# dog freaky after being groomed



## lillie20 (Oct 17, 2008)

I had my dog at the groomer, the same one he goes to every couple of months. Not only does he look like a shaved chicken, but is acting totally odd. Crying for no reason, and runs and stays under the bed. He said my dog was matted, which I do try to keep up with, but hard since poodle. I know something went very wrong today and won't be returning. Can dogs get freaked, almost will run and twitch, after getting cut so drastic?


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

Did you check him over for any nicks or cuts, razor burn or brush burn??


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## lillie20 (Oct 17, 2008)

Good suggestions, thanks. Very red on chest, but almost cut down to skin. How would I know if razor burn? And what should I do?


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## HORSEandHOUND (May 28, 2009)

some will behave oddly after a shave down, especially if you dont treat them like they are pretty. i've seen dogs hide under furniture in shame.

a poodle needs to be brushed with a slicker daily. if you are not willing to brush daily you need to take your dog to the groomer ever 2 weeks so it doesnt get out of control again.


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## lillie20 (Oct 17, 2008)

Really going to try to stay with brushing daily. My poor guy, don't want to put him thru this again. Once matted, is only solution to shave off? And what is a slicker?? Thanks.


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

Slicker brush:









For serious, full body mats, you can only shave it off. If there is only one or two, a groomer can sometimes cut them apart and save the coat, but otherwise a full shave is generally required.


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## Kina_A (Jun 8, 2009)

Do you also have a dematting comb? They are awsome and will cut right through the matt and make it easy to brush it out after without hurting you dog.

If your dog only has a few matts, you can cut them out. Unless your dog is totally matted, sometimes shaving is the only option.


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## lillie20 (Oct 17, 2008)

I'll be shopping for these new items. Thanks for all your help.


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## HersheyPup (May 22, 2008)

Sometimes I hear my clients say that their dog was embarrassed after a "strip" and would hide under the bed in shame. I think it depends on the dog, because other clients will say that the same haircut leaves their dog jumping and running around with renewed energy! If you dog appears uncomfortable with his buzz cut, than I'd just be sure to get him groomed more so that he doesn't have to be shaved so short. Sometimes, the feeling of air so close to their skin freaks them out. Kind of like you walking around naked outside, might be a little unnerving, lol!


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## Junior (Jun 8, 2009)

Maybe fleas or other crawlies hopped a ride... ?


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## PappyMom (Jun 5, 2009)

Slicker brushes work wonders..We use one on G very carefully on his coat and tail, and a fine comb on his ear fringe every day..and we're mat-free. 

He's probably just not used to having such short fur..and on the red on his chest, maybe some soothing aloe-gel would feel nice right about now..


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## lillie20 (Oct 17, 2008)

this is day two and still hiding and not acting right from being groomed so short. do notice a few red spots, guess razor burns. when might he be back to himself? this is breaking my heart.


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## Raggs (Jan 10, 2007)

I used to own a Lhasa and every time I groomed her she would come home and act like she'd been drugged. She would lay next to the water bowl all night and then the next day she would hide under my bed.. I would groom her myself, so I KNOW nothing bad happened.. sometimes it's just the dogs.. 

They do have feelings, despite what some "experts" say.


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## HORSEandHOUND (May 28, 2009)

also while the slicker is an essential grooming tool for any poodle owner, there is a ok way and an awesome way to use one. instead of trying to explain it here, i highly reccomend that you visit the groomer's with your new brush and ask them to show you how to use it.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

Well, if he is a poodle, he needs to be brought in every 4-6 weeks, depending on the cut and style you like, as well as how much brushing you do at home. 

Your dog may very well have been matted, and just didn't care for the process he had to go through this time around; they may have tried to brush him out first, but then decided it was just going to be too hard for him, and then clipped him shorter than you normally like. 

He may just feel 'naked' now, if he's never been clipped close before, and he could even be chilly if you have AC in your house? And as someone else mentioned, some dogs just react differently...he may have had a different groomer today even, and even if nothing went wrong, the dog may just have been effected by that change. 

I would just moniter him for the next few days and make sure he starts picking up. Check him carefully for any sore spots, and redness that could indicate injury, or clipper burn, etc. Report any of those findings to the groomer, and take him to your veterinarian if necessary.



lillie20 said:


> Really going to try to stay with brushing daily. My poor guy, don't want to put him thru this again. Once matted, is only solution to shave off? And what is a slicker?? Thanks.


Yes, and no...

It depends on the type of coat a dog has, and how much experience a groomer has in dealing with matted dogs. Certain types of coats won't brush or blow out using a high velocity dryer, so the only option is to clip the dog shorter than he normally might get clipped. Other types of coat will brush or blow out easily with a proper bath and conditioning. I personally never brush a dirty dog, no matter how matted he is, because half the matts are probably caused by the dirt, which once removed, the matts are removed, or greatly loosened. However, alot of groomers still try to demat a dog before he's been cleaned, either because they fear the water will matt him more, or they don't know how to dry him without matting him more. It's a delicate balance... I'm the only groomer at my shop that knows how to pretty much completely demat a dog without ever laying a brush on him. Shampoos, Conditioners, and a high velocity dryer can do all the work for you if you know how to do it properly.


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## speechless91 (Jun 23, 2009)

lillie20 said:


> this is day two and still hiding and not acting right from being groomed so short. do notice a few red spots, guess razor burns. when might he be back to himself? this is breaking my heart.



hi hello umm im new to this and i was just wondering how long it took ur pup to come out of it im afraid the same has happened to my dog and its not a pretty sight as i hate seeing him like that please email me at [email protected] with anyinformation you have thnaks kindly


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## bfoster (Feb 9, 2009)

Be careful with a slicker brush- especially if the hair is short- they can irritate the skin very easily. Run it across your arm and see.


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## Betty57 (Nov 23, 2009)

Clipper burn is a catch all name for many problems. As a groomer for 34 years I can tell you it is irratation from the clippers. It is not a burn and happens mostly on the areas that the clippers go against the grain of the hair. A pink skinned dog is most likely to be a victum. The skin stings and itches like after your legs have been shaved or after a man shaves his face. If a dog has skin problems from fleas or the hair has gotten long on the face, it is very likely that you will have a problem. Irritation is very common in grooming and can happen anywhere on the body that is shaved, especially around the private parts. The problem doesn't usually start until some hours after the dog has gone home. If the problem happens you can use something like a lotion that you would apply to your legs to stop the burning and itching. There is a lotion that you can get from UPCO called PC Lotion that is very good and I use it all the time where I think there might be a problem, my customers are very happy with the results. You can change groomers over and over, but you have to tell the groomer what has happened or it will continue to happen. If the lotion that is applied many times in a day or two doesn't do the trick then you may need to go a blade up until you have no problem. If you tell the groomer about the problem and you are still having problems than you may want to find one that is more educated on the problem. I always question my customers about any previous problems that they may have had like that to know what to do so the problem won't happen with me with their dog.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

Poor baby... maybe if you have a doggie sweater or a small tee shirt (don't know the size of your dog) that might make him feel a little less naked. Also there is a really good skin spray that I use on my dogs when they get dry itchy skin usualy after I start using my heater in the winter... lemme find you a link to it 








http://www.1800petmeds.com/Miracle+Mist+Skin+Spray-prod1072.html

Also if your dog doesn't like the slicker brush or if it hurts him maybe you can try a greyhound comb to keep mats under control.


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## lillie20 (Oct 17, 2008)

After my horrible grooming experience, which caused my dog to be on antibiotics for a month, I now trust no one (unfortunately). Yes, this was a groomer, who was doing this for 20 yrs, etc. and knew everything. Why would he break my dogs skin cause an infection, and never said any wrong was done by him. I am now the groomer. Bought a set of clippers, did some homework and now groom my dog with no problems or stress. It's quite easy! Great decision and I'm saving a ton of money.


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