Elderly Miniature Schnauzer

Q: I would be very grateful for advice about grooming a fourteen year old Miniature Schnauzer who has been rejected by his professional groomer because he was becoming too anxious which led to his legs giving way! It is not only hair which is the problem. He has little knots of hair and dirt round his muzzle, his eyes sometimes water as he is nearly blind and the resultant mess has to be bathed and removed. Meantime the hair is growing. I have bought a grooming kit from Argos but without guidance would do more harm than good. That is, if he would allow me to use it on him. The vet says he is not allowed to groom and just told me to keep the knots bathed which I do. Is there any way of slowing down hair growth? The dog is at the end of his life and I would like it to be pleasant for him.

A: We groom many elderly dogs and lots of dogs have trouble standing whilst being groomed. I would advise you to contact your local professional Groomers Spotlight Groomer to book your dog in. Explain the issues you have had in the past and why your last groomer didn’t want to continue grooming the dog. If someone came to me with the same issues, I would advise grooming over a few sessions so as to lessen the stress on your dog. I would also ask you to stay so why not try and find a groomer that would let you stay and support your dog if needed? Most groomers have supports to help lame dogs stand for those tricky to get to bits so his age shouldn’t really be an issue. Having said that, If he is really at the end of his life, I think I would simply brush at home, use your clippers to cut out any matting that has occurred and make him as comfortable as possible. 

Remember, We groomers are human and love your pets. It can be incredibly upsetting for us to see very old dogs that are struggling with day to day things. Perhaps your groomer found the process too upsetting if he/she has groomed your dog since a puppy. We get very attached to our clients dogs.