Sunday, September 6, 2009

Traumatic day on Friday for Frosty

...but he did great. No grooming pics yet though. This is a long story, so either bear with me, or click away...

Frosty is 9 years old, a teacup toy poodle who is MY BABY, weighs 3-1/2 pounds and apparently has really "loose skin" (I didn't realize that).

Anyway, he'd gone to the same groomer since he was a teeny tiny puppy until a few months ago. She'd never had a really great personality, and Frosty had come home with shaver burns several times. I mentioned it to her (and mentioned a friend who'd taken a dog to her and had a really bad shaver burn) the last time he went there and she got really defensive and huffy and was just downright rude - AND Frosty didn't come home with a very good cut. So, I decided.... I don't need to pay someone money to be rude to me!!!

Looked around for another groomer - not too many in a small town - found a new one and thought I'd try her - can you say DISASTER!!!! Frosty came home with fleas and a bad shoulder which is still bothering him.

Soooo, still need a groomer. A new one opened up in Guntersville and I went by one day early last week and talked to her. Nice lady, very pleasant and cheery - nice clean place. Cute happy dogs there and she didn't want to keep him ALL day like the original one. Take him in at the appointment time, pick him up a couple of hours later.

His first appointment there was Friday, so I dropped him off on my way to work (10ish). She called a bit after 12noon for me to pick him up. Her voice sounded a bit strained on the phone, but I haven't talked to this lady on the phone, so....

When I got there about 10 minutes later, she was holding Frosty and when I walked in she burst into tears. Took me 5 minutes to calm her down enough to tell me what was wrong - I thought someone had died.

It seems when she was clipping Frosty, she nicked him on the right front elbow. She said he didn't cry and was really good, he had just flinched a bit. She double checked and could see the bone - she freaked. She immediately closed her shop and rushed him to the vet. My vet (she uses the same one) was closed on Friday for a long weekend, but fortunately there's another one in town, so she went there. They took them right in (emergency you know) and really thought it would be a good idea to put stitches in - but since they would have to put him to sleep to do that she declined. They did put in two staples (no idea why they could do that and not stitches, but what do I know). He was really good at the vet's too.

She's alternately telling me all this and sobbing and apologizing. She said because his skin was so loose, and he's so little it made it more difficult to cut him super short (which I'd requested).

Now, the reason I have him groomed so short is because he hates for me to brush him and he mats really easily. She didn't get to finish grooming him - no bath as the vet said not to get the staples wet.

The gist of this whole story is, he goes back next Friday to have the staples removed, then I'll take him back to her and she'll finish grooming him - AND she wants me to bring him in twice a week so SHE can comb him out and that way his fur can get longer.

Frosty doesn't seem any the worse for wear at all - he's bouncing around as usual (except for the right shoulder that's been giving him trouble from the previous groomer). I handled it okay - I wasn't mad and was really more concerned with her. IF she had been blase and defensive about it like the other groomer I would have been mad, but I've never seen anyone as upset over a mistake. Of course she paid the vet bill, and she's not charging me for the grooming or the weekly combing.

Think I've found my new groomer!!

btw - I'll post pictures after he's done next Friday :)

3 comments:

Carole and Chewy said...

Chewy is sooooo happy he doesn't have to go to the groomer. He says to tell Frosty to have a cold one and kick back -he's earned it! Poor baby!

Fashion Schlub said...

Poor Frosty! It's great that the woman was concerned - though I think I'd have been a little perturbed if someone took my dog to the vet and didn't tell me til after...it's so hard to find a genuinely KIND, animal loving, talented groomer these days. I said this just a few weeks ago - there's a shortage of good groomers - that's the business we should be going into!

Country Cottage Chic said...

Poor little Frosty - he is so brave!
Mistakes do happen & the groomer is obviously very sorry & is taking responsibility for it so I'd say she probably is a good groomer who is genuinely concerned for the dogs she grooms.

Cuddles to Frosty,
Jayne