doggywoof Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Hi everyone, I haven't been on here in a while but I really need some advice. I need to get my little fluffy dog groomed (x breed - shih tzu x maltese - we think). Very quick back story - I got him when he was 9 - he is now 12. He has never liked getting brushed, clipped, nails cut, ear drops etc. I wish he would learn to trust me but he won't, he is a stubborn old b@stard but I love him to pieces. Anyway, I cannot for the life of me get in touch with our normal groomer. He has been seeing her for about 3 years now and even though he is used to her and gets excited and happy when she comes he still gets bitey not enough to break skin (I know that doesn't make it any better) but he has tried to get her. She stops the behaiviour immediately but it doesn't make the situation any easier for me or her. So, because i can't get in touch with her I have booked him in with my vet's groomer who said if he is a naughty dog they will sedate him. My only reaction to this is that he is 12 and I'm worried the sedation will affect him - I asked if the desation was ACP and it's not, but I'm not sure what they use. Bear in mind he has just had a teeth clean under aneasthetic and he was fine. He is an exteremely energetic dog and most can't beleive he is 12. If you can give me some advice on what I should do to help this or if you think I should continue with the grooming appointment with the sedation that would be great :D I hate the he does it and I don't want the groomer to get hurt. I would never not tell anyone handling my dog that he has 'issues' if you try to do certain things to him. Thanks, Kitty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Why can't he be muzzled to be groomed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DBT Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Kitty its great that you are honest with your groomer about your dog. We groomers find some senior dogs quite the challenge. If it were me that you approached regarding grooming your dog, after a more extensive interview with you & your dog, i would likely either say i will 'try' to do the groom using safe tethers and possibly a muzzle, while monitoring the dog and cease grooming if i think myself or the dog are in danger. The biggest challenge with seniors is many of them start getting doggy dimentia.it may even be a dog we have groomed all of their life, but finally as they age , they become very difficult, struggling about like a new puppy, without the muscle tone or fitness to back it up. This can prove very dangerous for the dog, as it may stumble and fall about on the table , or have a sudden onset of age related health problems . I usually refer these dogs to the vet for grooming, as its a safer option with health and monitoring care available on site. It is a real bind for groomers, but the dogs emotional & physical well being should be paramount. So in conclusion, the vet is probably the safest place for your dog, not so much in relation to him biting and hurting the groomer, but more in relation to the fact that if he is prone to having a bit of a tanty over grooming, he is at risk of complications due to stress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggywoof Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 Hey PF - I asked that when I booked because I though that would be the safest option (muzzled). So I'm not sure why the hesitation and the suggestion of sedation straight away, but I will be sure to speak to the groomer beforehand Hi DBT - Thanks for your response and the info. I will definately speak to the groomer about the issues first and see what she thinks. I don't want her to be bitten or anything like that but I also don't want to stress my old boy to the point of something worse happening. If she can't do it... she can't do it I'm sure it's happened before but does anyone's dog need to be sedated in order to be groomed? Or am I the only one with a tanty throwing senior? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frufru Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 (edited) Quite often a muzzle will not fit on shitie or lhasa and crosses thereof - no nose!!!! In addition to which at some stage the muzzle has got to be removed so the face can be groomed!!!!! Edited May 5, 2010 by frufru Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisovar Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 I groom an elderly dog that is sedated for grooming, she stresses totally otherwise and is a risk to herself throwing herself around and going frantic. Her owners insist on sedation and we agree, it is best for her. Eventually there will come a time when she is just too old, and guess they will have to make a decision about her. Many dogs calm down and become quite manageable with a muzzle only, but there is always the odd one it doesn't work for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Quite often a muzzle will not fit on shitie or lhasa and crosses thereof - no nose!!!! In addition to which at some stage the muzzle has got to be removed so the face can be groomed!!!!! Very easy to deal with . A good groomer should have no issues . Very few vet groomers will stuff around they generally knock out anything that will be an issue or even not an issue. It will also cost you $$$ to have it done When groom stacks of cranky flat faced breeds that need muzzling & never been bitten,it all about technique & doing things in stages & when the dog is happy to work with you. We only groomed one sedated dog(acp) done by the owner prior to arrival & it wasn.t pleasant,the dog panicked even more due to the effects sedation causes,it couldnt stand & took way longer than if left. We groomed it again 6 weks latter & a total gem,there vet use to knock it out for what ever reason. The dog would have to be a total monster before we would suggest sedation at the vets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggywoof Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 Quite often a muzzle will not fit on shitie or lhasa and crosses thereof - no nose!!!! In addition to which at some stage the muzzle has got to be removed so the face can be groomed!!!!! Uh huh. I must be silly cos I have never thought of that but I know he has been muzzled before, but not for the whole grooming session. I groom an elderly dog that is sedated for grooming, she stresses totally otherwise and is a risk to herself throwing herself around and going frantic. Her owners insist on sedation and we agree, it is best for her.Eventually there will come a time when she is just too old, and guess they will have to make a decision about her. Many dogs calm down and become quite manageable with a muzzle only, but there is always the odd one it doesn't work for. Fair enough, I guess I am trying to figure out what would be best for him. He really is not that much of a terror to have a total tanty, I am overly sensitive towards the issue because of the 'fluffy dog = bitey' (I know lots of people think that - I also know that's not always the case) which unfortunately in my case can be true. Quite often a muzzle will not fit on shitie or lhasa and crosses thereof - no nose!!!! In addition to which at some stage the muzzle has got to be removed so the face can be groomed!!!!! Very easy to deal with . A good groomer should have no issues . Very few vet groomers will stuff around they generally knock out anything that will be an issue or even not an issue. It will also cost you $$$ to have it done When groom stacks of cranky flat faced breeds that need muzzling & never been bitten,it all about technique & doing things in stages & when the dog is happy to work with you. We only groomed one sedated dog(acp) done by the owner prior to arrival & it wasn.t pleasant,the dog panicked even more due to the effects sedation causes,it couldnt stand & took way longer than if left. We groomed it again 6 weks latter & a total gem,there vet use to knock it out for what ever reason. The dog would have to be a total monster before we would suggest sedation at the vets I don't want to spend money I don't have to but will if it's best for the dog - which in this case I don't think it is. We gave him ACP once and I didn't like it and was very nervous the whole time until he started coming out of the drug haze it put him in. Poor thing and I will not give him ACP again. He is not a total monster though Showdog, are you a groomer? Where can I find you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rysup Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 I find a lot of people who deal with these small breeds just dont understand their body language and cannot read the dog. I have Lhasa's and I have a grumpy 14 year old, but I know how to read them and have never been bitten and I dont need muzzles. But having said that, I have groomed some very nasty Lhasa's and Maltese in my time, and they can be a pain, but with careful use of the muzzle and harnesses to hold them still, it can be done. Most vets dont waste time trying to appease a cranky dog, so will just resort to drugs. The only dog that bit me while I was grooming was a mixed breed mastiff type, about 3 seconds after the male owner assured me they dont bite!! And I'd not asked either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisovar Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 I would rather groom the sedated Lhasa than have her as distressed as what she is, a dog that is throwing itself around, expressing its anal glands and crapping and peeing everywhere, is not a happy easy to manage dog. This dog has apparently been like this all its life, if the owners want it sedated to groom it then thats what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Daisy Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 How long have you been trying to contact your regular groomer for? Maybe she's on holidays or something? I would keep trying her if she was good. I hate grooming sedated dogs most of the time it is not needed, but I have had dogs that have been so distressed the first couple of times they have been given a very light sedation. If you can't find your groomer maybe ring around and see if you can find another one who will be happy to try grooming without sedation. Even if you have to do half one day and finish the next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frufru Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 I am lucky to have the luxury of only grooming dogs with nice manners (apart from rescues - who are generally very good) I do have the odd one who needs to wear a muzzle when nails are done. I would prefer they wear a muzzle and get it over with quickly and confidently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm88 Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Just quickly, if the sedation isnt ACP they may be talking a full sedation such as domitor. This will completely knock him out but it isnt the best for older animals as it lowers blood pressure quite a bit as well as heart rate/respiration can drop alot also depending on the dog. Personally I would rather try the dog wide awake with a muzzle then go straight to sedation. Id wait for your normal groomer if you can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggywoof Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 Thanks so much everyone for the replies so far Really appreciate it. I really don't want to sedate him mainly because of his age and he hasn't been sedated before for grooming. Will leave another message for the groomer and then speak to the vets today to see what sedation they would use if they needed to, but I really don't think I will go through with it if they say they will sedate him regardless... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 if you don't want him sedating, just tell the vets to stop, if they can't manage him and not sedate him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 (edited) Just my opinion. But I'd rather see the grumpy older dogs sedated for grooming than muzzled. I'd think muzzling could highly stress an elderly dog. My elderly tibbie girl used to go to sleep on the grooming table. Edited May 6, 2010 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 (edited) I have a grumpy old dog, too. He gets muzzled to be groomed. We only do a bit at a time in general but I find after a while he relaxes; he's fallen asleep on the table sometimes and this is a dog who hides under the bed to avoid being groomed. I use a lot of grooming sprays to help, like The STUFF and Cowboy Magic to ease out the matts. Edited May 6, 2010 by Sheridan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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