(Hypothetically) There Has Been An Emergency! This Is What We Will Do For Your Pet!

You brought your pup to the groomer. You expect to get a call in a few hours telling you Prince is all ready to come home. Instead, you get the call no one wants to hear or even make: there has been an accident.

We strive to be the safest salon there can possibly be. We take great care and caution when working with your pets. After all, these are little living beings with their own thoughts, feelings, and moods. Bad days can happen to pets just as much as they can happen to people. We pay close attention to their moods and feelings so we can anticipate how the groom is going to go and if Prince needs a few extra breaks on any given day.

In the event of an emergency, there are certain steps we will take to ensure Prince gets the correct care. First of all, the injury will receive a fast assessment. Is anything bleeding? How severe is it? Is it a scratch on the surface in a sensitive area? Is it a small nick on a mole or wart? Was there already a scab we accidentally opened up? Or is it a fresh, deep cut? Is there any injury at all or has Prince simply collapsed? Is he having a seizure? Is he not breathing? What is wrong?

As with humans, there are some minor injuries that require only a band-aid and monitoring. A quicked nail hardly bothers most dogs and can easily be “fixed” with stypic powder AKA Quick Stop or even cornstarch or flour at home. A weeping wart is a skin issue that can open easily. Sometimes they soften and open in the bath tub. Sometimes they open just by the dog bumping them on something! These generally require no more than a quick cleaning and time to scab over before we continue grooming. (If you know of any bumps or warts on your pet, feel free to remind us of where they are and definitely let us know about any new ones you find so we can watch out for them!) Much like a weeping wart, a pre-existing scab can sometimes soften and fall off during the bath, leading to possible redness or even bleeding. Sometimes, a small scratch on a spot of dry skin or in a sensitive area can look horrible but in reality just needs a little time to settle down. We are not vets nor do we pretend to be! When it comes to minor lumps, bumps, dings, and pre-existing wounds, we will always advise you of what we found and let you know how we would proceed with our own pets. Should you feel that you want a vet’s opinion on the matter, we will be happy to help you with that as well. Remember, we will never, ever hide anything from you nor will we ever lie about it. If we caused a minor scratch on Prince’s belly because he zigged and we zagged while combing him, we will own up to it and let you know! If the wart above Prince’s eye started oozing in the tub again, just like it has done every other time he has been in, we will still let you know. If we found a bump with a small scab on his neck under his collar area during his blow out, we will let you know and even show it to you if we can find it again.

If the injury is something more serious, a cut caused by the shears or clippers, an accidental poke to the eye with a slicker brush, or even a quicked nail that will not stop bleeding, fast action is required. We will not hesitate to wrap a bleeding injury in a clean towel and whisk Prince away to a vet’s office. We keep a small travel carrier in the back atop our kennel bank. It is easily accessible in even the most dire emergency. Prince will be placed in the safety of the carrier before heading straight to one of our own personal vehicles. Larger dogs will be leashed to the seats in our vehicles to prevent any escapes. We have worked hard to build a relationship with several area veterinarians. These are vets we take our own pets to as well as local vets who have offered to help us whenever we need them.

We will do the same thing if Prince appears to be suffering for any medical condition. If he has collapsed and is not breathing, we will rush him to the vet as fast as we safely can. If he appears to be having a seizure that shows no signs of stopping, we will rush him to the vet as fast as we safely can. If he is having a hard time breathing, standing, if he appears to be “loopy” and out of it. Anything out of the ordinary, Prince will be rushed to the vet.

We will call you immediately using your primary contact, your secondary contact, and even your emergency contact numbers. In fact, as soon as one groomer is aware of the problem, the other will be calling first a vet to notify them of the situation and then you, the owners, will be called. We will leave a message at each number but we also will not stop trying to reach you until we either get you or we reach someone who knows where you are. We will stay at the vet with Prince until you arrive. If you or someone you know is unable to go to the vet to be with Prince, we will stay with him. If the vet says Prince needs to stay in their care for a little while until you can pick them up, we will update you and either wait for you at the vet’s office if you want us to or return to the salon knowing that Prince is in the best possible care. If you cannot get there and the vet says Prince is okay to go home, we will update you and bring him back to the salon with us.

Have you noticed the certificate on the wall by the door? Our owner, Stacey, is certified in pet first aid and CPR! Every two years, she completes a course and renews her certificate, making sure she is up to date with any new information out there so you can be confident that Prince is safe in her salon. This summer, Jess will also be earning her certificate! We feel that keeping up to date with this type of learning is, though not mandatory in the industry, essential for any and all personnel who work with and around animals. Should we ever hire another groomer or bather, they too will complete courses and earn their certificates if they do not already have one. By taking hands-on learning, you can be sure that we have practiced the skills needed in the event of an emergency.

How about the framed posters above our leash holders? Have you noticed those? Wonder what they are? These posters are basic first aid reminders. In the event of an emergency, these posters hold vital information on how to do certain things such as help a dog who is choking, the steps for CPR, how to make an emergency muzzle, and even how to recognize and stop various types of bleeding. While our CPR and first aid certification training covers these topics and more, Stacey feels that the reminders need to be there for everyone to see just in case. We all forget things sometimes, especially when we are stressed! These posters are small reminders about how to help the pets in our care should we ever need to.

Please know that even a minor incident like quicked nails can upset even the most battle hardened groomers! We never want anything bad to happen to any pet left in our care. Accidents make us feel like we are the worst groomers on the planet. They can make us question our entire career path. When I say we feel awful, it hardly describes the sinking, horrible feeling. If we have had to rush your pet to a vet for any type of an emergency, even one not caused by a groomer, we are likely to be crying and feeling just as low as we can possibly feel!

As always, if you ever have any questions about any of our emergency protocols, about who we would take your vet to in case of an emergency, or how we might handle a specific emergency, please do not hesitate to ask! We take great pride in what we do. We always want you to feel comfortable with us and our salon!