Post grooming furunculosis is a deep infection involving the hair follicle. This can occur almost anywhere on the skin and for several reasons, but we are talking about post grooming furunculosis. So just like it sounds this can happen directly after a grooming session. Sypmptoms appear 24 to 48 hours post grooming, and most typically along the spine of the dog. Brushing a dirty dog and scraping the skin can create the correct circumstance as well as using dirty tools and improper grooming technique. Handstripping a dirty dog and then shampooing the dog can also cause this to happen. Trauma to the hair follicle during grooming is the entrance that the organisms use to enter the body.
Depending on the type of bacteria and conditions the population can double in as quickly as four minutes. Obviously in a grooming salon we are not trying to grow bacteria, but it can happen because of some avoidable occurrences.
In grooming salons, we buy shampoo and conditioner in bulk and it is typically in a concentrated form. While the product is in the concentrated form and in its original container it is stable and usually has a preservative that protects it from growing organisms. Once diluted however the product is no longer stable and organisms can grow. The bacteria could have already been in the dilution bottle, in the water or from your finger wiping the rim of the bottle. This diluted shampoo with the small amount of bacteria will grow as it is sitting at room temperature all day. You leave it another day and now we have an incredible population of bacteria in the diluted shampoo. Shampoo is an irritant to our skin and add vigorous scrubbing to the mix and now the bacteria have an entrance into the skin causing an infection. Irritated skin and follicles plus an enormous amount of bacteria equals post grooming furunculosis.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogenic, Gram‐negative bacterium, ubiquitously found in the environment. It is often found in human hair and skin care products.
Dogs have died from this, so it is a severe problem. As stated above the condition will present between 24 and 48 hours post grooming. Dilution of any shampoo and conditioner should be used within the same day. The containers should then get cleaned and be left to dry completely.
I have gotten away from using dilution bottles except in circumstances where I am preparing a special formula for coat care. I have found that pet washing sprayers are good at doing an instant dilution on most brands of shampoo with a 20 to 1 dilution. This works well in the grooming salon and reduces the need for dilution bottles.
I have tried many of these washing sprayers and this is the one that is able to stand up to daily use the best. You will not get an exact dilution but as groomers we are good at telling if a dog is clean or not. I even dilute products that are ready to use as I prefer to use a less concentrated form of any chemical product on a pet's skin.
Old, diluted grooming solutions is not the only way that a dog can get post grooming furunculosis but the easiest to prevent. The skin is so amazing and the largest organ on our body. Taking care of it is so important and education is the key to keeping it healthy.
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