Pets
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Grooming injury?
Hello! I've tried to search the internet and haven't had any luck, so I was hoping I could get help here.
I took my Bullmastiff/Lab mix to get shaved down for the 1st time on Wednesday. Last night, she wouldn't leave the patio or went straight to the dirt area behind the garage. I looked at her paws and noticed a very red swollen bump between the pads on her back paw.
My question is whether this is from the groomer, or something else. They shaved her down very close. I've taken her to get her nails trimmed there a few times before & they usually shave the fur on the bottom of her paws. It looks like they tried to get between her "toes" this time. TIA for your help!
Re: Grooming injury?
It could possibly be from the groomer if your pup pulled back on their paw while they were trying to clip that area so etc. Usually they just try and trim the hair down there not get too close.
But it very well could be as a result of something else. Maybe from stepping on something, or an insect bite. Who knows.
Thanks. Aside from an obvious cut, I'm not sure what kind of paw injuries could occur from a groomer. I really wish dogs could talk sometimes so she could tell me what happened! Hopefully applying some ointment and a little soothing paw soak will make it better.
They definitely shaved her backside down quite a bit! Poor girl's lady bits are showing! I feel like she needs to wear a skirt. ha!
Is there a reason you had her shaved? Mastiffs and Labs have double coats, and their coats actually act as insulation from the heat. Shaving those breeds is not recommended as you can actually damage their skin and/or cause them to overheat.
Hope her foot is okay, I'd call the groomer and ask if there were any problems while she was there!
Ditto the above - I have 2 pugs, and they have double coats and thus are not supposed to be shaved. Shaving doesn't help keep them cooler, and (contrary to what many people seem to believe), it does not diminish shedding. Is there a particular issue you are trying address (overheating, shedding, etc.)? Maybe there are other ways to address it.
A friend of mine who is a vet tech recommended it. I had both overheating and shedding in mind. Believe me, I regret it big time. Not because of her paw, just not happy overall. I'm mad at myself mostly! The groomer has a great reputation and trusted them to do what was right for her. Very foolish of me!
I really just wanted to know if anyone else had ever experience pad injuries from groomers like what she has but I appreciate your input!
If you're not interested in advice other than about the paw issue, feel free to skip over this, but FWIW, if you want to reduce/minimize shedding, feed a high quality food (what are you feeding now?), potentially supplement with fish/salmon oil, and use a tool like the Furminator regularly. For heat issues, you can minimize activity during the hottest parts of the day (we do evening walks in the summer). You can also provide a cool place for the dog to go lie down (air conditioning, a fan, a wet towel, etc.). I also carry a spritzer full of cold water and spray my pugs' bellies and chests to help cool them off (I've read those areas help cool the dog more quickly than wetting the dog's back).
Hi I'm a professional groomer and I can pretty much guarantee your injury is not from the groomer. Since your dog is short coated, the groomer has no reason to dig in the paw pads to shave it since your dog doesn't grow much hair there--- a quick shave over the top is sufficient. Now if you had a long haired dog like a shih tzu with mats between his pads, then yeah, but not with a short haired dog. Not sure what the cause is but it wasn't an injury from the groomer. Keep an eye on her-- if the is constantly licking the spot raw, she may need some treatment for it, but if it doesn't bother her, no need to fuss about it.
Now her behavior (not leaving the patio) is normal. Since she's never been shaved, it just feels funny and she's getting used to it.
And I will say that LOTS of people shave their labs and pugs. It helps some dogs with bad skin if they get bathed with a medicated shampoo, it helps, or if they swim a lot, drying faster helps. Most people do it for shedding. Let me be clear, it is impossible to stop the natural shedding cycle of the hair, but shaving temporarily decreases shedding because the hair does not have the weight to fall out, and when the hair does shed, the hairs are smaller and less noticeable. But the good thing is, it's only hair and it will grow back!!!
Caz- I appreciate the tips! She eats high quality food & treats, we definitely take her for walks when it has cooled down, and she has her spots in the house & yard where she keeps cool. We tried the fish oil, but my DH couldn't handle the stinky fish burps and farts. They were pretty bad! ha! Spritzing the belly area makes sense. I will definitely try that. Thanks!
Thank you, mmzirach! This is the first groomer that has shaved her fur on her pads, so it's only the 4th time she's had that done. It actually gets pretty long. We moved to a house that has all hardwood floors, so it's been a huge help to prevent her from slipping. I never expected the shedding to stop completely. Like you said, either it's just not as noticeable, or it has decreased a little.
The swelling is down and it's not red any more as of this morning. Yay! Thanks again for the info, tips and advice, ladies! I appreciate it!