Pet groomers have their hands on every part of every pet they groom and, in most cases, see that pet on a more regular schedule than the animal’s doctor sees it. This being said it is no surprise that groomers often discover potential medical problems. Here are a few examples of things I have found over the last four decades of grooming:
- Vision problems - Pets that rarely leave home learn to navigate their surroundings as if they have normal vision, even when there is a significant loss. The behavior of the pet in a different environment or the way eyes look (for example, bulging, cloudy, red, inflamed, or scarred) often indicates that there is a problem that needs expert attention.
- Lumps, bumps, and growths - Even if a pet owner regularly strokes and pets their dog or cat, there are areas of the body they rarely touch. I have found lumps, bumps, and growths in armpits, ear canals, inside the mouth, around the “private” areas, and on toes that the owners never noticed. Luckily, in most cases, these were benign, but other times, the customer has reported back, “The veterinarian said if you hadn’t noticed that, things could have been very bad.”
- Bruising - There is a phenomenon more than one groomer has noticed during a visit. Bruises scattered on the dog’s skin. This is often something called a petechial hemorrhage and is a sign of a serious problem. It can be caused by low blood platelets, and the underlying cause needs immediate treatment.
- Deformed or ingrown claws - Deformed claws, for instance, claws that are dramatically thicker or thinner than a normal claw or one that crumbles when you trim it, can be signs of health concerns. More common are claws that have curled and grown into the animal’sskin. Either of these requires a doctor's visit.
- Dental problems - It can be astonishing how often even caring pet owners are completely unaware of advanced dental disease in their pets. A groomer's first clue is usually when we get knocked out by the animal's breath. When we lift a lip to investigate, we often find red, swollen gums and teeth covered with built-up plaque.
- Various infections of the ears, eyes, skin, anal sacs, and more.
- Internal or external parasites.
Once we notice a problem, we need to know the most appropriate way to share our discovery with the owner. A wise groomer will never attempt to diagnose what they found, as we could be wrong, and even if we are right, we might annoy the veterinarian. One local vet told my customer, “I hate to admit it, but your groomer was correct. There is a problem with that lump on your dog's face. She has an abscessed tooth.” (He hated to admit it!) Since our words can sometimes be misunderstood or forgotten, I have found that writing down my findings is useful.It also seems to help customers take my findings more seriously. I had a small pad of paper printed with my business name and the words, “On ___ date, I noticed _________ (a description of what I saw) on _____ (pet’s name). I recommend you take your pet to see their veterinarian.”
This way, if I had a tapeworm segment drop onto my hand, (gag!) I can tape it right to the note, along with filling in the blanks. Then the owner won’t forget what sort of worm it suspected it was, and the vet can see the culprit for themselves and not have to run a stool sample. Both customers and local veterinarians have given me positive feedback on these simple, helpful notes.
Informing our customers of suspected medical problems that we discover during the grooming process is not only good professional behavior, it is also a kindness the pets we care for.
