It was Fido’s first day with a new groomer. Why is my dog shaking after grooming? The groomer said the session went well, and Fido looks fine too what could be the reason? There can be many reasons, let’s find out.
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There can be several reasons your dog might be shaking after undergoing a grooming session, like feeling cold, nervousness, or due to an injury. Your dog might not be used to its fur feeling so light, or it might be feeling cold with its skin getting exposed to cold air.
Other than the grooming session being traumatizing for your dog, other health conditions can result in shaking. Read on to find out what other possible reasons there can be for your dog’s shaking before you go pointing fingers at the groomers.
Why Your Dog Might Be Shaking After A Grooming Session
It could be because of nervousness, fear of noises and other dogs, or even a medical condition.
Grooming is necessary for dogs to keep them clean and free from matting. It also keeps dogs safe from several other health conditions like skin infections and allergies.
However, sometimes you might find that your dog would be shaking after its session, and the reason might be because it is feeling scared or uneasy because of the significant change in how its hair and skin used to feel.
Uneasiness With Loss of Fur
While some dogs seem to enjoy their grooming session and are happy with all that extra weight being trimmed off, some dogs can show weird and concerning behavior. The reason can be a variety of things. Their emotions can range from anger aggression to being anxious and scared.
Anxiety or Fear
Your dog may not like the groomers or get anxious because of other dogs at the groomers, or they might have had a problematic past that makes them apprehensive of trying out new things or being in the presence of unknown people.
Whatever the reason might be, your dog can be traumatized after a grooming session, and that might be the reason why he is acting strangely.
Noisy Environment
The grooming salon for dogs is full of loud noises from blow dryers and clippers. Some of these noises would be strange for your dog if they had never visited a grooming salon before.
Presence of Other Dogs
If you are going to a pet salon, then there will be multiple dogs in the salon, and your dog may not like being in the presence of so many other strange dogs, which can upset them.
If your dog hasn’t been to the groomer for a long time, the grooming session may take a lot of time, and your dog might have had to stand for hours to get all that hair chopped and groomed.
Medical Condition
Palsy, a medical condition in which standing for a long time can cause tremors, can also be a reason why your dog is shaking.
How to Determine The Cause Of Shaking?
Check if the dog is in pain?
The first step would be to determine whether your pup is in any pain if it shows symptoms other than shaking. Make sure that your dog is not in any pain.
If a dog is in pain, it will not be as active as it used to be and will have trouble finding a comfortable position to sleep and sit, lower appetite, or visible symptoms like whimpering and walking differently.
Check for allergic reactions
The grooming itself can be a cause as to why your dog is shaking uncontrollably. A lot can happen during a grooming session. Your dog might be allergic to some grooming product or may have tried to break free while it’s grooming and fall off a table.
Check if the dog had an injury from an untrained groomer
If an unprofessional groomer or someone with little experience groomed your dog, there is a high chance of accidents. Your dog might have sustained an injury at the groomers’.
It is best to take your dog to a professional dog groomer for your dog’s breed and someone you have had prior experience with.
A professional groomer will inform you of any accidents that might have happened during the grooming session and will offer to cover all the vet’s expenses and medicines for your dog.
However, even with all the precautions you take, like choosing a highly professional dog groomer and no matter how well behaved your dog is, accidents can still happen.
Look out for symptoms other than the shaking that can help you determine the cause of it. If your dog is in any pain, it will not be as active as it used to be or is not eating its meals properly.
Check for medical conditions
Given all that, there is a high chance that the groomers themselves are not at fault, and the shaking resulted because of some underlying health conditions. Even if you had bathed your dog yourself, it would also have started shaking.
There can be several underlying health risks that can cause tremors or shaking in dogs. It is also possible that the grooming session has nothing to do with your dog’s shaking. Dogs having issues in their spinal cord can have tremors.
Other than that, hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, kidney problems, lower blood sugar level, tumors, and degenerative nerve disease can be other health conditions that can cause tremors in dogs.
Even if you think that your dog is shaking due to the grooming session, it is never a bad idea to get your dog checked by a vet. If any of these health conditions are found in the early stages, the possibility of treating your dog is high.
Why Is My Dog So Sleepy After Grooming?
The main reason your dog is so sleepy after grooming is because they get exhausted from all the steps in the grooming process. Another reason might be that their hair’s extra weight is gone, and they just had a relaxing bath. Another reason why dogs are sleepy after grooming is that they were nervous the whole time and now are feeling relaxed.
Relaxed after the session.
Dogs can get anxious while grooming and may be very fidgety during the process. Once the session is complete, they have spent all their energy and are very tired, which is why they feel sleepy after grooming. If you have scheduled an appointment for your dog’s grooming when it usually takes a nap, then it will also feel sleepy.
Sedation
There can be another alarming reason for your dog’s sleepiness after grooming. The groomer might have sedated him for smoothly carrying out the grooming process.
Sedating a dog without its owner’s permission is illegal. Professional groomers ask the owner for approval, but some sedate the dog if it is too fidgety.
Anxiousness
If your dog has no experience with unknown people and has never been to groomers, then it might get stressed and anxious, which can exhaust them mentally, and that’s why they feel sleepy.
Please work with your pet to calm them down and make the grooming session as enjoyable as possible for them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do dogs act weird after grooming?
It could be because they are nervous, or feel uncomfortable after the loss of fur.
Dogs can act weird after grooming because of several different reasons, like they don’t like the feeling of the trimmed hair or it is also possible that they feel anxious at the groomers because of seeing unknown faces, which might be why they act weird.
If your dog has frequent trips to the groomers, then after a while, they get used to it. Having irregular grooming sessions can also make a dog react weirdly after grooming as they are not used to feeling the way their skin and fur feel.
Also, with short hair, they can now access their skin and may scratch any infections they could not before.
Can my dog get traumatized when he is at the groomers?
Yes, you should always take your dog to an experienced groomer who can form a bond and calm them down before grooming.
Dogs with a problematic past have difficulty trying new things and might be traumatized at groomers.
Other than that, dogs who are not used to grooming sessions or are not in the presence of unknown human beings will have trouble understanding why an unknown human is touching and probing them in places not even its owner does.
Also, there can be accidents at a groomer’s location that can cause your dog trauma.
How do I relieve my dog’s stress after grooming?
Just be happy around them, play with them, and behave normally.
After grooming, you can relieve your dog’s stress by giving them proper attention and care. Dogs can get traumatized at groomers if they are not used to getting hair cuts and baths.
Once they are back from the groomers, they can act weird or appear stressed. You can help them bounce back to their usual self with your positive behavior towards them.
Dogs can get affected by your emotions.
Get them used to their new appearance and haircut by praising and complimenting them. Make sure to not be angry at the groomers or laugh even if you don’t like the haircut or if your dog looks funny.
If they are behaving aggressively, talk to them in a calm and soothing voice and try to calm them down. Once they listen to you, give them treats to reward them.
How do I comfort my dog after grooming?
Talk to them, love them, show them a bit of attention and care.
Dogs are used to how their skin and hair feel and may react weirdly to the changes after a grooming session. You can comfort them by getting them used to their new appearance. If your dog is showing signs that it is scared, like shaking and cowering from you, then you can try showing them affection and giving compliments to make them feel better.
Please don’t leave your dog alone, thinking that this weird phase will pass on its own as it can spiral down very fast. Make sure to play with your dogs and attempt to calm them down. Reward them with treats and praises once they are calm and behave normally.
The new haircut can take some time to get used to, but with proper love and care, your dog should be back to his old self in no time.
Final Words
Your dog can be shaking because it feels scared or anxious after the grooming session. It happens if your dog has little to no prior experience going to groomers. Any accidents or injuries also result in your dog shaking after grooming. It is best to get your dog checked with a vet to rule out any other health condition.
Thank you for reading, we hope we covered all your questions if not, do please write to us. Don’t forget to read our other grooming related articles such as: Dog Cant Open Eyes After Grooming and Doggy Styling Grooming 101