Dog groomer & sedation

filo87

My rescue dog went to a well-known groomers yesterday.When he got home 3 hours later he seemed lethargic and not himself.Had to be coaxed out of bed for his walk.By midnight he still wasn't totally himself.We put it down to him being upset at being left at the groomers alone (only have him 5 months).

The groomer said that he had been aggressive when she went to clip his head,which is totally out of character for him-not surprising though when we noticed the two nicks on his belly!!. But she said she 'soldiered on' and got him done.:rolleyes:

We mentioned to someone today that he had been to this particular groomers and were told 'She sedates them',which explains his sleepiness yesterday.

Is this common and is it considered acceptable to sedate your dog without your consent?

joyce2009

ok if the dog is getting aggressive and they need to sedate then i would presume they need your permission as they dont know the medical history of your dog. you in turn would probably have to check with your vet to see if your dog is up to being sedated,, sounds strange for them to do it with out asking first,,,,,,

filo87

That's what I thought. He's not an aggressive dog at all.He was at this particular groomers three months ago as well and she didn't mention anything about him being aggressive towards her then.She did nick him in two places this time though.

andreac

Dogs can turn aggressive in situations like groomers/vets etc, even if it is totally out of character, ive seent eh friendliest of dogs turn on vets and that when they are frightened or put in a situation they are not happy with so i wouldnt say that she is not telling the truth about being agressive.

On the other hand, there is no way she should have given any sedative without your permission, unless you signed something to authorize this if necessary. I would def have words and say that you are not happy and ask if the dog was sedated as its bad practice to administer this without permission of the owner first.

Harris

You should ring her and ask the question directly. That's what I would do, and to be honest I would be furious if she had given him anything without asking.

filo87

andreac wrote: »

Dogs can turn aggressive in situations like groomers/vets etc, even if it is totally out of character, ive seent eh friendliest of dogs turn on vets and that when they are frightened or put in a situation they are not happy with so i wouldnt say that she is not telling the truth about being agressive...

He possibly was aggressive in this situation.I can understand it since she cut his belly in two places.It obviously frightened him.This was probably why she sedated him. He won't be going back there anyway!

littlelady

There is no way she should have given any sedative without your permission, a good dog groomer should be able to handle a dog in any situation. If he was aggressive a muzzle would have helped unless he was totally stressed out but they should have contacted you. You should call the groomer & see what they have to say for themself.

votejohn

ive done a grooming course and as far as im aware you can only sedate a dog with the owners permission, and if there is a vet onsite (aka if the groomers is attached to a vets).

if it was me grooming your dog and it was agressive I would muzzle him, and if he still wasnt happy I would have told you that he wasnt happy with getting his head clipped, and instruct you on how to do it when he was calm, and give you a discount.

You can get a drop, similar to rescue remedy in humans, to relax a dog at the groomers or on long journeys etc.

I would def follow through and contact your groomer though, if she sedates dogs without permission and without knowing the dogs medical history, she could kill one!

Ado86

As the OP said, there is a stipulation that you cannot administer a sedative to an animal without the owners permission. Also, depending on which sedative she/he used, most are dangerous drugs in the wrong hands and therefore should only be administered to a dog under a vets supervision. I would advise going to a groomer attached to a veterinary practice.

filo87

votejohn wrote: »

You can get a drop, similar to rescue remedy in humans, to relax a dog at the groomers or on long journeys etc...

Is the drop available over the counter or from the vet?Presumably it wouldn't be strong enough to make a dog sleepy for a whole day?

votejohn

ive come across it in grooming equipment catalogues, id say it would wear off after less than an hour. it would be a much better solution for slightly anxious dogs than sedation.

star-pants

Personally I'd go back and have a fit at the groomers.
They cannot sedate your dog without your permission, the vets make you sign a form when they have to sedate your dog. And you weren't even told? what if your dog had had a reaction?!
And they cut your dog's tummy?

I'm sorry but that's completely not on, I know some dogs aren't happy being groomed, my older dog hates it, but they've never had issue with her in our groomers, he always tells us how they were, what he did etc. I don't think I'd go back to somewhere that did that to my dog.

filo87

I have no proof though. Don't know if she totally knocked him out or just gave him something to relax him. Either way I should have been told.

When I collected him she made a big deal about what a 'bold boy' he had been.I believe this 'aggression' was caused by the fact that she was rough. She didn't actually cut him, (he wasn't bleeding) they were bright red little nicks that he spent the day licking.

Obviously, sedation/relaxation methods aren't commonly used, as I suspected. He won't be going back. Will be on the lookout for a decent groomers for next time!

star-pants

Well I'd investigate if she regularly sedates animals with permission. I'd enquire at your usual vets what they would do about a situation like that (they might know a local place to call).
The groomers I go to, they have some dogs goin in there that are terrified or really boisterous but they manage to calm them or get them under control. They even have a thing whereby you can bring your dog along for an imprinting session, to get them used to the place, make it fun, let them sniff things and investigate. Never had any issue with my two dogs.

Still to even nick your dog and not tell you, unless your dogs mental they'd be used to keeping dogs under control in a good way. I'm sorry your poor dog had to go through that. I would suggest when you find a new place, that you try the imprinting thing (if you explain the situation to them) and maybe your dog won't be as nervous next time?

votejohn

what breed do you have? There are grooming dvds that are breed specific, and grooming equipment can be picked up for pretty cheap in argos, would you concider doing the grooming yourself in future? your dog will probably get pretty stressed going back to a groomers.

the basics, such as washing and drying your dogs coat, can really stress out some dogs, so if you are sending your pooch back to the groomers, ask around for one thats highly recommended, then see if they'll take your dog in for just coat brushing once a week for a few weeks. they shouldnt charge much more than a fiver for a 15 - 20 min session, and with lots of cuddles your dog will probably begin to love the groomers. they can then venture to washing / drying / clipping!

Best of luck!!!!

ziggy23

Have done a grooming course myself and as someone else said groomers are not allowed to sedate dogs unless they are attached to a vet's and WITH your permission. If this person is sedating dogs without owner's consent she needs to be reported. As someone else stated I would ring up and have absoloute murder with the groomer. What if something had happened to your dog:mad:

Anyhow hope your little fella is ok and isn't too traumatised by his experience