K eeping a dog safe in a grooming salon can be more difficult than you might think. An upset or panic-stricken animal can get into trouble in many ways. The best that we as groomers and business owners can do is be aware of all the ways a dog or cat can hurt themselves, and take steps to prevent it happening. And then, when accidents still happen, as they inevitably will, correct whatever situation caused it. If you see an account of an accident in a grooming salon, consider how you can prevent it occurring in your salon. No matter how unlikely, if it happened once to someone, it can happen to you.
I recently saw a social media post in which a good-sized dog, panicking, stepped a foot off the edge of a grooming table and managed to get a few toes stuck in the metal handle of the drawer of the table. What are the chances? Since the table had been in play for many years with no incidents, pretty low. But it happened. The owner promptly took the handle off of the drawer. I have no idea how they are opening and closing it now, perhaps by pushing on the bottom, but good for her for removing a potential risk no matter how unlikely it would be for lightning–or in this case, damaged toes–to strike in the same place twice.
Having quality equipment, and keeping that equipment in good shape is a way to prevent accidents. Make sure tables, cages, and floors have non-skid surfaces. If your floor isn’t ideal for pets, put mats on high travel areas for better footing. Maintenance on tools and equipment doesn’t just keep your grooming up to par, it keeps your four-legged clients safe. Dull blades are more likely to cause clipper irritation, slicker brushes with bent or just worn out pins cause groomers to use more strokes in brushing and/or more force–both of which lead to brush burn or worse.
Mary Graves, CEO and owner of RazorEdge Systems, manufacturer of the Shear Saver tool, says, “Dull scissors are more likely to cause injury to the pet during a grooming session due to the additional force and number of cuts needed to complete a grooming.” And we all know that’s in addition to making it harder to produce a smooth, finished look. “A sharp shear allows the groomer to efficiently, quickly and precisely cut fur/hair in tight and up-close locations with greater precision, and dull or dulling shears creates added strain for the groomer which will increase the potential for hand fatigue or injury. Shear Saver gives the groomer the ability to revive and keep sharp their Shear’s edge throughout their day extending the sharpness of their shears and reducing professional sharpening frequency.”
Part of preventing accidents is looking at the environment from a dog’s perspective. Grooming is not pleasant for many dogs and they may object and can injure themselves while doing so. While no groomer actively wants to harm a dog, we’ve all had those moments of frustration with a wiggly little one that seems to be double or triple jointed when all we want to do is scissor or snap on comb that hind leg. The temptation to hold on a bit longer or a tad more firmly is always present. The best thing to do is either have an assistant help to gently restrain the dog while that part of grooming takes place or have equipment available to help. Slings are popular although caution should be used to make sure the dog is calm rather than still due to feeling totally helpless. A half wall on the table provides some safe control as well. Some groomers use a Groomer’s Helper on every dog, others of us just make sure it’s handy if needed. The Groomer’s Helper is made by people that work in the grooming industry. Ed Berger, chief executive officer at Groomers Helper says, “You try to put it out of your mind, but you know that the back of a salon is as dangerous a place as any construction job, any factory, any hi-risk occupation. Don’t go to work without the tools that protect you.” The Groomer’s Helper Safety & Positioning System not only reduces the dog’s bite radius by 90 percent, keeping you safer, but it restrains them in a manner that most don’t fight against, reducing the risk of injury to the dog as well. You can use both hands to do your job , another safety increase, and have safety measures built right in should you have to detach the dog from the table instantly.
Look at the whole experience from the dog’s point of view, and find places to make them safer.
Many dogs feel threatened by strange dogs’ presence. This can be reduced by having a no contact between dogs rule in place, and by arranging that dogs with issues (either fear OR aggression) cannot see each other. Crates that face an alley against a wall instead of the center of a room, towels hung on crate faces (although not with a dryer on it), moving dogs that seem to trigger each other, all can help reduce stress on dogs.
Noise is a stress factor for a lot of dogs. Having a separate drying room confines the noise to one area. High velocity dryers can be boxed on the other side of a wall with hoses and controls where you need them, with much less noise. Not only will dogs like that, you will benefit too. Bath time can be noisy, too. Poly Pet Tubs are made of high density polyethylene which in addition to being incredibly tough does not make a resounding noise as metal tubs can when water or a metal spray head hits the sides. According to Mike Forcelli, president of PolyPet Tubs, “Young dogs or rescues especially may not be able to tolerate noise readily and the poly is so much more quiet.”
Keep the grooming room, bathing and drying areas included, at a comfortable temperature. Pets and human employees alike are prone to heat exhaustion if temperatures are too high, and this risk is heightened by humidity. The water from drying all those dogs is going right into the air in the salon–consider a good dehumidifier for everyone’s safety and comfort. Dryers can cause issues with heat exhaustion or heatstroke, too. If used in cages dryers should have timers and be used on low or no heat settings; Double K has a dryer that hangs on a cage front and has a sensor that shuts the heat off if the temperature inside the cage gets too warm.
Try to think of alternative ways to do things that might be safer for the dogs you groom. Some groomers have installed an automated self-serve Evolution Dog Wash that can be used both by bathers and by customers wanting to wash their own pet. Some dogs, especially geriatrics, will behave better for their owner in the tub and this tub makes it easy for them. Matt Ogden, president and managing member of Evolution Dog Wash, Applewood GJ LLC, says, “Our all-in-one pet wash stations automatically mix the shampoo and conditioner with pre-set perfect temperature water, so you can focus on your pet and help ease the stress of being bathed. Evolution Dog Wash machines have a non-slip surface and include built-in shampoo, conditioner, flea and tick shampoo if needed, and a professional grooming-grade blow dryer, plus a disinfectant to clean the tub at the beginning or end of the wash cycle.”
Another example is simply changing when you do things. A lot of stress for dogs is from anticipating, so if a dog objects to nail trims and you normally do nails before the bath, try doing them after or during. If you normally start at the rear, change it up sometimes and start at the front. Keep them guessing as some bad behavior is habit and changing a small thing can help change the behavior that may put the dog at risk from struggling too much.
It’s a good idea to make first aid training part of your staff training. Despite your best efforts, there are dogs with hidden medical issues and geriatrics that may not handle grooming well.
Grooming itself has inherent risks—think of hematomas after shaving matted ear leathers. And if an accident should occur with a fall or cut or heat stroke or anything else, you and your staff should know how to handle it. Classes are available online or better, in person. Pettech.net lists their instructors and is a popular choice. Have a first aid kit and the phone number of the veterinarian you use available, but be trained in first aid. It could make the difference between an unfortunate accident professionally resolved and a tragic ending. Since so many veterinarians are currently not accepting new patients, make sure you have a relationship with a good one and an understanding that they will see your clients if needed, even if you have to pay some sort of retainer to ensure their availability to you.
The most important aspect of keeping pets safe while under your care is awareness. Develop a mindset of looking at everything and wondering how a pet could get into trouble with it. Any changes made in the salon should be done with safety in mind. Stay focused on the whole pet while grooming–I’ve seen a dog hanging itself while a groomer clipped a paw pad, unaware. The price of safety is eternal vigilance. PB
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