SURVIVAL SECRETS FOR NEW GROOMERS -
Plucking ear hairs
"My grooming fees are $40.00," the groomer phoned me to say that the
ears of the Maltese were normal when she sent it home. "The owner is
claiming $150.00 veterinary fees from me as you said that the pus in
the ear canal was caused by the groomer pulling out ear hairs and
infecting the ear canal."
I told the groomer that I would not be able to state categorically
that the cause of pus in the skin around the opening of both ear
canals of the Maltese was her fault as I had not seen the puppy
before grooming or just after grooming.
The infection could be due to the Maltese scratching its ears after
going home. Something might have irritated the ears at home. It was
2 days after grooming. A good defence lawyer would argue that the
Maltese owner should have brought up this matter within 4 hours
after grooming and not 48 hours later. Puppies are very active
creatures and who knows what happened at home? Mischievious
children might have put some solution into its ears. The owner might
have used an allergic ear solution. For living things, any
reaction to chemicals onto the ears might have caused this
manifestion of redness, pain and pus.
There was the benefit of doubt as the complaint was raised so long
after grooming. So, it was not possible for a veterinarian to
certify that the cause was definitely due to the groomer in a court
of law.
"Don't you have a check-list and a handing over inspection list for
the owner to sign before taking over the groomed dog?" I asked the
groomer. Apparently she did not have such paper procedures.
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 267.
Jun 4, 2005. Pain and swelling in ear canal after grooming.
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268.
Jun 4, 2005. Pain and swelling in ear canal after grooming.
Ear pus removed under anaesthesia. |
The veterinary fees were 4
times higher because the Maltese had to be put under general
anaesthetic to clean up the pus. The lady owner and her mother were
agitated every time the puppy winced in pain whenever I touched its
ears for a more detailed examination.
There was a large yellowish area of more than 4 sq cm in one ear and
a smaller patch of pus in the other ear.
"Poor baby!" the mother felt as if she was stabbed in the heart
whenever I touched the puppy's ears to examine them. It was
necessary to put the puppy under general anaesthesia so that it
would not suffer pain. Hence the veterinary cost increased.
It was possible that yellow pus could form within 48 hours after
plucking of the ear hairs. It must be very traumatic or the solution
used was very irritating or allergic for this puppy. But the
exact cause of this ear problem could not be definitely attributed
to the negligence of the groomer or her assistant. This was an
experienced groomer but did an assistant do the grooming? The owner
would not know.
The owners wanted to claim from the groomer and phoned me after
talking to the groomer, "You said the puppy's ear infection was
caused by the groomer."
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265.
Jun 4, 2005. Pain and swelling in ear canal after grooming.
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266.
Jun 4, 2005. Pain and swelling in ear canal after grooming.
Gas anaesthesia. Ear pus removed. |
"Not without a doubt," I
said to the young lady. "It is not possible to prove that in a court
of law inconclusively that the groomer was negligent. The burden of
proof of negligence is on you, not on the groomer. As you took over
2 days to seek treatment, the puppy could have got the infection
from other causes.
The defence would be that if the puppy had suffered pain, you should
have noticed that within a 24 hours on return of the puppy. But you
had not complained till 48 hours later and many things could happen
to an active puppy and these might not be caused by the grooming."
A check list or hand-over inspection with the owner would be useful
to prevent misunderstanding.
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