Pet grooming is a challenging and hands-on job. While it is certainly rewarding, it also poses the potential risk of dog grooming injuries and accidents.
Therefore, being aware of common injuries, knowing what to do in the event of an accident and having your wits about you are essential aspects of the job.
How common are dog grooming injuries?
According to Groomer Talk, a forum for professional groomers in the US, accidents and injuries are fairly widespread. Here are a few comments from members discussing common injuries.
“Even the best groomers have accidents. My worst one was an eyelid cut where it bled into the eye. It was a wrinkly Shih Tzu that I was scooping the eyes out on and didn’t pull the skin up taut. It taught me a good lesson!”
“Accidents happen. Especially when you mix really sharp equipment and unpredictable dogs. The thing is, you just need to be upfront about what happened and deal with it. Most owners know that we are not out to hurt their babies. So they tend to be understanding.”
“I nicked a dog’s armpit that required stitches. As the vet was repairing the wound he was trying to console me. He told me that it happens, even to him, and to quit freaking out.”
15 ways to avoid accidents and injuries
By always having pet safety at the top of your mind and using necessary caution, you can help reduce the likelihood of injury – to yourself and the animal.
- Start by always asking you client on arrival whether the dog has any illnesses, health or behavioural issues.
- Before you start grooming, check the dog’s skin for any abnormal lumps and bumps, parasites, wounds or existing injuries. Alert your client to anything that may be potential for injury.
- Inspect the dog’s ears for bad odour or inflamed skin as these could indicate infection. You don’t want to get the blame later down the track!
- Encourage clients to brush their dogs in between grooming visits to help lessen knots and tangles, which could result in injury or discomfort when being groomed.
- Use relaxation tactics, such as playing soothing music or talking gently, to keep dogs calm.
- Ensure dogs are properly restrained at all times to prevent them from falling off the grooming table.
- Keep treats nearby.
- Allow the dog to take regular breaks.
- Make sure you have non-slip surfaces, not just on the floor — on grooming benches too.
- Be alert to signs of fear or anxiety. (Find out more about behavioural indicators here).
- Make sure your grooming tools are close to hand so you don’t have to turn your back on your dog.
- Keep clippers lubricated to help them glide over the skin and prevent burning.
- Avoid distractions, such as phone calls, texts etc.
- Take extra special care around dogs’ eye area.
- Use dryers on a low heat, low-force setting to avoid burning the dog or frightening it.
Image source: The Academy of Pet Careers
What if a dog grooming injury happens?
The key when dealing with any accident or emergency is to stay calm. Having a first aid kit on hand is essential (Check out what should be in your first aid kit here).
Signs that the animal may need emergency care include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Unconsciousness
- Deep cut or wound
- Bleeding that doesn’t stop after 2-3 minutes
To treat a small cut, wash the area with saline and put a compress on the wound to stop the bleeding.
Once the bleeding has stopped, dab a small amount of antibiotic ointment on the wound.
If a dog does get injured while in your care, it’s important to immediately point this out to their owner on collection. Apologise and explain how the accident or injury happened. If it’s a minor injury you can advise the owner to keep an eye on their pet and if it worsens to let you know or contact their vet.
If the injury requires immediate veterinary advice you may need to offer to pay for the associated vet bills.
Image source: Australian Dog Grooming School
Protection for you
Preventing accidents, injuries and mishaps in general is all about hoping for the best but planning for the worst. Given the fact that grooming-related pet injuries are common, it’s important to have the right insurance.
Public liability insurance protects you if a client, supplier or member of the public makes a claim against. This applies to instances where they believe you are responsible for causing accidental injury to them, or for damaging their property. It may sound extreme, but I read about a case where a dog had jumped off the grooming table and smashed through the window because he had seen his owner approaching. The dog ran into the car park, causing a car to swerve and hit the dog owner. Just imagine!
No matter where your work takes you, public liability will cover you – whether it’s your physical salon, a mobile service, or in your own home. So, for traditional grooming salons it will safeguard against common risks such as slips and falls, as well as other accidental injuries.
But what if you accidentally nick or burn the skin of a dog? Small mistakes can result in big problems.
Professional indemnity insurance can protect you if you are accused of negligence or malpractice in your professional capacity. Or even if somebody simply decides they’re not happy with the service you’ve provided, they can still make a claim against you.
Professional indemnity can cover your legal costs and any damages that you may have to pay to your client.
Despite the potential challenges, pet grooming can be a fantastic career. You get to hang out with furry friends and there’s also the flexibility to work from different locations. It just pays to be aware of the things that can go wrong and to put the measures in place to protect yourself, should the worst happen.
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Hi, my daughters dog name was Noah (Miniture Maltese). Noah was just over one year old, he died on Friday the 21st August. Today we will pick up his ashes. He died at a parlour in Kempton Park while they were busy cutting his hair. Very sad story. They don’t have cameras so we could not see what happened. They told us that the dog had a fit and they took it to the Vet next door. At the Vet we were told the same. This was a healthy dog with no problems. We asked for a autopsy but was told that we will wast our money. My daughter ask me to just leave it as is and to take her home on that day. The week after was the most difficult week ever to see this child trying to cope without the dog. She is 18 years old and did not want to sleep in her own room for two days. Slowly she accepted the fact and start to move on. Did not eat for two days. On the second day I asked the grooming parlour to please help us start looking for a replacement puppy, until today no answer from them. I can see that they look at my request to assist but did not respond. So sad that they don’t take responsibility and not even call to ask if she is okay. We don’t want anything from them only to help look for a replacement. I know nothing can replace Noah, but they could have show more compassion.
Hi Freddy, I’m so sorry to hear your sad story about Noah.I think it’s really important for all pet professionals to be caring and compassionate, particularly when things go wrong. I hope you find a new puppy; although I’m sure Noah will always be in your thoughts.
Hi I recently changed the groomer looking at good review online however we realised our Dog behaviour has changed and he looks quite frightened after his grooming. MY dog sitting posture had changed as well after 2 days we realised his skin cut under the leg and looks he was injured during his grooming session. Groomer did not mention anything about his injury
I somehow feel she has not treated my dog well and his behaviour has changed since his Grooming. What should I do? How do I report this
Hi Deepthi, I’m sorry to hear about your dog. I think it’s important you go back to the groomer to advise them what happened. If you don’t get the outcome you feel is warranted, you could refer to the ACCC: https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/consumer-guarantees for more information and guidance.
As for every business when an incident happens you have to file a OH&S report is that the same for groomers, animal sitters and so on? if an animal gets injured in there care do they have to write a report on it?
Hi There,
Your best bet is to contact your local groomers association. For example, WA has the Dog Grooming Association of WA: https://www.dgawa.com.au/. If you can’t locate one in your state, you might try the Pet Industry Association Australia: https://piaa.net.au/. They might either be able to provide the info you need or point you in the right direction. Hope that helps 🙂
My dog has been injured while waiting to be groomed .. the grooming table was knocked over by another dog and it fell on my dog . She has had half the hair on her scalp ripped out .( she is a Maltese cross) While it was an accident I feel the fact that they had too many dogs running loose waiting concerns me
They did take my dog to vet and it will be 3/4 months before the hair grows back according to the vet
What are my options
If you have incurred costs as a result of the accident you could ask the groomer whether they have professional insurance that will cover the cost.
Hi,my dog habiba started bleeding tiday when we accidently made a cut on her ear and looked like hole.we stopped the bleeding and put antiseptics in it but still we are worried if anything further could happen so ease tell me if their is a problem to worry or wound coould heal by itself.
I suggest you take your dog to the vet if you think there is an issue.
on the Friday 12th February we had to pick up an order in Lawton and there was a Petbarn around the corner from it so my partner said he would drop Obi and I first and he would come back and pick us up. When I took Obi into the store we walked down to the back area where the grooming place was. We stood outside the door as the lady was grooming two other smaller dogs in the room. She walked over to the area where you speak to customers and waved for me to come in. As I went to the door to ask if she was available to cut nails for Obi or did I need to come back and she said yes she could do it but she then said to me could I please step out of the room and let the lady behind me in first as she was only just checking her dog in and then she’ll then be able to cut his nails.
I said ok then and stepped out of the room to let the other lady into the room.
As I was waiting outside and watching the lady that was checking in her dog went to open the gate to let her big dog into the grooming area. The big dog didn’t want to go and was trying to jump up at the gate to get to the owner. Then the other two small dogs were chasing the bigger dog around the room and the owner was ducking down to hide from her dog and asking when should I come back to pick him up. As the lady was done the groomer waved for me to come in and as I went to pull obi to come in I looked over to him and saw that he had pooped himself after he was watching all the commotion and the other dogs in that room chasing each other. I said I’m so sorry he’s literally pooed himself because he’s so scared. I kept apologising profusely and she said it was ok and handed me a doggie litter bag. I said to her that he’s really scared and a very very anxious dog so he will definitely not cope in that room with all the other dogs running around. She said that’s ok we can cut his nails out here. I said ok then and she had the clippers ready and asked me to hold him. We were both sitting on the floor of Petbarn near the grooming area. As she went to grab his paw he escaped out my arms and scratched me as he jumped out of my arms.
She said oh this isn’t going to work and I said no I don’t think so as this is what I tried doing at home.
She said ok she’ll have to get some help to cut his nails and will get another groomer to help. I said ok that’s a good idea. She went in and put the other dogs around another area with the gate and then came back to get obi she then went to put him on the metal table and started putting him into that harness thing that elevates them so it was supporting his back area then the middle and then the neck. She then started to cut his nails on her own and as she was trying to do it he would escape out of the neck harness part and she would have to stop to try and put him back in to the neck harness and then again she went to persist with cutting his nails on her own. This whole time he was crying and getting really distressed and kept getting out of the neck harness and this happened like 5 times until then she went to the back far left of the grooming room and left obi there unattended for a few seconds to call a second groomer to help. The helper was a young Girl and that girl was then holding Obi near the neck area. At this point Obi was getting even more distressed and crying and trying so hard to escape, he started to make a even more louder unsettling cry/yelling noise. A noise I’ve never heard in my life and Obi has never ever made that noise ever. It sounded so loud and like someone was dying. During this whole time I was watching from the side and hiding behind a poster because I didn’t want Obi to see me and I felt so bad that he was making this noise and getting so worked up while they were cut this nails. My heart broke when I kept hearing him making this noise and then my partner walks over to me as he enters the store and said what are you doing. I said I’m hiding behind the poster so Obi can’t see me and he asked is that Obi making that noise I said yup that’s obi and his being doing it for a while now my partner then said oh Obi’s looking right at me, he’s not doing good in there. My partner said he could hear the noise as he was at the front door of pet barn but didn’t know what was making the noise or where it was coming from. I said yup it’s Obi and I bet everyone can hear him because it’s so loud and heartbreaking. When the nail clipping was done they took Obi down off the harness and table and brought him outside and passed me the receipt and advised me to take it to the front counter.
Obi ran out of the grooming area and was literally having a panic attack moment were his breathing was out of control and he was just so worked up, panting and breathing heavy like crazy. I tried giving him a treat and he just wouldn’t take it I tried looking at his paws to see if he was ok but just wouldn’t even let me touch him. My partner just said to leave him Obi’s not going to eat the treat, he’s to distressed right now and let’s go pay so we can leave.
As we walked over to the front counter the guy at the counter said oh the little fella is not happy. I said no he’s not, he’s not even eating his treat. He said I hope his going to be ok. We paid and left.
When I picked Obi up to put him in the car he was still doing the heavy breathing and panting and wouldn’t stop it was a 45-50 mins ride home and he was still not calming down.
When we finally got home he just ran inside the house and wouldn’t go near us so we just had to let him be and let him calm down.
Since then I’ve hadn’t had to take Obi to get his nails clipped because I went back to NSW where I reside for now and there’s concrete in the backyard and I’ve been taking him for walks until we were lockdown I haven’t been able to take him for the long walks we usually do and have been taking him for shorter walks or play fetch when I can with Obi but I’ve been working 6 days a week because I’m a essential worker as well.
His front nails were getting a bit long and the back ones aren’t really bad at all it’s more the fronts that need it more.
I tried to just hold his paws and tried to just clip one a day like what I said to him before we went to Petbarn that first time but he now doesn’t let me even hold his paws anymore when before he use to let me hold his paws. I called Petbarn in Figtree and they advised me they don’t have a grooming section there but the closest would be Shellharbour store. I said that it’s out of my LGA and I can’t go that far so I’ll have to take him to the vet.
I called the closest vet and they said they could fit me in on Friday 27th August and it would be $35 for the nail cutting. I explained to them what had happened to Obi at Petbarn and I specified that there needs to be two people to do this. They assured me that there will be two nurses available for his appointment.
I took him to the appointment and I had to sit outside and wait due to COVID I wasn’t allowed to be inside the clinic. The nurses came to take Obi inside and as she went to pick him up he started crying and making a squealing noise. I said he’s scared of people picking him up and I said I’ll give him some treats and he was sniffing around for a bit before she said for me to just walk him up to the door and they’ll just walk him on the lead inside.
When I was sitting outside waiting for Obi the man came out to check if I had finish completing the registration form and I said yes and I asked how Obi was doing and if he was making that horrible unsettling loud noise again and he said he couldn’t hear anything as he was at the front desk and the nurses were out the back.
I said oh ok then thanks and continued to wait. 15 minutes passed and I saw Obi galloping to the front door to get out of there and came running up to me. I said to the nurses oh that was so quick. They said they weren’t able to do it and that he got extremely distressed and that they started the back paw first as it was away from his head and less distressing for him and managed to just cut one but he got too worked up and was really bad. I asked if he made that unsettling noise again and they said yes he started and they just couldn’t make him more distressed because they want the experience for him to be pleasant and for him to feel ok. They said that they don’t what him to be more anxious and distressed when he knows his got to go to the vet. They said that dogs remember these moments and it causes them trauma and to be really unsettled and that they will remember it for the rest of their lives. I said well that’s probably what happened then he remembers his first time ever getting his nails cut at Petbarn and now he won’t let anyone do it or even let me touch his paws anymore. They said the only way they can try to make this more pleasant for him is that I give him a pill 2 hours before my appointment to help sedate him and relax him and make him calm and makes his muscles relaxed and then they’ll be able to do the nail cutting. This pill costs $27.40 so in total I know have to pay $62.40 to get his nails clipped all because his first experience was a bad traumatic experience for him.
This really unfair and I wished the groomer at Lawton had taken the information I gave her seriously about Obi having anxiety really bad and that two people is needed for the nail clipping. The has made him become more anxious when he’s going to new places or other people trying to pat him or pick him up and he was getting better with that issue before all this had happened. The last time I had to bathe Obi and groom him and trim his fur around his paw area it took me twice as long to do because he just wouldn’t let me go near his paws. I was able to trim his hair any where else but not his paws. It true what the vet says they remember it. I just hope that this does not happen to another rescue dog because we’re encouraged to rescue a dog instead of buying a puppy from a pet shop to save a life and give a rescue dog a new life and with this we all know that some rescue dogs have things we need to work extra hard on to help them through the barriers and challenges. I don’t want this groomer to cause another owners pet trauma and stress the same way she has done this to Obi. I know from this Petbarn experience it has changed him and it really has made his anxiety worse and caused him trauma and distress.
I contacted petbarn about it and the regional manager offered me $50 loyalty voucher to spend at petbarn. Isn’t there more I can do for my dog? I am so upset about all this!