HELP! Was my Dog Drugged at the Groomer?

Hello! Well I have had a weird experience with my dog today. This morning when I brought her to the groomer at 9:30, I told them to shave her, and bathe her. Then they were supposed to call me when they were done so I could pick her up. I was getting worried because at about 3:00, the groomers still didn't call me to tell me to pick her up. At 6:30, thirty minutes after the store closed, I called the vet to ask them if they were done grooming her. The guy that talked to me was very fishy and suspicious. This is what he said, "Well your dog was just so pretty i was just sitting and looking at her for 30 minutes, thats why i didn't call you to come pick her up, I also gave her a bath 3 times". That sounded really weird to me. Then i finally came to pick her up and she was acting weird. I dont know why, she was just acting out of it. Then when we got home she drank her whole bowl of water, and kept drinking more and more water. She was REALLY thirsty. Then about an hour later, she got really tired and fell asleep. Now when i try to wake her up, she is not responding, and seems really tired. I think that the groomer might of drugged her or given her a tranquilizer to calm her down when they were drying to groom her. I think he made up the excuse of that she was so pretty he had to look at her for 30 minutes because she still wasnt woken up from the drugs. What do you guys think? Do you think she was drugged? I'm really nervous because she is acting so bizzare? Any advice? Thanks!

Take her o the vet!!! If the vet says she as been drugged, sue their butts! That is NOT OK! Never take her back and file a complaint ASAP!

That is a possibility , or they were running behind and were late finishing her off. Being in a grooming salon with loads of dogs and people talking and making noise , the dog won't get any sleep so she could be exhausted and they probably didn't give her any water.
We had a client that left her older dog with us the whole day 8hrs, because she was working, The dog didn't sleep at all and wouldn't drink any water we gave her, When she got home the dog did just what yours did, she accused us of drugging the dog, which we never do, we won't let any clients bring in dogs that have been sedated because it is too risky in case some have a reaction and most dogs are worse when drugged.

I would take your dog to a real vet where you can sit in the room with her and tell them your suspicions. The fact that your dog drank that much means that she went the entire day without drinking. Why didn't you call earlier? Why would you let them keep your dog that long? You should have driven down there yourself, and if they had too many clients at once (their fault for booking so many) then you should A) take your dog and tell them to call you asap when they actually have an appt and B) demand a discount/refund. That's not ok and very unprofessional.

You dog was at the groomer all day. She probably didn't get a chance to rest much due to the activity there, it can be noisy and stressful for dogs. Some places don't offer water as they can't take dogs out to pee (dogs could run off even with the best precautions). Since she was shaved, she is feeling different, especially if she had a long or matted coat.
Some groomers do run behind. It would be better if they had called you to tell you it would be later. It is odd that the guy answering the phone said she was so pretty that he just looked at her for 30 minutes and she was bathed 3 times.

If you are really worried, take her to a vet and get a blood test to check for any drugs. If there are, you can take further action against the salon. If not, then there isn't much you can do.

I would suggest not going back to that groomer or shop. Find a groomer that only had a few dogs at a time and even one that only has a couple groomers. Getting one that allows the dogs not to be there all day helps too. If she can only be at the groomer for a few hours and not have a ton of dogs around and only be handled by one person, she should be less stressed and calmer.

It is illegal for any groomer to give medication to a dog. However, if your dog was unruly, the VET may have given it a mild tranquilizer so that the groomer could get the job done. You can call the vet tomorrow and ask but it should have been on your bill if any drug was given because veterinary clinics seldom give anything away for free, and groomers can't afford to either buy tranquilizers for dogs or to give anything away free, either.

I'm not saying your dog is like this but...Unless a dog has been taught at home to accept grooming and to stand quietly for grooming (as every owner is supposed to do), grooming can be a very stressful experience for a dog. Dogs can get really wild while the groomer is trying to work, jumping around, snapping, growling, sitting or laying down when you need them to stand, standing and spinning when you need them to sit, and everything can be new and frightening for the dog. First it is taken to a strange place and left there by its owner, then strangers clip its hair, trim its nails (that can be a battle with some dogs), put it in a tub and bathe it, then comes the scary high velocity dryer followed by more brushing and clipping and scissoring which the dog must hold still for or it becomes not only difficult but very dangerous as grooming tools are kept quite sharp to work properly.

By the time the dog goes home, it is totally EXHAUSTED and the groomer is ready for some back pain medication and a long hot soak in the tub to ease the ache and pains that come from trying to make an unmanageable dog behave and come out looking good.

It is not uncommon to bathe a dog three times. Some dogs pee or poop in the crate after they are done and then lay in it. Some dogs are very dirty and must be washed three or even four times. After each bath, the dog must be re-dried. This can take a lot of extra time.

I don't think your dog was drugged. Dogs are only given a mild tranquilizer by their OWNERS prior to grooming where I work, and that medication allows the dog to stand and sit and turn and get bathed and trimmed and nails, ears and anal sacs done. It only takes the wild edge off the dogs' behavior and does not make them drowsy.

screw those groomers and take your dog to the vet asap. if they drugged her, sue them OR put it on the news. they should not get away with what they did to your pet. it is illegal to inject any drug into an animal at the groomers or anywhere without your consent. do it. I would.