Problems after grooming?

[Theresa Nieman]

Weird question. Both of my doodles went to the groomer yesterday, one I've used several times with no issues.

 

As with most dogs, they came home a bit stressed out, some stress diarrhea (minor) but Dexter, the older of the two who has been groomed many times now, I noticed was a bit "off". He wasn't as happy to see me and nearly immediately went to lay underneath the dining room table. (where he lays to get away from it all). I thought well he's just super tired and needs to rest. He is also usually famished because they don't eat all day. He was not hungry but would eat if I fed it to him by hand.

 

I thought today, like usual, he'd be back to his normal self. He does have energy back but I think he's in some pain in his anal region. Still not eating much but will eat if fed. He seems rested and in good humor, playing with the other dog,and then all of a sudden his tail goes down and he sits/twists to try to get to his anus. I've checked. No abrasions there. Looks perfectly normal (as if a dog's rear-facing brown eye is normal lol).

 

He doesn't seem ill in general but like a dog might do with some kind of pain, he wants to be UNDER something to kinda hide out. He'll play for a while and then act like Ooops that hurt and he'll shut down and go lie under something again.

 

Thoughts? Could someone at the groomers too aggressively expressed his anal glands? He has had one fairly normal poop since he came home yesterday. Bad gas tho Whew!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Many if not most groomers express the anal glands externally, which is not the right way to do it, and can cause the glands to become impacted. For this reason, i stopped letting groomers express my dogs' anal glands a long time ago, and only ever let the vet do it if needed (which it usually isn't.) This could very well be the problem. 

If your groomer shaves around the privates, that can cause razor burn, which might also be the problem, or he might have been nicked. But that's something you could see. 

If he continues to seem like something is bothering him back there, I'd have the vet check him out. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I too never let the vet express anal glands and I haven't needed the vet to do them either. Calla sometimes seems irritated around her anus after the groomer and I have asked for her not to be shaved there.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

F, I think you meant to say you never let the groomer express anal glands. :)

[Dolly Dykhouse]

I had the same problem with Henry after his monthly grooming a couple of weeks ago. He came out with the groomer and immediately started scooting along the floor on his butt which surprised me as he has never done this before. His groomer made the comment that this is normal after having his anal glands expressed. I had the WTH look on my face and reminded her that we discussed on his very first puppy trim appointment a few months back; no anal gland expression and no ear hair plucking. She took that to mean at his first appointment...arghh! No, that means EVERY appointment I told her, large breeds seldom need expression (from what I have been told/read) and ear plucking/drying powder can cause ear problems not to mention being painful; both are things I leave to my vet to do if she feels it necessary. She quickly apologized for the misunderstanding and noted it on his card for future reference.