Need urgent help

[agilitydog]

Good Day all, I have an urgent matter as I have a dog here today for grooming and need an idea.

Background: a dog came in for grooming and it is honestly one of those type you see on Animal Planet rescues. The dog is 17, and has no teeth(that is a benefit).

This dog has been passed around from shop to shop because no one wants to touch the dog. My groomer, bless her heart, says if no one touches the dog it doesn't get done. Someone needs to do it.

I toweled the head and the groomer has been able to do the rest of the body, legs, feet. Nails were curled into and through pads and many infected areas were found upon removal of hair.

The problem is the face. We literally cannot put a muzzle on the dog as the mats are so thick.

Now mind you she doesn't have teeth but she is aggressively lunging anytime anything comes near her face. We cannot have her lunging into clippers and scissors. Not worried about getting bit but she is small and feisty we also worry about her getting hurt. And I am sure she hurts like HECK!!!!

My idea is to scruff her beneath each ear and physically hold her head still in hopes the groomer can quickly do her face.

Any suggestions on how to get her face done with as little stress as possible to the dog?? She is 17 and we don't want her croaking on us.

And yes we have taken some pics to document the dog.

[FairyDogMother]

Are you able to sedate her? That's my only thought. The groomer did that with my cat on occasion when she needed a good clean up!

[GSDNewbie]

this dog needs a vets office groom not a shop and if the owner refuses then they need to be turned into animal control

[agilitydog]

Originally Posted by FairyDogMother

Are you able to sedate her? That's my only thought. The groomer did that with my cat on occasion when she needed a good clean up!

We don't have anything to tranq her and we figured if the dog ever gets like this again then she needs to be put under and groomed, BUT too late now, all we have left is her face and her bath. And he will be instructed of a vet visit after simply to get meds for the infected areas.

[Dana ramey]

can you put one of those cones on backwards so she can't turn her head and it is facing her front feet like a doggy shield, then maybe try holding her ( its just an idea i have no idea if it would work

[Diamond]

Could you grab some of the calming remedy stuff? It would be in drug stores or herbal rememdy shops. It might make her quiet enough to stop the lunging, then someone could firmly hold her head.

It's hard because you don't want to push her over the edge, by having the fight and waiting for her to give up, because the fight could give her a heart attack because she's so old!!!

Let us know how it works out!

[agilitydog]

SUCCESS!!!

I held her head head and the groomer quickly swiped the two mats off her nose. After that the dog was reasonably settled and absolutely had no problem with her faced being touched after. She even allowed her to take the clippers to her neck and chin to get the "hanging mats" and didn't need me holding her for that.

In fact the groomer said, if she comes back(not looking like that) she would be willing to do her again because she was fine unless it hurt her.

[lilya]

Can we have before and after photos??

[Shepherd/Husky]

Great outcome!

[S_Toast]

Glad you were able to get it done. The groomer is right... if no one touches the dog it doesn't get done. I'm in this business for the dogs and if it needs done the only thing to do is get it done.

A little note on sedating... after working for a vet for so long I have learned to NEVER sedate a dog without the proper equiptment to monitor it. You never know how a dog will react to the seditave. Also a dog that is 17 should not be put under at all. Most vets wouldn't even sedate a dog that old unless absolutly nessary. I'm not trying to start an argument here just hoping to enlighten someone who may not know.