UPDATE: Dog makes full recovery after eye pops out during grooming – KVLY

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – After a terrible incident last week at a south Fargo groomer, there is a happy ending for a pup and her owner.
Just 90 minutes after dropping two-year-old Dolly off for the first time at Muddy Paws Grooming off of Veterans Blvd., on Nov. 2, Vickie Allen says she was rushing the pup to the emergency vet with an eye that had popped out of its socket.
“I don’t think anyone should bring their dog to a groomer and end up bringing this back home,” Allen said.
Muddy Paws says just before Dolly’s left eye popped out of its socket, a groomer was holding Dolly by the chin trimming her face.
“The groomer was asked a question, so she turned her head, still holding (Dolly’s) face, and when she came back, we noticed the eye was bulging a little bit,” Brittni Hatlestad, a manager with Muddy Paws Grooming said.
Hatlestad says it’s unknown what exactly caused this to happen. She says the eye could have been triggered while she was in the harness getting groomed, while the groomer was holding her chin, or at a different time.
Hatlestad says an eye popping out of a dog’s socket is rare. She says in her many years as a groomer, she’s never seen it happen, but pointed out it is possible, especially with small dogs like Dolly.
“They’re considered ‘brachy’ dogs. Anything with a shorter snout, they have a shallower eye socket,” Hatlestad explained. “It can happen at home if you’re walking your dog on a leash and they’re pulling too hard on the leash. This can happen anywhere at any time, it just unfortunately happened to us yesterday.”
Muddy Paws says the groomer involved has not been fired as there’s no evidence what happened was due to negligence. The business also says it will pay all of Dolly’s medical expenses, and says it didn’t charge Allen for the grooming service. Allen says since the original publication of this story, the groomer has since apologized.
Allen says Dolly’s stitches were removed Wednesday, Nov. 10, and says thankfully, the vet found Dolly won’t lose her eye or have any permanent damage from the incident.
Both Allen and the grooming business say they hope this story serves as a reminder that this can happen to your dog. Muddy Paws says it hopes this also prompts groomers across the community to refresh employees on safety protocols, as well as pet owners on ways to possibly prevent this.
“It’s not that (employees) don’t know how to be safe, but it’s always good to go through it again in case accidents like this do happen,” Hatlestad said.
She says it’s important to expose your dog to the groomer as early as you can to get them used to all of the motions and sounds. She suggests taking an electric toothbrush to your dog’s face to familiarize and desensitize them.
“Then they learn to enjoy the process instead of be scared of the process. It’s definitely something that helps the groomer, pet owners and pets,” Hatlestad said.
Allen says she has never been told by previous grooming businesses that Dolly presents as anxious or aggressive while being worked on. She urges pet owners to do your homework on who you are sending your pet to be cared for by, and says from now on, she will be grooming Dolly herself.
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