Your Shih Tzu jumps off the grooming table looking cleaner, fluffier, and smelling like a dog shampoo commercial. You tip well, load up the car, and go about your day. But the groom your dog got was more than a haircut and a bath.
Groomers spend 60 to 90 minutes with their hands on your dog. We touch skin you never see. We look inside ears you might skip. We feel lumps, notice limps, and spot rashes that your dog’s coat covers up the other 29 days between appointments.
At Robin’s Groomingdales in Dunwoody, we’ve been doing this since 1980. After that many years, the health check part of a groom runs on instinct. Most owners don’t know it happens at all.
The First 30 Seconds Tell Us a Lot
Before clippers or water touch your dog, we run our hands over the whole body. We’re checking for lumps, swelling, sore spots, and changes since the last visit.
A Shih Tzu we’ve groomed for two years has a map in our heads. We know their usual weight, their skin tone, where they tend to mat, and how they react to being handled. A flinch in a new spot gets our attention.
We also watch how the dog moves. A Shih Tzu that used to hop onto the table and now hesitates might be dealing with a joint issue, a nail that grew into the pad, or a sore paw they’ve been licking raw under all that fur. Owners miss these shifts because they play out over weeks. We see the dog once a month, so the contrast stands out.
Skin Problems Hide Under a Full Coat
Shih Tzus carry a thick double coat that makes them look round and fluffy. It also traps moisture, blocks airflow, and hides skin conditions for weeks.
Once we brush out the coat and get the dog wet, we can see the skin. Red patches, flaking, hot spots, fungal infections, flea dirt, and allergic reactions all show up during the bath. We find these on dogs whose owners had no idea anything was wrong, because the coat looked fine from the outside.
Seasonal allergies hit Dunwoody dogs hard in fall. Ragweed pollen gets trapped in the undercoat, and the dog scratches, which creates micro-abrasions, which get irritated, which leads to more scratching. By the time the owner notices the dog chewing its paws, the cycle has been running for weeks. A groomer catching it at the bath stage can break that loop before it needs a vet visit.
We also see contact dermatitis from lawn chemicals on bellies and paws. Shih Tzus sit low to the ground, so their skin picks up whatever’s on the grass.
Ears and Eyes Give Early Warnings
Shih Tzu ears are floppy, furry, and warm inside. Bacteria and yeast love that environment. We clean ears during every groom and check for redness, discharge, odor, and wax buildup that signals the start of an infection.
A brown, waxy buildup with a yeasty smell means the ear is heading toward an infection. If we catch it now, a cleaning and an ear-dry solution can handle it. Wait another two weeks and the dog ends up at the vet on antibiotics.
Eyes matter too. Shih Tzus have large, prominent eyes that are prone to ulcers, dry eye, and tear staining. We look for cloudiness, excessive tearing, redness, and squinting. Tear stains that get worse or change color can point to a blocked tear duct or a dietary issue. We flag what we see so you can bring it up at the next vet visit.
Matting Patterns Tell Us Where to Look
Matting tells us things the dog can’t say. A Shih Tzu that mats behind the ears and under the collar? Normal friction points. A dog that mats on one hip or one leg? That dog might be favoring that side, lying on it more, or refusing to let anyone brush there because it hurts.
We once groomed a Shih Tzu with a tight mat on its lower back that the owner figured came from rolling on the carpet. Under the mat, we found a small mass the owner hadn’t felt through the coat. The vet biopsy came back benign, but nobody would have noticed it for months without the groom.
Matting on the belly and inner legs often means the dog is licking or chewing those areas. That points to allergies, anxiety, or a urinary issue. Matting around the rear can signal digestive problems causing soft stool. The mat is a symptom, and our job is to spot the pattern and tell you about it before it gets worse.
When We Pick Up the Phone Mid-Groom
Most of the things we find are minor. We note them on the grooming record, mention them at pickup, and suggest you keep an eye on it. But a few times a year, we find something that needs a call right then.
A lump that’s grown fast since the last visit. A nail bed that’s infected and swollen. A tick embedded deep in the ear canal. An eye that’s clouded over since four weeks ago. These are the moments where catching it at the grooming table saves the dog weeks of discomfort.
We keep records of every groom, including notes on anything unusual. If we flagged a small lump last month and it’s bigger now, we’ll tell you. If your dog’s skin has been getting redder over three visits, we’ll connect those dots for you and your vet.
Book Your Dog’s Next Health Check (Disguised as a Groom)
Robin’s Groomingdales has been grooming dogs in Dunwoody since 1980. We know coats, and we know skin, ears, nails, and all the things your dog’s fur covers up between vet visits. A regular grooming schedule, every 4 to 6 weeks for Shih Tzus, gives us a consistent baseline to spot changes early.
If your Shih Tzu (or any breed) is overdue, book a full groom and ask us to walk you through what we find. You might be surprised at what’s been hiding under all that fluff.
📍 2482 Jett Ferry Rd, Dunwoody, GA 30338
📞 (770) 396-8902
🌐 robinsgroomingdales.us