I accidentally cut Ludo while grooming and I feel terrible.

[Kaitlin and Ludo]

You guys,

I feel absolutely horrible.  I don't think I've ever felt so guilty or bad in my life.  Ludo is 10 months old and has been matting like CRAZY despite frequent brushing.  I've been working on learning home grooming and up until the last week or so, I'd been able to keep him totally under control with just a few occasional mats that I could brush out or trim out with thinning shears.

Well today, I brushed him out (using the Activet red/purple) before I bathed him and when I was blow drying him, he  had a mat behind his ear and a few mats on his side.  I cut them out with regular shears and finished drying him, he looked super patchy, but I resolved to buy a shorter clipper guard to blend him in a little better.  but as I was checking his ears for cleaning, I noticed a gash near the base of his ear about an inch long-- not deep and not actively bleeding.  It was right where I cut out the mat.  He didn't move or whimper or anything to let me know I hurt him.  He just laid there.  I really don't think he needs to go to the vet, but I'm still going to call in the morning.

I just feel horrible. I feel like he should hate me.  How could I have cut him?? I'm literally holding back tears, feeling so awful about it.  

I think I'm resigning from my home grooming role.  My groomer is great, I just liked doing it myself at home as it was cheaper and less stressful on Ludo.  He actually seemed to enjoy it at home, so I'm really really bummed, but I don't want to risk cutting him or hurting him again :(

[Helga, Nimbus, Sierra, Clooney]

Don't be so hard on yourself! Happens to the best groomers, too. And Ludo has already forgiven you.

[Judith and Addie]

Please forgive yourself. Ludo already has.

Something you wrote may be more important than the minor gash you gave Ludo and to which he didn't even react. You said it is less stressful for Ludo for you to groom him at home rather than going to the groomer. To me, that is a good reason for you to continue grooming him yourself, and now you will also be more aware and more careful when you groom him again.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Don't feel so bad, you were trying to do your best for Ludo. I remember this stage with Yogi,
it was a tough time with matting. Keep at it, it gets better.

[BG and Gavin]

Really, don't sweat it! I quicked Gavin once so bad that his nail bled for three days! I had to call my husband at work and get him to pick up some stiptic powder. Gavin did not say a word. He did not even notice, but I felt bad. He healed and I learned my lesson. It's all good :) As my dad would say, it's a long ways from his heart.

[Kamela & Beckett]

Oh my gosh- you just wrote the post I was going to. On Sunday I was grooming my mini Schnauzer (I've been grooming her for 5 years now). I've got new clippers since we got Beckett and obviously I haven't mastered them. I was doing the edge of one ear (you clip Schnauzer's ears down short) and nicked her a tiny bit. Felt terrible! Went to do the other ear, being SUPER careful, but she flinched, I guess she was scared at that point, and in flinching brought this little flap part of her ear right down into the clippers. She squealed, there was lots of blood, I'm the only one home and on verge of panic and/or tears. I was sick the rest of the day and STILL feel bad. I SO know what you mean and are going through. I'm wondering now if I can keep grooming her. At the very least, I'm going to have to get her old clippers out. I can't manage the new ones on her. (The hair on that one ear is still super long, it was all I had left to clip, but I can't bring myself to mess with her any more.)

[Joan Bollaert]

I did the same thing to my Millie. I cut her ear and she didn't even "say" anything!!  All of a sudden I saw all this blood.  I took her immediately to the vet and she needed stitches.   The was the beginning and the end of my home grooming idea.  I feel your pain/guilt!!

[Janice Sutherland]

Mistakes happen. They always forgive you and probably don't really understand that it was you that hurt them. I learned that with matting (I have an angora bunny with very thin skin) to always angle the scissors away from the skin, not parallel to it. This has always avoided nips for me. I did, however, nip the paw of one of my doodles. I was trying to get all the hair between the toes and they are webbed and I just nicked it enough to bleed pretty good. I held some pressure on it till it stopped. I think it is important to not end the grooming session right when you nick them, because what happens last is remembered best. So always continue to pretend to keep clipping and snipping till the moment is past and then give them hug, kisses, and good boy/girl. Then it is still a good and happy experience for them. They often hurt themselves stepping, tripping, tumbling when playing and its not a big deal. Don't give up grooming. You learn and get better all the time. It is such an enjoyable experience for me and my doodles. They just love bath days and grooming days.

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

I agree with what everyone else has said- go easy on yourself 'cuz mistakes happen. I think you should continue grooming him despite what happened! Even the professional groomers will have a nick happen now and then. Heck, my hairstylist, who has been doing my hair for 15+ years and I love dearly, burned me with a flat iron once. And, I still love her and trust her to keep doing my hair! :-)

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

We've all been there! We all make mistakes occasionally. I've nicked Lucy's upper lip while cutting hair around her mouth, and have cut the quicks on both the doods's nails (more than once!). Sure, I felt terrible each time! You just learn from your mistakes and move on. For mats I use a multi prong rake rather than cut them out. I've never caught the skin once. It really sounds like Ludo benefits from home grooming and it would be a shame for you to stop due to one mishap.

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

Aw...poor baby...both of you!  So hard when we want to do our best and our humanness gets in the way!  At least you fessed up to Ludo.  He probably agreed your penance should be treats for him without training.  My groomer sent Skadi home one day with a slice on the back of her neck, once with a chunk out of her leg, never said a word...and Skadi healed up like a champ.  Skadi has also had the neighbor dog cut her snout and scratch her nose...and Elli had two dogs run at her out of the blue and scratch her beautiful nose.  Fortunately my girls are "tough" and bounce back.  With time Ludo will heal.  I love that BG & Gavin's dad said "it's a long ways from his heart".  What a dad!  With more and more practice Ludo will be less stressed with your hands grooming him than anyone else.  Keep up the good work.

[Kaitlin and Ludo]

You guys are truly angels.  Thank you so much for helping to make me feel better.  I felt sick all night, after it happened.  I woke up thinking about it and still felt sick but when I looked at it this morning, it was (clearly magically) already healing up.  I'm going to just keep it clean and watch it for any sign of redness of infection.  

I have SOOOO learned my lesson and I may try home-grooming again.  My mom and sister REALLY want me to take him to the groomer again but I know how nervous it makes him... if I can do it at home, why make him go through it??

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

I'm sure Ludo would trade a little nip that he didn't seem to notice for his being nervous for hours every 6-8 weeks.