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Grooming Gone Bad
Overview
All you wanted to do was have your Maltese be given a nice and proper trim. You pick you dog up and found that the groomer make an absolute mess of them!
What do you do when your Maltese received a terrible grooming? Grooming has "Gone bad" and your poor little dog is left with shaved patches, uneven hair and even sometimes fur that is shaved down to the skin.
Since the Maltese is famous for its soft, fluffy coat, many owners will panic and worry when a groomer makes a major mistake. Not to worry too much, help is here!
All you wanted to do was have your Maltese be given a nice and proper trim. You pick you dog up and found that the groomer make an absolute mess of them!
What do you do when your Maltese received a terrible grooming? Grooming has "Gone bad" and your poor little dog is left with shaved patches, uneven hair and even sometimes fur that is shaved down to the skin.
Since the Maltese is famous for its soft, fluffy coat, many owners will panic and worry when a groomer makes a major mistake. Not to worry too much, help is here!
This poor little Maltese had a very bad grooming experience which left the fur between the eyes shaved to do the skin; and fur on the face is uneven.
Why Would a Groomer Do Such a Thing?
You most likely expected that the dog groomer knew how to properly groom your little Maltese. You may have even explicitly explained how you wanted your Maltese to be groomed. So what happened? Unfortunately, the groomer did not have enough experience or there was a incident and they did not call to tell you. Sometimes, a groomer will find a large mat in the fur and in an attempt to take out the mat, they will clip it off. An experienced and professional dog groomer should always call you if there is any situation which may compromise the wanted grooming finished look. Alternatively, some inexperienced groomers will have an "accident" if a dog moves while being trimmed.
How Can You Prevent This?
When it comes to a Maltese, it is vitally important to know you have an experienced and professional dog groomer. Ask other owners for recommendations and visit the shop before you make an actual grooming appointment. The 1st visit should be one in which you ask questions. If a groomer does not have time to talk to you, they do not have time to carefully groom your Maltese. Find a new groomer! Make it clear, in detail, how you wish for your Maltese to be trimmed. Discuss the protocol for unexpected situations, such as a dog groomer finding a mat. Ask that you be called and then examine the mat. Together, you and your dog's groomer should decide the best course of action. In most cases, a mat can be worked out by using a very slippery conditioner and taking time and effort to carefully untangle it.
A good dog groomer will also be a stylist. Anyone can use a clipper to groom a dog; a Maltese needs a professional dog groomer/stylist who is experienced in grooming small dogs with delicate fur. It is always appropriate to ask for referrals; a great dog groomer will be more than happy to give you the names and numbers of some of their customers who have agreed to speak to potential customers. You can ask what type of breed that they have and their experiences at that particular dog salon.
My Maltese Already Got a Terrible Grooming - What Do I Do?
Luckily, an uneven cut or fur that is shaved to close to the skin will grow back. While your Maltese will not have the look you desire, their fur will grow back. A bad cut or trim will not compromise or effect new fur that will grow.
It is recommended to bring your Maltese to a new groomer, explain the situation and ask if they feel confident in their ability to straighten out the cut. In some cases, you may need to wait several weeks before the cut can be straightened out. This will allow the fur to grow back enough so that the groomer may be able to make it even.
If there are patches of fur that are shaved right down to the skin, it is very important to put aside your anger for the moment and give great care and attention to these areas. If there are patches in which the skin is showing or the fur is so short on your Maltese that you can see the skin, these are spots that can easily become infected or get sores.
If the skin has been cut or nicked, it is important to use an anti-biotic gel that will keep the cut or nicks clean and bacteria free. These areas will also now be prone to sores and sunburn, as your Maltese will not have any fur to protect. The Maltese breed is already prone to sunburn because of their light colored fur, a shaved down area is even more vulnerable. Sunblock should be applied 15 minutes before you bring your Maltese outside, even if it is for 5 minutes.
If there are patches of fur-less skin on the legs or body, be sure to not allow your Maltese to lay on the floor without a soft towel or blanket. Extra cushioning should be added to their dog bed.
Rest assured that even patches of skin without fur will eventually grow back the same white, soft fur that you are used to your Maltese having. Depending on how bad the grooming was, the fur may be back to normal in anywhere from 4 weeks to 3 months. Finding a top notch dog groomer/stylist will ease your fears that this will ever happen again.
You most likely expected that the dog groomer knew how to properly groom your little Maltese. You may have even explicitly explained how you wanted your Maltese to be groomed. So what happened? Unfortunately, the groomer did not have enough experience or there was a incident and they did not call to tell you. Sometimes, a groomer will find a large mat in the fur and in an attempt to take out the mat, they will clip it off. An experienced and professional dog groomer should always call you if there is any situation which may compromise the wanted grooming finished look. Alternatively, some inexperienced groomers will have an "accident" if a dog moves while being trimmed.
How Can You Prevent This?
When it comes to a Maltese, it is vitally important to know you have an experienced and professional dog groomer. Ask other owners for recommendations and visit the shop before you make an actual grooming appointment. The 1st visit should be one in which you ask questions. If a groomer does not have time to talk to you, they do not have time to carefully groom your Maltese. Find a new groomer! Make it clear, in detail, how you wish for your Maltese to be trimmed. Discuss the protocol for unexpected situations, such as a dog groomer finding a mat. Ask that you be called and then examine the mat. Together, you and your dog's groomer should decide the best course of action. In most cases, a mat can be worked out by using a very slippery conditioner and taking time and effort to carefully untangle it.
A good dog groomer will also be a stylist. Anyone can use a clipper to groom a dog; a Maltese needs a professional dog groomer/stylist who is experienced in grooming small dogs with delicate fur. It is always appropriate to ask for referrals; a great dog groomer will be more than happy to give you the names and numbers of some of their customers who have agreed to speak to potential customers. You can ask what type of breed that they have and their experiences at that particular dog salon.
My Maltese Already Got a Terrible Grooming - What Do I Do?
Luckily, an uneven cut or fur that is shaved to close to the skin will grow back. While your Maltese will not have the look you desire, their fur will grow back. A bad cut or trim will not compromise or effect new fur that will grow.
It is recommended to bring your Maltese to a new groomer, explain the situation and ask if they feel confident in their ability to straighten out the cut. In some cases, you may need to wait several weeks before the cut can be straightened out. This will allow the fur to grow back enough so that the groomer may be able to make it even.
If there are patches of fur that are shaved right down to the skin, it is very important to put aside your anger for the moment and give great care and attention to these areas. If there are patches in which the skin is showing or the fur is so short on your Maltese that you can see the skin, these are spots that can easily become infected or get sores.
If the skin has been cut or nicked, it is important to use an anti-biotic gel that will keep the cut or nicks clean and bacteria free. These areas will also now be prone to sores and sunburn, as your Maltese will not have any fur to protect. The Maltese breed is already prone to sunburn because of their light colored fur, a shaved down area is even more vulnerable. Sunblock should be applied 15 minutes before you bring your Maltese outside, even if it is for 5 minutes.
If there are patches of fur-less skin on the legs or body, be sure to not allow your Maltese to lay on the floor without a soft towel or blanket. Extra cushioning should be added to their dog bed.
Rest assured that even patches of skin without fur will eventually grow back the same white, soft fur that you are used to your Maltese having. Depending on how bad the grooming was, the fur may be back to normal in anywhere from 4 weeks to 3 months. Finding a top notch dog groomer/stylist will ease your fears that this will ever happen again.
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