Mystery Injury

[Chicken]

A client has an tiny, old, white toy poodle. It came to us after the previous groomer "cut a 1 inch gash on its belly". The client is very snooty, but also very cheap, always trying to use some inappropriate coupon or whatnot.

She likes it really short, a 5 a/o, comes in every 5 weeks. We are always extra careful with this dog as he's very tiny and bony, and because she had this alleged previous experience with the former groomer.

The dog came in last week. She came to pick him up early, as I was finishing his head. I finished that up, brought the dog up to her, and we chatted for another 5-8 minutes.

She calls the next day to say that the dog started bleeding from its inner thigh as soon as she got home, after the dog went in the house & jumped up onto her daughter's bed and was playing. She says she could not stop the bleeding and took the dog to the vet, who glued the wound shut & put the dog on antibiotics. She made sure to tell me the vet cost $96.

Now, I am 110% positive that this dog was not even scratched when it left. Not so much as a toenail was nicked. Another groomer checked the dog over before it left, there is simply no way this poodle went home with an injury, much less something severe enough to go to the vet because the bleeding could not be stopped. The legs had been done for a good 25 minutes before the dog went home. Also, the owner held it in her arms while we chatted, against her new white coat. No blood on it, nothing in her car, she says. The vet said there was no sign that we tried to treat the wound, and suggested that the old dog's skin may be getting thin as he ages. Yet the owner insists this mystery wound MUST have been our doing.

I am in a quandary about how to handle this. I refuse to pay the vet bill, as in my eyes, that seems to admit guilt. I am considering offering her free grooming, up to $96 though. If I do this, I will tell her it's just to show her that I do take this seriously and don't want her to have another bad grooming experience. In reality, it's because this woman is a gossip and I don't want her running all over our small town with this wild tale.

What would you do?

[AuntieM]

I think I would first talk to the vet and see what he or she has to say. Then, as you're positive you didn't cause the injury, talk to the client, and express your genuine concern for the dog, and encourage her to investigate what in the home environment could possibly have caused the injury, i.e. a wire or a nail or something sticking out from a piece of furniture or something like that. I would absolutely not offer to compensate for the vet bill in any way, either $ or free grooms. If your town is that small, I'm sure this woman has tried to pull this sort of thing on other people, and most hearing her complaints would take it with a grain of salt.
IMO this is the type of client that is more trouble than they're worth.

[neanea]

I would not offer her anything. If you are confident that you didn't cause this, stick to your guns.

She brought this dog to you after this dog was "injured" by another groomer and now, she's accusing you of injuring her dog as well. Even the vet suggested it's just old and thin-skinned. You might want to contact this vet to get HIS opinion and diagnosis.
Now if her dog had that kind of bleeding from grooming (that started after she got her home), why would she wait til the next day to contact you?

[Chicken]

Thanks for the replies. Everything you said it what I have also been thinking.
The longer I think about this, the more I don't want to offer her anything. I just figured she would end up costing us more than $96 in bad publicity if we didn't appease her. Also, I have tried calling her 3 times since this happened, and she is seemingly avoiding us.

The vet she went to refers a TON of clients to us; the vet's own mother comes to us.

Go figure. Last week we had our best week ever since opening, we were so happy, and then this woman wrecks it.

[Dawn125]

Talk to the vet and tell him the whole story. He will probably see where the injury couldn't have happened during grooming. He may even have a completely different story. It's possible the woman knows very well how the dog got injured and only decided to blame it on you after she saw how expensive the vet bill was. The vet may know the real story.

[Chicken]

Ironically, the owner just called. She says the wound has come open again (a week later!) and had to go back to the vet to have it re-glued! She says this wound is like a 1/4" long flap of skin ... small!

IF this dog has such a wound, I think there must be something wrong with it! Why on earth would a 1/4" wound (of any kind) not heal after a week?? Does anyone have any experience with old dogs with thin skin maybe?

In any case, she was pleasant enough. We assured her that the dog did not leave with ANY injury that we were aware of, that we take this very seriously & are/will continue to be very, very careful with the dog. I did not offer anything for free.

Also, get this - the vet wants $20 just to talk to anyone on the phone (including patients). I've never heard of such a thing! So I'm not calling there; I think that's ridiculous.

[Luvkitties]

crazy client

She sounds like a nut case. The vet on other hand may be too busy with patients to talk with groomers, however if this is the case, the least the vet could do is to talk with the receptionist and explain to her what transpired. She in turn could call you back and relay the information.

All though the more I think about it, the vet should always take calls from groomers, b/c we are the ones that see their patients on a regular basis.

What an irratating situation...try not to dwell on it too much.

[AuntieM]

Also, get this - the vet wants $20 just to talk to anyone on the phone (including patients). I've never heard of such a thing! So I'm not calling there; I think that's ridiculous.

I've never heard of anything like this either. Kind of makes ya wonder about the original $96 charge.

[Helly]

You know, I'd let it pass. If she's a gossipy old biddy, she's going to gossip about it no matter what you do. If you were to offer to pay the bill, or offer her free grooming, she's going to take that as an admission that you did the deed, you know you did the deed, and that's what she's going to be cackling about with all her old biddy friends.

As for the wound not healing; the dog probably licked and chewed at it, opening it back up. You know how cuts start to itch as they heal...about a week after the fact.

[c.c.]

I've never heard of paying to talk to a vet....obviously he thinks his time is pretty valuable and he doesn't want to be bothered. I don't think I'd be interested in bringing my pets to him. I've been thinking about it, and I can't even think of one time that I've called my vet, but it would just rub me the wrong way if there was a fee for it.

I'm thinking you should consider having some kind of "elderly pet" form, if you don't already. Something that outlines the special needs of elderly pets, maybe explaining that you won't do clean feet/face or whatever. If for no other reason then to get the owner to realize that there are limitations and greater risks....thin skin, painful joints etc., that they have to be aware of now that their dog is older.

[Chicken]

I've never heard of paying to talk to a vet....obviously he thinks his time is pretty valuable and he doesn't want to be bothered. I don't think I'd be interested in bringing my pets to him. I've been thinking about it, and I can't even think of one time that I've called my vet, but it would just rub me the wrong way if there was a fee for it.

I don't even know of human doctors who charge for this. This is also a vet who insists on performing a $38 exam, including dental check & ear cleaning, on an animal you are taking in for euthanasia. I'm serious. I don't take my animals there but for most people, she's the local vet so that's where you go. (Insert eye rolling here.)

I do have an Elderly Pet form, but never had this client sign it. (And yes, this dog does get clean feet/clean face, etc.) Thanks for all your advice, everyone. I'm done worrying about it!

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

Wow (about the vet). I know one of our vets come in and starts his phone calling as soon as he arrives in the mornings. It's part of the job. Hmmm, maybe I should start charging clients who call to ask if Fi Fi is done yet? What do you think? $10/call? I'll tell them no twice and then 3rd times a charm? That sounds like a deal to me.

Sorry about the old lady, she sounds grumpy to me, but glad she was nicer in the second phone call.

Tammy in Utah

[rapuzzled]

I don't even know of human doctors who charge for this. This is also a vet who insists on performing a $38 exam, including dental check & ear cleaning, on an animal you are taking in for euthanasia. I'm serious. I don't take my animals there but for most people, she's the local vet so that's where you go. (Insert eye rolling here.)

Wow, that's awful! Like the owner is not already upset enough let's add an unnecessary charge on!!!! Sheesh

[Woof_x_2]

I don't even know of human doctors who charge for this. This is also a vet who insists on performing a $38 exam, including dental check & ear cleaning, on an animal you are taking in for euthanasia. I'm serious. I don't take my animals there but for most people, she's the local vet so that's where you go. (Insert eye rolling here.)

Yepper, that's the new vet thingy. Charging for a consultation over the phone. I would think since you are a groomer he refers to that that wouldn't be asked of.

I was grooming a cock a poo the other day, we doa 3 3/4 on his body usually and scissor his legs. Well he was matted. Owner wanted length, so I did a 4 hoping that it would go through without much dematting. I guess I didn't shave the underarm to good under the front leg and gashed his skin under there. Yes, I could have glued it myself but it takes a 5 minute drive to the vet who would've charged me like $5 to glue and that puts the owner at ease. So my help drives the dog there, and the vet tech calls me and says there's nothing to glue, it healed on it's own. So the pup came back and we let the owner know what happened. And if by chance she needed vet care for that incident, I would gladly pay for it. No harm done.

I think possibly this boney little poodle that got cut is getting cut on something in her home.

[pinkpoodle]

Do you even know if the vet really charges to talk on the phone? If so then ask her to bring a copy of the dogs medical file with his report in it. I should thnk the doctor has time to write a report. I might even pay the $20 phone consult and ask the vet if the dog has a hisory of skin problems. If so let the owner know and bill her the $20, and don't do the dog again. Don't worry about her gossip those she gossips with also knows shes a gossip and this isn't the first time she has bad mouthed a groomer. Remember she gossiped to you the first time she met you, funny how all the groomers are cutting her dog.