Vet makes urgent plea for pet grooming to be allowed under Stage 4 lockdown

A vet has made an urgent plea for dog grooming to be allowed under Stage 4 lockdown.

Dr Jack Zaks from Elsternwick Veterinary Clinic says the Stage 4 grooming ban is “a welfare issue”.

He says his vet practice has been overwhelmed with dogs who have sustained injuries after their owners tried to groom them at home.

“We’ve had … people … trying to groom their own dogs. What they’re doing is they’re cutting these dogs and there are gashes of skin,” Dr Zaks told Neil Mitchell.

“On Sunday, we had a dog nearly bleed to death when an artery in the cartilage in the ear opened up.

“It’s just going on and on. It’s on a daily basis.”

Dr Zaks said while grooming is a luxury for some breeds, it’s essential for others, like poodles.

“There’s some breeds which actually have to be, especially during winter, just like a sheep,” he said.

“If you don’t remove the matting … it will be very hard for it to move.”

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(Image: Dr Jack Zaks)