ne of the growing concerns in the veterinary field is what they call “compassion fatigue.” Can we really care too much or get tired of caring? The issue is real; in fact, the suicide rate has escalated among veterinarians in recent years with compassion fatigue identified as a contributing factor. Could this also be the case with groomers now or in the future?

I always say, if you want to solve a problem, you must first look at the “why.” So why does this occur? For veterinarians, it is the day-to-day struggle of life-and-death decisions. In the past, most people who worked in the animal industry grew up in a farming-type environment, where births and deaths were sometimes daily events. In more recent times, however, a large majority of veterinarians and groomers did not grow up with that experience.

We have also shifted to placing greater value on our individual pets’ lives. Now, many people never even leave their pets alone at home. We either get pet sitters, dog walkers, send them to daycare or take them with us everywhere we go. And if we treat our pets that way, we also expect our clients to do the same with theirs. Unfortunately, that is often not the case. And when they don’t, it breaks our hearts. We tend to get mad and chastise or fire clients. But does any of that help the pet?

As a pet professional, it is important to remember we are pet advocates and should always keep that as our focus in what we do. We also must remember that many people who didn’t have animals growing up often aren’t aware of what good care means. For some of them, this is the first pet they have ever owned.

I hear the frustration of so many groomers who complain that clients never even brush their dogs; something so simple in our world that anyone should be able to do. The reality is, most clients don’t know how to brush a dog correctly. They don’t understand that you should never dry-brush a dog, that you don’t just rip or cut mats out, that you need to pay attention to the friction areas, or even what brushes or combs are appropriate for the dog they have. So where are they going to learn this info?

Many rely on YouTube videos and the internet. And while some of that information is great, many can’t differentiate the good info from the bad—and there is a lot of poor information out there.

If they are going to be your client and you want them to do the best for their pet, you need to teach them. But don’t expect this to be a quick five-minute session and call it a day. Think of how much time and how many corrections it took when your mentor taught you. And while the education doesn’t have to be as in-depth, even learning the basics requires focus.

They say that in any exchange like this, the student will only retain 10-30% of the information. If you understand that, you will realize that you need to offer more to solve the issue. You may want to give out explanatory-type handouts or have them come back and show you what they are doing at home. Repetition is the best way to learn.

One thing we must remember is that, just like the client who has not brushed their dog and needs to be trained as a pet professional, we also need training. Many of us rely on our own experiences to dictate what we do and teach; however, the problem is that it is very limited in scope.

To be successful, we need to get information/education from legitimate resources. We can fall into the same trap as the client and rely on YouTube videos and Facebook information, but how do you know those are good resources?

An area I see many groomers struggling with is health, nutrition and skin issues. They want to help but are often frustrated not only by clients who don’t comply, but also by not getting the results they had hoped for. If you want to be proficient in these areas, I encourage you to seek out good educational resources. Who has credentials? Who has good results? One or two easy cases don’t make for an authority in the field.

The bottom line is, there is no single way to combat compassion fatigue. First, you need to educate yourself on how to achieve good results. If you are working with myths and hearsay, it is hard to be successful, which leads to frustration. Secondly, education of the client is key to solving many issues that are faced in the grooming salon. And finally, you cannot want to fix issues more than the client. Some clients will not follow through, no matter how much you educate them. If they frustrate you with their neglect, is that the kind of client you want? Peace of mind can be worth more than money.

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.