I find veterinarians and groomers alike are too often very complacent in their concern over these issues. Why? Because the bad ones are rare. The problem is that even though they are rare, they do happen. And if it happens to you, it can be life-changing or even life-ending!

When discussing this, I often change hats from veterinarian to pet owner to business owner to father. There are so many different aspects that can be an issue. None of us want to be responsible for spreading diseases among our clients’ animals, but think about if one of your staff got seriously ill. Consider your concern for their wellbeing, the loss of work, the lawsuit, or even a life-altering event or death. Now, think about if you took it home and it was your child. It was never worth the risk to me, so learning to avoid it and taking precautions was always a high priority.

So what are the risks groomers are faced with? Some people like to jump into significant diseases like rabies and tick fever. Still, some of the lesser ones, like parasites, fungal and bacterial or MRSA/MRSP (methicillin-resistant Staph infections) infections, can be just as devastating and passed on by far less evidence of exposure.

One of the best starting places to prevent the spread or exposure of these diseases is to require yearly/routine veterinary visits and vaccinations. Having vaccinations is vital to prevent disease, but requiring vaccines is essential because it guarantees regular veterinary checks. It is always good to encourage or, better yet, require routine fecal tests. This will help rule out the common parasites, therefore preventing the spread in the pets, as well as in everyone that handles the pet both directly and indirectly.

One of the most common parasites in dogs is roundworms. While not a massive deal for dogs (in most cases), if a human is infected, the parasite will commonly go to the blood vessels behind the eyes or in the brain, causing blindness or even brain damage in children. Shampoo and common disinfectants do not kill the eggs well, so next time you bare-handed wash a dog’s anal area, I want you to think about the potential consequences. Wearing gloves and cleaning well afterward are always excellent protocols.

Giardia is another common parasite that can cause havoc in a salon, and especially in doggy daycares. Imagine all the dogs come down with diarrhea after a day at your daycare. Imagine what that might look like on social media. What if half the staff came down with it and couldn’t work or ended up in the hospital? Any animal showing signs of a loose stool should be isolated immediately and sent home pending a veterinary check to ensure it is not an issue. Every place that the dog has been should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. That means using a cleaner to remove the debris and follow up with an appropriate disinfectant. To ensure adequate effectiveness, the correct contact time is crucial.

Parasites can be an issue, but the most significant risk comes from the bacteria and fungus that groomers are exposed to. I suspect there is rarely a day that a groomer or the bather isn’t exposed to a “bad” bacteria or fungus and didn’t even know it. Even if you don’t deal with dogs with skin infections, you probably clean ears. The ears can be one of the dirtiest and more diverse sources of infection, even more so than the anal region. Or, if you noticed a smell on the dog, a sore, a cyst, etc., you were possibly exposed.

Many owners, even though they may know their pet deals with ear infections, are often not great at following through with the medicine and following up with the veterinarian to ensure the infection is gone before they quit treatment. We commonly clean ears bare-handed or sometimes spray them with our hose, which can aerosolize the bacteria/fungus, making our eyes, ears, nose and mouth all vulnerable. Do you wear eye, ear, nose and mouth protection? If not, maybe you should consider it before you clean the next set of ears. Most shampoos are not disinfectants, so don’t feel you are safe by using shampoo in this process. They are designed to clean, not disinfect.

The anal area is no different than ears. Fecal material is about 90% bacteria, so washing and working in the area is high risk. It is often a higher risk if the owners are feeding diets that may need better quality control or are raw because they stand the chance of having more fecal contamination that was not adequately controlled in food processing. Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter and Listeria are some common ones found in reports (including ones from the FDA). All are fecal contaminants from the processing of the meat in the diet. The good news is that by wearing protective gear and following suitable cleaning/disinfecting protocols, these can be easily controlled.

Dr. Cliff Faver graduated with a BS in Biology/BA in Chemistry before getting a Veterinary degree in 1987. He is the past owner of Animal Health Services in Cave Creek, Arizona and now the US distributor for Iv San Bernard products, teaches the ISB Pet Aesthetician Certification program, and speaks internationally on hair and skin. His passion is to merge groomers and veterinarians to aid in helping and healing pets. He is also a member of AVMA, AAHA, AZVMA, Board member with Burbank Kennel Club, and has served on Novartis Lead Committee, Hill’s International Global Veterinary Board, and a Veterinary Management Group.