Grooming Poodles?

[Teebs]

Hi all, I am looking after a Standard Poodle at the moment.

He has been very sick and spent a week in the vets (he was sick before i started to look after him, i was on strict instructions to take him to the vet if he missed even one meal)

Anyways, they bathed him before he came home. No idea what they have done to him, but he is now FULL of matts I gave him a huge brush (coat king) this afternoon, most of his back is now fine, he has some clumps around his side and front legs he wont let me touch - they are around the edge where he was clipped for tests and is a bit sore there.

He also has some huge ones around his ears.

I am looking after him for another 3 weeks, and in that time he may need to go back to the vets for a few days (booked in for the 2nd for a day and maybe over night stay) Should i attempt to cut them out myself, or am i better off to wait and tell the vet what has happened and get them to fix it?

I dont 'do' grooming, but am worried that if the vets do it, they will just clip him right back, the owners are over seas and i have left them a message, but i prob wont hear back till tomorrow night.

Thanks all.

[poodlefan]

They must have bathed him without brushing him.. that will matt coat every time if it is tangled.

The standard combination of implements for poodle grooming is a slicker brush and a metal comb.

Some grooming aids will help ease matts but in the end you need to split them and get them out.

Can you contact the owners? I'd be sending him to a professional groomer. The vet will just clip him off.

[Clyde]

Yup, the vets will shave him, or at least just shave the knotted bits.

Could you get the owners permission to have the dog professionally groomed? Perhaps take a little off the length too?

snap PF

Edited September 22, 2008 by Clyde

[Dogsfevr]

I agree wait for the owners .If all else fails find a GOOD groomer who will work the coat well.

A sick dog laying around doesnt take long to matt up.

[Teebs]

Thanks guys. We do grooming at work, but i was thinking i dont have his vacc certs, so i cant take him in - then realised i am in contact with the vets, so I can easily get them

Will wait to talk to the owner tomorrow and see what she wants - I am wondering if i am better to wait till the end of next week, after he has been back at the vets before doing anything, no point getting him all nice and tidy, only to have him go back in again and end up the same.

He is so skinny I dont really want to get him clipped as he has NO meat on him at all

ETA : Sorry, i did post in the first post - i have rung the owners and cant get onto them - they wont call me back till tomorrow night now, just wondering if there is something i could do tomorrow

Edited September 22, 2008 by Terrorbull

[Dogsfevr]

You could try muzzling the poodle & brushing out in small doses.If he is very skinny he may have low pain level which will make the brushing harder than it is.

The legs is most likely from the bandages some vets use if he was on a drip at all.

If the knots are around the test area & if trimmed back wont make much difference then i would clip the area to cover those knots as it will grow back & if getting tested again the vets will most likely clip higher up from the area used.

If you have a soft slicker brush use that on the ears to gently work away the knots.

With scissors gently splice the knots which means get as much of the knot area de matted & then in the bulk area use scissors or a nife to splice through the hair in the direction of the coat,do alittle & gently pull apart & do again & gently pull apart.You should end up with very little hair removed & without it looking trimmed or hacked.