Ari

I have a couple of BC that come to me with tails that curl up. That aren't the best examples of their breed so I assume they are either Field dogs or Backyard breedings.

If he's sedated he wont feel them cut into the quick. They'll stop the bleeding quickly and then he'll be fine. Better than fine actually because walking on long nails hurt.

She looks more like a border collie X to me. I would hate to think that a poor little malt might have given birth to such a large dog. Who told you she was a sheltie X Malt?

Thanks Becky. In my head I know thats what I have to do. I just seem to crumble when the people come in though. Especially when they start off by telling me the dog "isn't that matted". Meanwhile I'm feeling the dog over thinking " are you kidding? can you not feeling this?" and I seem to lose the opportunity to say anything. I am trying to run a business though so I just have to get over this (I guess its a fear). I have nothing to lose. I dont really want to do these matted messes anyway!

Nadia can you tell me more about the Flea fighting handouts? Is this something you make up yourself? Charging more for matting is something I am REALLY bad at. I feel like once I've quoted a price I cant go up (even though most of the time people lie about the condition of the dog). Its something I really need to work on.

Can only say what I do, I prefer to bath the majority of my pooches by hand, not in the hydrobath, so yes for them fresh clean water. The dogs that are hydrobathed, large pooches and double coated breeds, yes each dog gets clean water. The only time water is recycled is if we are doing flea/tick rinse on a family group of clean animals. Water is never reused by me. Like Nadia I dont hydrobath much anyway. I always find it funny that people think groomers reuse the water. I mean...that water is disgusting after one dog I can only imagine how foul it would be after multiple dogs. Would you really like to bath in it that water? I get very wet when I'm bathing the dogs so I dont want that disgusting water touching me let alone other dogs!! Its not like water is expensive and it would be saving us lots of money.

Could she just be scared of the reactions she's getting (from the kids etc) when she farts? Was it a big drama when she was sick? Lots of ewwws and laughing etc? Could be just a learned behaviour from back then. Dogs can be funny like that.

I like most poodles. That probably has a lot to do with them being more likely to get regular grooming. I find golden retrievers very frustrating because all the ones around here can not stand for more than 5 seconds. They are all very heavy too

I am so glad I am not mobile. I really dont know how you guys do it. I jinxed myself by whinging this morning...only 2 of my 7 dogs showed up. You have to laugh or you'd cry!!

Nadia I'm right there with you! I had 7 dogs booked for today.....TWO showed up. I can not believe it!! That is the worst day I have ever had. I cant believe 5 dogs did not show. These are regular customers too. ETA: I hate those coats too. Its like the blades just glide over the top of them. Have you heard of the new IVAC clipper by Laube? Looks good...if it ever comes to australia.

Now can we whinge about people who cancel their appointments 2 minutes before appointment time after they've made you get up early!!!! "it was too cold to get out of bed to ring earlier". Well how about ringing a few days in advance when you knew you couldn't come to the $&%^$ appointment!!!!

My god...I feel like I wrote this thread!! Why cant they listen when you tell them that washing a knotty coat will mat it up? I tell people each time and they seem to understand to brush more and wash less but then they come back felted again in 8 weeks and admit they washed the dog every week! I think I'm going to give up telling them! And no....its not just spoodle owners but its the spoodles that have the worst coats and the owners that want them 3 inches long!

Is she vaccinated?

What exactly is a "fleece" coat? As a groomer I haven't heard of that term before... I have groomed dogs which fur comes off in sheets like sheep but they're the matted neglected coats. Is that what this is?

Does anyone know the current price for blades and scissor sharpening with Charlie?

No problem. I didn't say at the start that I was buying human grade meat so it was easy to misunderstand

Carluke that was my point. Maybe I should start what I was saying again. I buy chicken wings from Safeway or Coles, It is a 2 minute trip home and they go straight in the fridge properly wrapped. The next day they are stinky, long before the so called use by date! No I do NOT feed them this way. My point was....This is human grade food and I am sure some people ARE cooking these wings up and feeding them for their own dinner because "they are not past their use by date". Cooking this chicken is NOT going to make it any better. kelpiecuddles I should take them back more often too.

cause people generally cook their meat!! Kate Yeah because cooking the stinky chicken wings makes such a difference!!

I buy chicken wings for my dog from the BIG supermarkets. They are kept wrapped in the fridge and more often than not they stink to high heaven after a couple of days and a day or two before the use by date!! Makes me wonder how more people dont get sick. I hope your dog is feeling better.

If they are willing to pay for sedation I wonder why the vet wasn't willing to do it in the first place? Seems strange. I'd be changing vets.

one nail on each foot a week would take 4 weeks (4 nails a week). As I said, it wouldn't be pleasant for the dog but it would be over with VERY quickly and the dog is already in pain with the long nails. I cant see someone paying to put a dog under anaesthesia (not to mention the risk) just for nails. Maybe I've become cynical because of my work. What we dog lovers on this sight would do (pay out money endlessly if its to help out dogs) is not the norm. This problem hasn't just popped up over night and my gut says the dog is probably already bad for nails that's why they're so long in the first place. It was another option if the rasps dont work quickly....

Or you could just do it yourself, one nail on each foot a week. Get some condies crystals as it stops the bleeding wonderfully. The dog wont enjoy it, but its short term pain which will stop the long term pain of twisted toes.

Why not ring the owner back up and ask if the dog is entire? You might be freaking yourself out for no reason.