I have a riddle for you. What can go from minor to major in a blink of an eye? The answer is… eye injuries. It is why you should take a good look at a dog’s eyes during the check-in process. Check for excessive blinking, squinting, discharge, blood, cloudiness, bulging eyes, rubbing, or redness, all of which could indicate a pre-existing condition that may be aggravated during grooming. Bring any concerns to the owner’s attention beforehand.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 300,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. This number represents an increase of ten times figures earlier reported by the government agency. Most of these cases were diagnosed in 13 states, primarily in the Northeast and Upper Midwest.
The daily routine in the grooming salon should include more than merely accepting as many dogs as possible, grooming them, and giving them back to their owners in stylish, fluffy cuts. Every groomer and support staff member must be well informed as to their roles in ensuring every pet is safe from disease.
Cats are susceptible to a number of infectious diseases. Some of them are preventable, and most boarding and grooming facilities require cats to be current on vaccinations. However, no vaccine is 100% effective, and regardless of a cat’s vaccination status, scrupulously clean facilities and a staff trained to understand disease transmission protocols are a must to prevent disease transmission.
At first it seemed just a tough bout of kennel cough, so we updated Bordetella vaccines. Yet every day we got worsening information. Was it the canine influenza (H3N8 virus)? The usual flu vaccines were the only treatment available. Symptoms were a distinctive cough, lethargy and inappetite.
I would probably be the CDC’s worst nightmare. I am one of those who goes to work no matter how high the fever, how sore the throat and/or how delirious I am from the flu. I could single handedly infect the entire western half of the state with my germs.