Took my Old English Sheepdog to Zamzows for her first major grooming. She had been there before for a wash/trim and all went well. This time, we were getting all her puppy fur shaved off to allow the adult coat to grow out.
Dropped her off, got a call a couple hours later and picked her up. Amber had explained to my wife that she had some hair built up in her paws and ears and that she had gotten it out. We didn't know if that was something that needed to be done one way or another, but just accepted it, as it was already done.
Immediately when we got home, she started acting very different than normal. She laid in a corner and whimpered. We thought she was just upset about getting shaved, so thought nothing of it, until after a couple days, she started crying more and blood and puss were building up and caking inside her ears. It turns out that Amber had caused the skin to open after pulling the hair out of her ears, which (after taking her to the vet) led to STAPH SKIN INFECTIONS in both ears! Amber NEVER asked me if I wanted to have my dog's ears plucked, if she would have, I would have called my vet and asked, which he told me it is not necessary to do today when she was treated.
$330 later at the vet, my dog is in immense pain. The vet did acknowledge that although he could ascertain that the infection was due to the grooming, he could not say whether it was due to very bad luck, or negligence. I called, spoke with the assistant manager Diane, who seemed concerned at first, then after the second conversation (once my dog had been treated) she pretty much blew me off, asked me if I wanted to speak with Amber about the situation, thanked me for letting her know, and said good bye.
I understand that I have no proof that it was the groomer's fault, but you would think a good manager would have at least offered me sympathy for my dog's pain? possibly a discounted future grooming to ensure my return? Anything, other than "Thank you for letting me know, have a good night."
I have been going to this store for years, and have spent hundreds of dollars on plants, animal necessities and yard care. I will not go again, it is clear that when something goes wrong, they could care less.
UPDATE: I spoke with Amber, who in defending herself explained that she had cleaned/disinfected my dog's ears BEFORE plucking the hair. That rules out the possibility that she had latent Staph on her skin...which leads me to believe that the staph had to have come from her hands or instruments in the process of plucking the hairs. She showed no remorse, refused to take any responsibility in light of all evidence pointing at her and also just blew me off. Amazing business practices... read more
