Grooming Accident: Dog falls off the table

Oh, that's terrible!!!  Your poor dog.  I do hope he'll be ok with no lasting ill-effects from this.  All of my greys have benefited hugely from chiro and acupuncture treatments from their vet.  I'm just thinking that your grey might benefit from chiro because when these dogs are in pain, they compensate, thereby throwing out their spines.  Neck injuries are a problem with greys anyway - just something you might like to think about for the future.
 
As for how common is it for a dog to fall or jump off a table and get injured?  In my opinion, this groomer was careless and/or negligent.  I used to groom dogs and no dog ever came close to falling or jumping off the table.  As well, I bred and showed afghans for many years.  They were always groomed on a table, again with no mishaps. 
 
If your grey was properly tied on the arm of the table, there's no way he'd have had enough slack to be able to either fall or jump off the table.
 
Best wishes for his recovery!  (I'd love to see a picture of him.)

that is just terrible, and i feel very badly for you to have to go through that. You are, i hope seeking her payment in vet bills?
 
well, i dont know about every other groomer, but i for one do not put dogs like greyhounds on grooming tables. first of all, there isnt really a need for it. i would clip them to the wall, or the bottom of the table and do all their grooming their. i have found that dogs with legs as long as theres, and them being so tall, the table just scares them. and again, theres no trimming or any hardcore dematting on a greyhound, so they dont need to be put on a table. also, greyounds have very thin stretchy skin. if your dog had cut its leg or anything like that, youd be looking at a much worse disaster than the broken leg. just an accident waiting to happen.
 
as far as it being common for dogs to fall off the table, well no actual falls arent. it is common for some to try, or for one to accidently put its foot over the side and stumble, but you should never be so far away from that table that a dog would fall. i have caught many dogs who have stepped off accidently. even a greyhound, it would have fallen on me before falling on the ground. and if you are put in a situation where you have a dog that may hurt itself on the table, then you takeit off, esp. when it is a og that doesnt need to e on it in the first place.
 
you need to seek compensation for the vet bills. she can say its common all she wants, but it still makes her liable.

It is not "that" common at all for a dog to jump off a grooming table.   

First of all, let me say that I am so sorry that your dog has had this happen and to you, for having to deal with this preventable incident.
 
Well, I've never had one jump or fall off the table, but a few of them do think they can fly! This situation sounds a bit fishy to me.... WHY would a groomer put a short haired large breed up on a grooming table [&:] It just doesn't make any sense. I would be more inclined to believe that the dog jumped out of the TUB, especially if there was no security loop or harness being used. Some times, dogs can get a little freaky about the sound of the water whizzing and if your (the groomer) using a bathing system, it can be a bit scarey for a dog that is not used to it. Not to mention, trying to clip the nails in the tub! Many dogs DON"T like having their feet messed with and this can insight a bit of a panic. I think sometimes, groomers take for granted that a dog is going to be OK and they turn their back of one second to get a towel or something and the dog takes a leap of faith to escape his captive situation. Even with restraint devices in the tub, some dogs do find a way to get out of it and get away. Jumping from the tub is a dangerous activity because the floor is usually wet and slick and a dog can't get a grip when they hit the floor and legs go flying all over the place. Thank GOD I've never had a dog get out of the tub, but then again, I never turn my back OR step away for one second AND I always use a restraint device.
 
Sending healing thoughts and best wishes for a quick recovery.

Thanks to everyone for all the information and the best wishes. This has been very helpful to understanding this accident. I hope noone else ever has an accident like this happen to their animals.

I'm really sorry this happened to you & your dog. []

I actually have a dog that has managed to jump off of the grooming table once. It sounds like a similar situation as to what Cally mentions - I peeked around the corner, the groomer was finishing up, Ginger saw me, jumped off the table and came sailing over the half door to get to me. [sm=biggrin.gif] Anyone who knows much about Ginger wouldn't be surprised much by this. lol Anyway, she's the type of dog that if she wants down from something you'd best hold her in an iron grip, or she's getting down.

I have had to request they be more careful, though, in not letting her jump the half-door. It wasn't so much that she wanted down as she wanted me. So, I don't go in there anymore until they're completely finished with her.

I hope your grey heals quickly. ITA with a good chiro.

I've never had a dog fall off of a table, either. I've had a dog dance around and one foot slip off, while I was supporting it's body, so that it could see, "Oh, yeah, table has edges!" I've had a dog jump off of the table while it was all the way lowered (it's like 12 inches when it's all the way down) and I'd just put it up there (Goldens like to do this). My own dog jumps on and off of all the tables at work, freely, because she's a nutcase. As far as I've seen, it's *very* uncommon for a dog to jump or fall from a table. I've been working in grooming for a bit over 3 years, always in shops with multiple groomers and bathers. I've never seen a dog fall from a table, and never seen a dog break a leg.

I hope that your baby heals quickly, and that your groomer takes full responsibility for this injury.

When we first got Willow she attempted to jump off a grooming table while restrained because her and another dog were trying to get to each other.  She bumped herself up a bit but nothing too serious. 
 
It's only my opinon but it seems like your dog got really hurt for what was said happened. 
 
I hope he's feeling better soon.
Lori

I, too, am very sorry to hear this happened to your baby.  I have worked in several grooming shops, and now own my own salon.  Since I have opened, no dogs have fallen off or succeeded in jumping off.  I hate to say it, but I feel that 99% of falls or jump offs are avoidable.  There are securing devices, such as the Groomer's Helper which keeps the dog on the table and unable to fall off in any way, yet their four feet are comfortably on the ground, and there is no pressure on their neck keeping them confined. 
 
I can't stress enough how important it is to find the right groomer for you.  Ask if you can stay for the grooming, that's not always an option, but it's nice to know if they allow it.  I allow my customers to stay, but there are some rules.  You cannot speak to your pet, or about your pet because they know and will sense your nervousness or anxiety and reflect that.  If you chat about other things that are going on, they'll relax just like you are doing.  Also, there are some pets that just get too excited to see their parents in the room, so there's a window they can watch from.  Again, not all salons are set up for this, but it's a plus. 
 
Get to know your pet's stylist, gut feelings are important, and if you don't trust the person, don't leave your dog there.  See what they're all about.  Find out why they got into dog grooming, etc.  I hope you all find the perfect fit for you.

Just out of curiosity is your greyhound a retired racing dog?  I heard that retired racing dogs get very weak bones and can break the leg very easy.
 
  

I've never had a dog groomed..but I work for a vet and right next to us is grooming. I have never seen an accident there...but often when I am not that busy and I look up to see some of the dogs on the high tables there...I think I would never take my dog there to be put on a table up high...and tied around the neck.  It LOOKS like a terrible accident waiting to happen.

First I want to say this is a horrible accident and should NEVER happen when  a dog is being groomed properly.  There are restraints on tables for a reason and groomers are never supposed to let the dog be out of reach just in case they do have a moment and dance around.  This is to be for their safety.  Your groomer is entirely liable for this accident and you need to discuss that immediately with them.  I would also find out why this groomer thinks that it's so common to have a dog fall off her table and get hurt.  This could mean that there are other owners who have had this experience proving she is not as capable to do this job as it might have seemed.

Secondly to Cally01, yes racers, of most species, are more prone to leg trauma.  Horses and dogs specifically are run so young and so hard between training and races that their bones don't have a chance to really form and strengthen properly. So at a time when it is most important for them to developing in their young bodies trainers are pushing them to work harder and harder often resulting in a series of sprains or even less noticeable chips in their joints or bones.  When they occur the body builds up calcium around these spots to protect them.  Later in life the areas are prone to be weaker than in one who was not raced.  I have a 6 year old thoroughbred I am training right now that we just got off of the track earlier this summer. One of her knees is continually swollen so we decided to get an x-ray.  She hasn't been stiff or sore it was more of a chance to get an idea of what she may be in store for later.  Anyway her knee is almost twice the size of the other three and in the x-ray we discovered a large chip from the front of her knee about the size of a penny and a massive buildup of arthritis.  Next winter we are already planning on doing surgery for her to clean it up a little before she goes into our breeding program.  It is a shame that if we didn't get the x-rays and know what to plan for in 2-3 years she would likely be completely immobile with that leg and in a great deal of pain.  Yes racers dogs and horses are more prone to leg problems because their bones dont get the chance to develop and thicken as they should.

~Beth