Approach to dog aggressive at groomers?

RE: Approach to dog aggressive at groomers?

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 14 Oct 2015 12:28:07 GMT

[quote user="skatealexia"]I'm seeing a dog tomorrow with generalised aggression when being groomed which is getting worse. Obviously, ideally they need long term referral to a proper behaviourist but in the meantime is there any medical management that people tend to use in this situation?[/quote]Are you thinking about medical management for the behavioural issue or just short term so it can be groomed? Does it really need to be be groomed or is it just for fashion? The answer is different for each scenario. If if needs to be groomed for hygeine/medical reasons then I would admit it as a surgical case and sedate appropriately with torb/dom equivalent then clip/shave/bathe as appropriate but if its just so it looks nice then get the behavioural issue sorted first. I definitely would not hand over any sedatives so it can be done at a groomer there are far too many variable in the way if could react and you could end up being sued if someone gets bitten.

If its for long term behavioural issues then a referral to a behavioural specialist is necessary. They have far more time to listen and deal with the reasons and observe the dog in its own environment. This may be in association with things like selegiline, clomipramine or Zylkene for example.

RE: Approach to dog aggressive at groomers?

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 22:05:37 GMT

I'm afraid I wouldn't be happy giving any 'strong' sedatives when I'm not there to monitor (I doubt the groomer would be held responsible if things went wrong) - and low doses of diazepam etc are unlikely to be effective in this situation.

I'd offer to sedate and 'groom' at the practice (clip/shave as necc for welfare reasons) or give drugs to help with behavioural therapy.

RE: Approach to dog aggressive at groomers?

Julie Innes — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 21:59:34 GMT

We have one with horrible skin that needs regular grooming but which the groomer can't get near. I ain't no groomer, so we get the groomer to come to us, sedate it with Dom and torb and she grooms it, we monitor it and wake it up immediately afterwards. We have previously tried dap, diazepam etc to no avail. It's not ideal, but he is great with us for his injection, it's just being groomed around his sore bits he doesn't like, and who could blame him, really. It wouldn't be my ideal choice, but I know the groomer and the dog well and it has been the only thing that works for him.

RE: Approach to dog aggressive at groomers?

Robin Grimmer — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 21:47:29 GMT

Muzzle?