Why is my dog acting weird after his first professional grooming?

Although you might not think so, a hair cut or any grooming is a potentially frightening ordeal for a dog. This is particularly true for a young, small dog. I would imagine that Azriel had never really experienced anything like this until now. If he did fairly well during the actually grooming, great! If he showed any signs of overt fear or aggressiveness however, his level of anxiety was likely to be quite high. I would first try to desensitize Azriel to grooming, by performing similar tasks like that to him at home. Any time that he reacts in a positive way or does not appear to be frightened, reward the behavior vigorously. This will hopefully condition him to view grooming as a positive experience rather than one he should fear. Some dogs, no matter what, never are able to adjust to this experience or experiences like it. If you feel that this is the case, you may want to discuss this issue with your local vet. Often times, there are certain medications (prescription) that can be given prior to a stressful event such as grooming that will make it less like to cause anxiety. I hope this answers your question.

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor Sunny. It does appear that he is upset from his grooming session. These are symptoms of anxiety and potentially pain. If he keeps this up for more than 12 hrs, then I would get concerned and recommend taking him in to your vet for a thorough exam. His nicked toe may be the source of the pain. If he is painful, then your vet can prescribed pet friendly pain medication for him to hopefully subside his anxiety. In the meantime you can do a thorough examination yourself at home, to see you can locate any bleeding areas or trauma to his skin. You can also just give him a warm water Epsom salt bath to help ease any tenderness he may be having. I hope that Sunny feels better soon and hopefully you can find a groomer that Sunny will be happy with in the future. Best of luck. Take care.

Poor pup! It sounds like he may have some irritation in this area. This can sometimes happen due to skin irritation from the clippers (if his rear end was shaved), a local allergic reaction to the shampoo or other grooming products, or possibly even an anal gland problem since this often causes dogs to act this way. I would recommend getting a topical hydrocortisone spray or ointment labeled for dogs (you can get this at Walmart or most pet stores) and apply to the area to help soothe it. You can also get him a plastic e-collar if needed to keep him from continuing to lick the area and make it more irritated. If he's still acting uncomfortable after 24 hours, I would recommend having him seen by a vet to determine the problem and get him prescription medication to relieve the discomfort.

A lot of dogs feel "ashamed" after a radical hair cut. It also feels so different , and probably smells different and they do not understand what happened. So that is likely one reason why he is irritated. As for him looking back at his bum....unfortunately many groomers offer the service of "emptying anal glands", but do not do this properly, so often the anal glands would be irritated at best, or bruised at worst. It is possible that they are hurting. If this does not go away by tomorrow, I suggest you have them checked by your vet to make sure they were not damaged in the process.

It is possible - many cats are sensitive to changes like this. As long as he is eating and drinking I would wait a day or two to see if his behavior goes back to normal. If his behavior is abnormal for more than 48 hours or you notice any other signs like vomiting or diarrhea I would recommend seeing your veterinarian to make sure everything okay. You could also ask the groomer if anything out of the ordinary happened this time when he was groomed - if he was particularly anxious he might benefit from a sedative before his next appointment.

You dog may just be anxious/nervous about the new experience. Make sure he is nice and dry so he is not too cold. You may also want to try and distract him with a walk or a game with his favorite toy to help him stop thinking about it. If he is not eating or seems painful you should probably take him in to your veterinarian to be checked out. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Lilly Lynne may have a bit of rash or razor burn if she was trimmed close. First be sure she is on appropriate flea control as she may have picked up fleas from groomer. Benedryl is acceptable to use once or twice daily if it give her relief. She may also be having a reaction to the shampoo or fragrance the groom used. I would give her a bath in dawn to wash off any residue to see if that helps. (Original blue dish soap dawn). If no improvement then she may need a vet visit. I hope she’s back to normal quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach