Razor Burn

[moontamara]

Well, I finally went and got my poodle professionally groomed, after doing my best with scissor cuts (not bad actually!) -- I knew he needed his feet professionally done, as it was hard to get the hair around his toes, and I was worried he might start getting matts under his ears. But I knew deep down inside that I was going to regret it.

Despite the fact that they said they would give him a "natural poodle cut" which I thought was Korean-speak for a puppy cut, they shaved his face, practically down to the skin!!! A couple days later, I could see scabs form on the sides of his face, one of the in the shape of the razor. I'm guessing it is razor burn.

Anyway, how should I help him with that? It's itchy and when he scratches his face, it often bleeds a little -- so I'm worried it could really take a long time to heal. Any suggestions?

Thank you!!!!


MY POOR CASEY!!!!!!! :sad:

[Bugsy]

Now Moon... you know we are all dying to see a photo of Casey's crew cut

Poor baby. :sad:

[Iggette]

awwww......poor little guy.....does this always happen to dogs that get groomed .....I have never had a dog get groomed before?........aren't they supposed to avoid this from happening?......maybe someone else knows better than I .....with a german shepherd we just send ursa for a swim then shampoo and rinse or into the shower.....but no haircuts.......lol

[moontamara]

Sorry Bugsy, husband's got the digital camera, and we're temporarily living in separate cities! Actually, he looked AWFUL when I first got him, but the hair is starting to grow out on his face, and he's looking better day by day!

Iggette -- no, this definitely should not happen! We had a poodle when it was growing up, and her shaves never left her with any marks. They did give her a "clean face" once, which is what Casey got -- even the whiskers were shaved off!!! I guess lots of people like that, but as much as I love poodles, I prefer it when they look more muttsy and less poodley. But this woman must have gone over and over on the same spots which didn't leave any marks at the time -- but they started to surface the next day. I was soooo angry that that I PAID for someone to hurt my sweetie!!!!!

At least she followed my request to let him keep most of the length on his body coat -- it's pretty chilly here in Korea too!

Anyway, after I posted the original message, I noticed that the places where he scratched the scab off are closing up nicely, and the wound areas are smaller already. I was just wondering if there was something I could put on him to speed up the healing process. Anyone ever try Burt's Bees Rescue Ointment on a dog??? I'm not sure if there's anything bad in it for pooches -- there may be teatree oil or something, and I don't want to risk it.

THANKS!!!

[twinmommy]

I'm trying to keep in mind that you might not be able to get everything over there...what about just putting pure aloe, right from the plant....is this a possibility??? With a t-shirt over...which could be put on the front or back paws(backwards) if you know what I mean....

[elfelda]

Burt's Bees will probably be okay. Test it out with a little bit and see if he licks it off immediately (in which case it will do no good). Most ointments or creams that are non-toxic are safe to use on animals. Watch out for warnings like : "For external use only" or "Contact poison control if ingestion occurs". I believe all the Burt's Bees stuff is non-toxic (as long as you aren't just feeding it to him!), and it will probably help moisturize the scab and stop the itching.

[moontamara]

Elfeda, yes I think Burt's Bees is okay, as I just found a newer one that still has the ingredients -- everything is non-toxic, and there is no tea-tree oil. He won't be able to lick it off because of where it is on his face, but he does keep wanting to scratch his wounds. Twinmommy, not sure where to get aloe right now (though I have seen it growing in Korea a lot so it was a great suggestion!). What did you mean about the T-shirt? A way to get him to stop scratching? I can't quite get what you mean, but I'd be willing to try anything!!! I put bandaids on one scab that got opened last night, but alas that bandaid was gone within minutes.

Thanks for your help!!! Any more suggestions are also appreciated!!!!!

[twinmommy]

Depending on where the irritation is, if it's closer to the front paws put the armholes through the front, or you could put armholes through the back paws if it covers the healing area better. We used to tie a knot in the "waist" of it so that it'd be more snug, use a white cotton tee,and don't bleach the t-shirts when you clean them,it's an irritant for open and/or new skin. Just lots of hot soapy water will do.

hope your baby feels better soon.

[glasslass]

Aw Moonie! I'm sorry I didn't see this post before this! I know exactly what you are dealing with and this is why I clip Den-Den myself. I could never get the groomers to clip the way I instructed them to. Poor little guy! If I'm not mistaken, the burn is on his cheeks, below his eyes and fairly near his ears. This is where they always have problems if they shave too closely. You have to tell them to use no closer than a #10 blade on his face and feet. Watch the tail area too as they can burn them on the underside of the tail quite easily. You'd know it immediately because he'd keep his tail down and kind of scoot around. If he's not doing that now, he's ok. See if you can buy aloe vera gel - the highest percent possible. Otherwise, a bit of mineral oil will help sooth the area. Vaseline can also be used. The aloe vera gel is the best. Oil or Vaseline is messier. You just want to keep the skin from being irritated until the stubble has a chance to grow a little. It won't take long at all. The bleeding is from his scratching. If you can sooth the skin, he'll quit scratching. If you see other poodles that you like the haircuts, talk to the owners to see what groomer they recommend. If they burned Casey, they probably burn others. I can't imagine clipping a puppy so closely. The first haircuts should be all about getting the pup used to being clipped and enjoying the attention. After they're used to it and willing to hold still, etc., they can do a finer job. I'd rather clip with a #10 blade which is close enough and just do it more often. What's interesting is that the narrow blade that I use for Den'Den's feet only comes in
#10. I wish I could do Casey for you. I do Corky (my Mom's poodle) and my Mom's neighbor's poodle, Spunky. I really recommend getting a good clipper and learning to do it. I use Oster Golden A-5 Clippers.I love the one-on-one interaction with them. When I'm working on Corky, Den-Den will jump up to be worked on too. He wants the attention. The others are the same way.

[moontamara]

Glasslass, I actually thought about P.Ming you but figured if you were around you'd see my post! Yes, I told them it was his first time!!!!!! Anyway, shouldn't not hurting the dog be the first concer???????? Yeah, he did do the scooting thing, actually, and he also started chewing his feet. Those two symptoms are gone, but because he keeps picking one of his scabs off his face (yes exactly where you described!), I'm worried it will get infected. Still, I can see the hair growing back and it is starting to look better. Last night after I posted, he scratched so much off (when I was in the shower so I couldn't stop him) that it was weeping. I couldn't put anything on it but a little peroxide. I don't have aloe vera gel or know where to buy it, but the Burt's Bees stuff is doing wonders for the side that didn't get scratched off. I'll put it on the other side as well, once it seems dry enough. Ugh!!! I wish you could clip Casey too!!! I was thinking about buying clippers, but without the know-how.... and especially now that Casey probably hates it!!! We'll see. I'll definitely be more clear about what I want next time. Thanks for the support!!! :love: