Cleaning clipper blades...what's your protocol?

[nowhavethreebears]

This is mostly for the pro groomers on here. Kind of spill over from another thread.
What protocol if any do you have for cleaning your clippers/blades/scissors between clients?
Gabriel has a nasty bacterial skin infection and it started a couple of weeks after he was groomed. Since he has been nowhere else, I was just wondering if he could have got it from another one of her clients?
Or is that really not likely? I would like some opinions.
Thanks

 

[R Taft]

Must admit.it could be what it is...Would love to hear the input

 

[nowhavethreebears]

I know that his groomer is keeping a french bulldog for a fellow breeder that has horrible skin issues. When she got the dog he was basically one raw sore all over his body.
She has had him several weeks and he is tremendously improved.
I also know that she has been clipping hair off the worst of the spots. My thought was whether or not it would be possible for Gabriel to catch something if the blades weren't cleaned thoroughly between dogs.

 

[Tricia2]

I clean my brushes, combs, blades and shears with Barbicide. However, since dog skin can be easily scratched, nicked or even abraded during clipping, I let clients know if I see any open or potentially problematic areas. Dogs carry a lot of bacteria in those coats, their feet and tongues that are easily transferred to open areas by licking or scratching.

 

[DAWNMERIE]

Absolutely possible (not saying that is what happened-cause Tricia is right, especially with Myra's skin issues) I'm not a groomer (former hair dresser)and I don't always clean my blades but if I even use my scissors near any spots or issues they are always cleaned afterwards.

 

[Tricia2]

Grooming shops are breeding grounds for bacteria, yeast and viruses. All that warm aresolized water makes for a spectacular place for the little nasties to grow. I'm a human nurse and when I started there, I was surprised that the very experienced groomer who mentored me didn't have more comprehensive disinfection policies. Her own dogs, who go to work with her, had constant skin problems and swollen, litttle yeasty feet.

We started a policy of disinfecting every piece of equipment that touched the dogs, starting from the tub, the tables, the crates and all grooming tools between each dog. Most surfaces and equipment are disinfected with Barbicide, sprayed, wiped and allowed to air dry. The floors are disinfected daily with a hospital operating room type liquid disinfectant. Towels are never used on more than one dog and go right into the washing machine with a bleach pre-wash.

Since instituting these practices her dog's skin is pristine and their feet look normal. I think when you work grooming dogs it's an occupational hazard to touch and inhale aresolized organism, so I wear a mask when I use a force dryer. It definitely slows the turn over between dogs but we let our clients know that we have an infection control policy and procedures and most seem to like that we are concerned about the safety of their 'babies.'

 

[nowhavethreebears]

It's kind of a sticky situation...While I'm almost 100% sure this is how he got it, his groomer is also my best friend. So if I say anything it's going to have to be very carefully and I will have to think about how to approach the topic.

 

[nowhavethreebears]

Finally talked to my groomer friend about this. I discovered she doesn't disinfect her blades at all because she "doesn't use them on dirty dogs". And she implied that Gabe's skin issue is MY fault.

 

[Tricia2]

Erm, bad science. Bathing isn't quite the same as disinfecting.

 

[nowhavethreebears]

No kidding...I didn't really know how to respond to her comment because she got pretty nasty about it. Needless to say, we aren't really speaking right now..