“Do you get bitten often?” people often ask me when they learn what my profession is. The truth is that I have not had many bite injuries in the four decades I’ve spent grooming, but I have had other grooming-related injuries. The most frequent is being scratched. Cats are the obvious source of some of my more memorable scratches because smacking out with a paw is a time-honored defense mechanism for felines, but the worst scratches I’ve endured have been from dogs.
There are steps groomers can take to help prevent injuries from claws.
- Wear close-toed shoes to protect your feet. Many of us are tempted to trek off to work wearing comfy sandals on a hot summer day. That is always the day an excited, oversized dog pushes off the top of your foot and scrapes you hard with their freshly trimmed claws. This does not sound too bad, but if you have ever experienced it, you will know it is no joke. Not only can those claws damage your skin, but they are also most likely carrying a variety of bacteria that can cause an infection in the wounds.
- Some dogs resent having their claws trimmed and let us know it by struggling. Often that struggle is in the form of the dog raking its rear claws down your forearm while you are working on the front feet. After we hit our twenties, our skin produces less collagen and becomes thinner. Thinner skin is more easily damaged by an errant claw scraping down it. Donning a protective arm covering like these sleeves while grooming is a great solution.
Another grooming-related injury comes in the form of hair splinters. To the uninitiated, a hair splinter sounds like a minor problem, but it can be uncomfortable and lead to more severecomplications. Preventing them by choosing proper grooming attire is a wise choice. Luckily modern groomers have a wide variety of hair-repellent clothing to choose from to help avoidembedded hairs from happening over much of their body. Grooming wardrobes should be considered personal protection equipment and decided on for comfort and a professional look and to safeguard against injuries. It is even possible to layer on the hair-resistant fabric with specialty-made sports bras and tank tops, topped by a smock, shirt, or jacket.
Scratches and splinters seem like minor irritations, but they both hold the potential to become more serious injuries if infection sets in. Choose the correct gear to protect your skin and stay safe, comfortable, and healthy.
By Daryl Conner, MPS, MCG
Daryl Conner has been devoted to making dogs and cats more comfortable and beautiful for almost 40 years. You can find her happily working at FairWinds Grooming Studio with her daughter and infant granddaughter, or typing away at her latest grooming-related article. Daryl was awarded both a Cardinal Crystal Award and Barkleigh Honors Award for journalism. She shares her meadow-hugged antique Maine farmhouse with her practically perfect husband and too many animals.
