIPAA like rules to come into play and if appropriate, send Thanks to all for their help.

You and the folks you work with, everybody in this field, deserve applause every day for the big and little miracles you're responsible for.


----------



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Thank you for keeping us updated, @Starvt. I’ve added a sensitive content warning to the thread title.


----------



## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I am so happy to hear the improved prognosis.


----------



## Minie (Oct 4, 2021)

Thank you for the update. It truly is heart wrenching


----------



## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

I am so happy to hear this pup is doing well! I am amazed he will be able to recover that paw!


----------



## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

The two things that I remember from my vet hospital days, as the worst neglectful type accidents were when children left rubber bands around their puppies/kittens necks and parents did not notice...and the rubber bands became embedded. The stench was awful from the infection. The other common neglect was allowing the dewclaws to grow into circles and into the legs...also resulting in a stinky infections. It was horrible to think how much those animals must have suffered to get to the conditions they were in.


----------



## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

This thread came up in the 'recommended reading' list for me today, which reminded me that I hadn't posted the outcome!
3 weeks after the second picture, the caudal (back) of the leg was fully healed with just a small area left open.









That last bit healed in another week or two, and we saw him back a month later for a wellness visit.
I'm happy to report that the owners seemed to have learned their lesson, and once the dog went home they continued to be conscientious with care and came 8n regularly for follow ups.


----------



## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

That's good news. Thanks for the follow up!


----------



## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Wonderful to know that the pup healed, the owners are learning to properly care for their little one, and they get to make many more memories together!

Thank you for updating!


----------



## Puppy Love (Aug 10, 2015)

Thank you for updating. I have thought about this pup and wondered how his paw fared. So glad to see he is okay and hope and pray the owners stay on top of his grooming. The things you see must be heartbreaking at times. What is the purpose of the sugar, and sugar bandages?


----------



## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Puppy Love said:


> What is the purpose of the sugar, and sugar bandages?


My understanding is that sugar (and honey) acts as a gentle antibiotic. Something like iodine would kill good and bad cells alike and potentially slow the healing. Sugar, in sufficiently high concentration, stuns or kills the bacteria by desiccation. The cells you want to save are linked up with other cells and ultimately blood vessels. Therefore, the healing tissue is better able to withstand the desiccation effects of the sugar than the bacteria which might attack it. The tissue cells have cellular buddies that will help rehydrate them, unlike the bacteria.


----------



## Puppy Love (Aug 10, 2015)

Thank you @cowpony!


----------

