Easton’s Story

Easton came to me when his owners (whom I had met previously during my time working as a vet tech) were becoming increasingly desperate to find a way to clean his eyes. Easton was a distinguished gentleman of 15(!) at the time and had been living with glaucoma, which not only affected his ability to see well, but also caused an abundance of ocular discharge. This discharge would then harden in the hair on his face creating a crusty cap over his eyes. His family tried everything they could to attempt to clean and maintain the area, but Easton would immediately snap if they even got close. If I remember correctly, he had also been turned away by previous groomers due to his advanced age and “feisty” attitude (note: This is absolutely okay! Not all groomers feel comfortable working with elderly dogs or those that present a bite risk due to safety and liability reasons. Turning away a dog you do not feel comfortable grooming is actually a good sign of a responsible groomer!). Upon hearing the situation, I agreed to give it a try, with the understanding that I would not force the issue nor guarantee the desired result (rules I continue to abide by). When his owners brought him in that first morning, I could definitely see how frustrated they must feel! His one eye was completely hidden under all that gunk and it was obvious that his poor family wanted nothing more than to help him, but he just wouldn’t let them. They showed me how when they reached towards his face, he suddenly lashed out at them. I immediately had a hunch of what could be going on, but I needed to be sure.

Once I got him on my table, I decided to test my theory. Easton was an elderly Shih Tzu, with glaucoma and trouble seeing. Was it possible that unidentified movement coming towards his face was scaring him into “fight” mode?

I wrapped him gently in a blanket, allowing him to sit or lay down as he pleased, but made sure he was facing away from me. This was key to my theory. I decided to start with wipes to see if I could loosen the hardened gunk and make his eye at least visible, as going at it blindly with trimmers or shears would have been immensely dangerous and downright stupid. I carefully came at the area from behind his head, and lo and behold, he didn’t react. I continued to loosen the discharge, then once deemed safe, I began to slowly trim the hair around his eyes using small facial shears (I would later have a pair especially for him, designated “Easton’s Little Shears”. I still have them. 🖤). Not once did he attempt to bite. If he showed even the slightest sign of discomfort (i.e. shifting, pulling back his ears, etc.), I would give him a little break to compose himself.

So how did I come to my conclusion about the cause of his behavior and how to change it? Let me break it down:

• Easton is a Shih Tzu: Shih Tzus are small dogs literally bred to be the ultimate lap dog.

This is why I wrapped him in a blanket. It provides security and comfort, two vital things when you’re a small lap dog.

• He is an elderly dog.

This is why I gave him free range to sit or lay down as he pleased. Many senior dogs have mobility issues or are just plain tired, and this helps them remain comfortable.

• He has glaucoma and limited vision.

This is why I hypothesized that what was actually upsetting Easton was movement coming toward him and decided to try the task from behind. If the glaucoma is limiting his ability to see, there’s a good chance he may not be able to recognize what’s actually happening in front of him and may only really see movement. Since he has no idea what is causing that movement, he immediately tries to defend himself by biting at the perceived threat.

Does that make sense?

I later discovered that my theory had indeed been correct. While I had had no issues with Easton displaying the snapping behavior that morning, when his family came to pick him up and reached to put his collar on, he immediately snapped at their hand. That’s when I knew for sure it hadn’t ever really been about the actual cleaning of his eyes, but rather the movement coming towards him.

I am happy to report that I continued grooming Easton with absolutely no issues for the rest of his life. The above photo was taken on his final day as I was saying goodbye. I miss Easton every day, and think of him often when I’m trying to understand the reasoning behind a dog’s behavior. He will forever remind me that these dogs are not GIVING us a hard time; they are HAVING a hard time. Rest in peace, buddy. 🖤