Sometimes Vet's Drive Me Crazy

Actually, it's more than sometimes.

 I have been grooming this Wheaton for awhile now.

For about the last three groomings or more, I have been telling them that I thought their dog has an eye infection.

I am very careful to let owner know that 'I think', because if I say that I am sure, and they tell their Vet that 'the groomer said she has an eye infection', the Vets get upset and think that I am diagnosing an animal.

I had to tell them the last three times the dog was groomed, because it seems to take people three or four groomings before they seem to hear what I am saying, and take their dog to the Vet.  :p

To be honest, I am not even sure they took the dog to the Vet because of what I told them, or they just happened to be going for something else.

Anyway, when they came in for a grooming last week, the first thing the owner told me was that the Vet cut off the fall over their dogs I because of an eye infection.

He said it like he had know idea his dog had an eye infection.

The owner also told me that the Vet said, that the fall caused the eye infection, and even though the fall was how groomers wanted to groom the dog, the fall was causing the infection, and the eyes should be kept clear from now on.

The groomer wants the dog groomed like that?!

Please!

I do what the owner asks for.

I am always telling customers that they do not have to follow the breed standard groom, and that they should have their dog groomed the way they want it.

Do these owners really forget that they were the ones who asked for the dog to be groomed the way I groom it?

Well, that was a minor thing.

I just chalk it up to another stupid comment that a Vet makes about something they know nothing about...grooming.

But, that was not all.

I have also been saying something to this owner about the dogs skin.

A few groomings ago I noticed a couple irritated areas, and dark flaky skin.

I also told the owner that they should see their Vet about the skin.

After the owner talked to me about the eyes, he said; "oh, by the way, the Vet said that those dark flakes on her skin were just a little dry skin."

Then their Vet sold them that good old expensive bottle of Vet shampoo.  :/

Ya know, I know that I didn't spend years going to school to become a Veterinarian.

I know that I don't have a couple of diplomas on my wall.

And, I don't ever presume to diagnose a dog.

BUT, I can tell when something is simply dry skin and when it is something more.

This skin problem is all over this dog.

I have watched it spread over the past few groomings.

There are spots of thick, flaky skin with raw, irritated, gooey skin underneath.

I have seen this before on other dogs, and most Vet's give an antibiotic for a skin infection.

Actually, I have seen this skin condition diagnosed as a couple different things, depending on the Vet.

That is another frustration.

I washed the dog in the Vets shampoo.

Of course there wasn't enough left in the bottle, so I used some of my medicated and let the dog soak.

While she was soaking, I take a fine tooth comb and gently comb out as much of the flakes as I can.

These types of flakes rarely HV out of the coat, they cling to the hair.

They also turn gooey after the bath, and when you try to brush them out they mush into the hair and make the hair oily looking.

So I try get get as much of the flaky skin off while the dog still has shampoo on them.

Then I shampoo them again a second time.

I am sorry Mister Veterinarian, but I do not agree with your diagnosis.

 There are sores on this dogs skin.

So how do I tactfully tell the owner that I think they need to get a second opinion?

Simply like that.

Show them some of the worst spots and tell them that they need to get a second opinion.

I am always very careful not to come straight out and say that I think a Vet is wrong.

Boy, is that hard sometimes.

I also don't think it helps sometimes that I get rid of most of the dry flakes, and that when I get the hair nice, soft, and fluffy again, that the owners think that the Vet shampoo worked, and the dog is fine now.

In my perfect dream world, my customers and The Vets listen to me and take my advice.

Oh, and they respect what I do.  :)

Happy Grooming, MFF