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I picked up my chihuahua from MOD CUT today & noticed her ears were red & covered with little bumps inside of them (she did not have this before) - I asked the groomer, "Why her ears were like this & she told me - "Oh it's from plucking the hair out of her ears" So I ask "Why was this done & how?" She informs me it's part of every dog's regime when they are groomed at MOD CUT & most places. They put a powder in the dog's ear, then pull with the hair out with a tweezer- like tool. It's just so their ears look nicer she informs me.... At this point I was furious that I had not been told that they actually do this- I would have never allowed it I can't imagine how painful it must for dogs. The groomer informed me that I can request that this NOT be done from now on, but I also found out the dryers they use are not heated & I m sure that's why she's always sniffly when she gets out of there. Wanted to let you know in case liek me you were oblivious to this.
I've always done this myself for my Bichons between grooming sessions. There is nothing grosser than the smell and discomfort of a dog with ear infection from lack of air circulation.
Location: ๏̯͡๏﴿ Gwinnett-That's a Civil Matter-County
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I have a dog with a lot of hair in the ears and it IS painful but it HAS to be done.
I pluck a little here and there but I'd much rather have someone else do it so I'm not the "bad guy" and so grooming time isn't associated with ear plucking. The powder helps some and of course some dogs don't seem to mind it while others, like mine don't like it one bit.
Many years ago, I owned and operated a pet grooming salon, and can tell you that some breeds grow excess amounts of hair (particularly poodles, bichon, certain terriers, basically the 'groom-able' dogs) routinely have the hair plucked from the ear. If you chihuahua is the longer-haired variety, the ear may have needed cleaning out. Excess hair can trap dampness in the ear and lead to infection. Most smooth or medium coated dogs don't require plucking (German Shepherds, lab retrievers, or any of the smooth-haired dogs.
Many grooming shops (particularly the lower-priced franchise shops) resort to using cage drying. A towel-dried dog is put into a drying cage with heated air blowing in. Depending on many factors (dogs age, stress level, ventilation, etc) this could cause heat stroke in just a few minutes. There have been a number of dog (and cat!) deaths due to cage drying with heated air, and this is why some shops no longer use warm air drying. Not to slam any franchise, but with such low prices for grooming, it must be darn near impossible to make a living at grooming there unless you're grooming many dogs per day. Remember, most groomers only take home 50% of what you pay for the groom, with the shop retaining the other half. Tip your groomers well--they work hard for the $$!
She informs me it's part of every dog's regime when they are groomed at MOD CUT & most places. They put a powder in the dog's ear, then pull with the hair out with a tweezer- like tool. It's just so their ears look nicer she informs me....
This is the part I have a problem with. This 'groomer' probably has had minimum training, since she doesn't seem to know the real reason for ear plucking. It should not be part of EVERY dog's regime. Seriously, consider a privately owned grooming shop rather than a franchise. You'll likely be amazed at the difference in customer service, knowledge, etc.
I have been working in the pet care field for more than 15 yrs now. Ear plucking is common for some breeds but not all. Your post said you have a chihuahua, this breed does not normally need the ears plucked.(Many breeds have hair in thier ears that should not be plucked. Without seeing your dog I can't say for sure, but it is possible that the ear hair should not have been plucked.) As for the drying, I'm not sure what area you are in but if you are in a hot climate, it is actually a good thing that they do not use heat when drying your pup. Dryers with heat where common years ago. However, many shops have done away with the use of dryers with heat, because of the risk associated with using heat. In cases where a cage dryer with heat is used heat stroke can occur causing death. When hand drying, heat can damage skin and coat, just like people's hair. All that being said the air coming out of the dryer is not cold, the motor that forces the air out, generates heat just from running which keeps the air at a comfortable temp. for your dog.
Gotta second what the above poster said about dryers, have heard of cases where dogs have died bc groomers left them under a hot dryer waaay too long - fortunately mine don't need extensive grooming but many dogs arent as lucky and I'd definitely prefer the dryers w/o heat (but in my case, enough air coming out to blow-dry the extra fine double-coated fur out and away from them bc even w/ routine brushing there can be quite a bit of shedding)
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