Problems after grooming

Question
QUESTION: We have an 18 month old Bischon-Cocker mix who after the past two grooming visits starts scratching her cheeks until she bleeds and develops sores.    Do you think that she is having a reaction to what they are bathing her in or could it be something else?  We put an herbal soothing salve (for hot spots) on the cheeks but she is still scratching and making them bleed.    Took her to the vet the last time and he gave her anti-biotics and allergy pills but it really didn't stop the scratching.   I'm almost to the point of putting a "lamp shade" thing on her head until she completely heals.    Any advice would be greatly appreciated as it brakes my heart to see her so miserable.



ANSWER: I'm sorry to hear your poor puppy is having such a bad reaction after grooming! There are several factors which could come into play.

The first thing that comes to mind is an allergic reaction to the clippers. I'm not sure if the spot on the cheeks is clippered (it is typical for the cheek area to be clippered on poodles and cockers, but I'm not sure what haircut your puppy gets on her face), but if it is clipped short (not scissored) then she could be having a reaction to that. I have had clients whose puppies will have a reaction and sometimes clipping with a longer blade will help, however with some difficult cases, no matter what we do, it ends up that all clippering causes this reaction and they finally agreed to let that area stay grown out and just scissor it neatly.

Some owners want that clipped look and just realize their pup will always have this reaction and do as you mentioned, put on a lampshade (or e-collar) and spritz with cortisone spray or give puppy a benadryl days until the reaction subsides. What could start out as a mild irritation that might subside on its own in less than a day could be worsened by your puppy going to town on it with her freshly clipped (and sharp-edged) nails and made to be worse than it originally could have been.

If you do not have that area clippered, then it is possible there is an allergic reaction to the products being used. I would recommend requesting a hypo-allergenic shampoo so there is no chance of a reaction. Keep in mind some salons offer "oatmeal" as an anti-itch product, but remember that it is a drying agent and can actually exacerbate the issue. Insist on a hypo allergenic and NON-oatmeal, at least during this trial period. You may have to want to even pick up some DVM HyLyt from your vet (very safe, mild cleansing and vet recommended hypoallergenic shampoo) and provide it to the groomer at the time of grooming to ensure the use of it.  

I know personally I have itchy reactions on my forearms to certain products in our salon but none whatsoever to the hypo products, maybe something similar is happening to your pup.

Other products that are used during grooming that typically do not cause issues but may be causing a reaction in your puppy are the Clipper lube (cooling spray) used when the clippers start to get warm on the clipper blade, or it is possibly the cleaning agent used on the scissors. These are the least likely of the issues but I still wanted to mention them if you try the other things and it still flares up.

I advise you to let your groomer know of the typical issues your girl suffers (make sure to not sound accusatory, rather, you'd like their help in the matter) and hopefully they will take it to heart and work with you in choosing the best haircut, techniques and products for your baby girl.

Good Luck!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What amount of bendrayl would I give for a 21 pound dog?

Answer
My vet and others I've asked about this specifically say you should administer up to 1 mg/lb every 8 hours (or 3 times a day). So if you have a 21 lb. dog, it's 21 mg of diphenhydramine. This is higher than the equivalent dose for humans, but nevertheless seems to be the accepted dose for dogs.

Since I am a groomer I am not speaking with actual experience in this, rather as accepted truth from the vet I work with. Benadryl has been around for ages and it is very mild compared to a lot of other, newer medicines. There may be some drowsy side effects, however.