13 Steps to Simple Skin Care

He was cute.

He had big brown eyes.

And he was matted from head to toe.

Standing in my grooming salon was the cutest Coton-De Tulear I’d ever seen.

And yet, I hardly recognized the little guy, because he looked like a cross between a dread-locked Bob Marley and a mangy pound-pup.

This meant I had one of two choices: I could either suggest the owner have the dog’s mats safely removed by a vet, or I could take a stab at removing the mats myself, knowing there’d likely be a host of skin problems underneath.

I decided to help the dog. And to get started, I ran my fingers through his coat, which was like grabbing a handful of solid cement. Not only was the dog matted, he was going to require a complete strip-down with a 10 blade.

I told the client that her dog had to be shaved, and I suggested that we put him on a six-week grooming schedule that would essentially guarantee that he’d never find himself in this condition again. She agreed and left the dog with me.

That’s when things got hairy.

Once I put the dog on my table, I realized his skin and coat were in much worse shape than I first thought. In fact, when I shaved off the first mat, I found fleas and noticed his skin was bright red. He even had mats inside his ear canals, which were likely aggravating two ear infections.
Before I went any further, I had my receptionist call the client and tell her about the problems we found. She told my receptionist to clean him up and that she’d take him to the vet as soon as she picked him up.

All was well, or so I thought.

A few days later, I got an email from this client asking me to pay her vet bill, which came to around $300.

I was flabbergasted. I immediately called and asked the client what had happened at the vet’s office. She told me her vet found two ear infections, red irritated skin and that the dog had severe bites from fleas.

I listened. I gave her a chance to finish, and then I asked her if she remembered my receptionist calling her and discussing these problems with her. Of course, she said she had no recollection of the conversation.

As it turned out, this client demanded that I pay her vet bill, even though her dog’s condition was 100-percent her fault. She even threatened to write a bad review about my business if I didn’t pay her bill by the end of the week.

But you know what? I’m grateful that this situation came up. It turned out to be a true blessing, because I vowed I would never allow myself to be put in a pickle like this again.

To guarantee that I never found myself in a similar situation, I sat down and designed a thorough skin care program that was safe, clear and got the client to acknowledge everything up front, in writing. This is what the program looked like:


Step 1: A Skin and Coat Check
Every dog groomed in my salon would get a thorough, hands-on skin and coat check in front of the client. This was done to make sure the client is 100-percent clear on the condition of his or her dog’s skin and coat.


Step 2: Sign a Waiver/Acknowledgement Form
If the dog has mats, hot spots or any other kind of skin or coat condition, the client was required to sign a waiver form acknowledging the dog’s condition.


Step 3: Take Pictures
A picture is worth a thousand words. To document any “abnormal” skin or coat conditions, we started taking digital photos before any work was done.

This also allowed us to show other clients the type of work we did–the various haircuts we offered–and what they could expect from our salon.


Step 4: Follow Up Call
If we missed anything during the initial skin and coat check, we immediately gave the client a call explaining what we found and asking how he or she would like us to proceed.


Step 5: Pre-Shave the Dog
If the client asked us to move forward, we started by gently shaving out the mats, making sure to go slow and not put the dog through any pain.

If we could not do this safely, we stopped. We called the client and recommend that they take the dog to see a vet.


Step 6: Medicated Skin Soak
Next, we gave the dog a 10-minute soak in either a neem oil or tea tree oil shampoo. These work great to kill fleas, soothe red skin, reduce itching and help keep the dog feeling more comfortable. There are several wonderful brands on the market.

It’s important to note, however, that if you use a medicated shampoo, the dog should be thoroughly rinsed afterward. Also, make sure that the shampoo does not get in the dog’s eyes, ears, nose or mouth.

 
Step 7: Aloe Remoisturizer
We then applied an aloe skin moisturizer to the dog, and allowed it to soak into the dog’s skin and coat for about 10 minutes. This product is great and helps lock moisture into the dog’s skin and coat.


Step 8: Rinse Thoroughly
We thoroughly rinsed the dog from head to toe, repeating if necessary.


Step 9: Leave-On Moisturizer
I’m also a fan of using a light “leave-on” moisturizer. This is an added step that helps lock moisture into the dog’s skin and coat.
Follow the directions carefully, and call the manufacturer if you have any questions about the product.


Step 10: Dry the Dog
We would towel dry and then gently blow-dry the dog, making sure we did not irritate or aggravate any skin conditions.


Step 11: Finish Groom the Dog
We then used a finishing blade to give the dog a smooth, soft finish.


Step 12: Communicate with the Client
After the groom was finished, we would show the client what we found and, if necessary, give them a “report card” that put everything in writing.


Step 13: Recommend a Vet Visit
If necessary, we would recommend that the client see a vet, making sure we did not diagnose or recommend treatment of any kind. 

If you follow these 13 steps, will all of you skin problems disappear? Of course not; there is no such thing as a magic bullet. However, implementing a skin program similar to this one will reduce problems and increase communication blunders so you don’t have to go through a situation like I did.


As a professional groomer, Wes Murph had his Hermosa Beach, Calif., salon featured on Cesar Millan’s popular TV show The Dog Whisperer. Today, Murph is a successful pet business consultant. If you’d like more information on his services, visit www.PetBusinessNewsletters.com.