I'm watching a dog whose nails are so long she can't even walk right. I've also noticed several growths under the skin. How do i approach the owner so he can reimburse me for vet bill
I know you want to do the right thing, but I wouldn't take it upon yourself to bring the dog to the vet. While the growths could be significant, this is not an emergency, life-threatening situation. All you can do is ask the owner about the growths and whether they've been checked. The same goes for the nails. Tell the owner what you've observed and how, you believe, the dog has difficulty walking because of their length. That's an easy and a inexpensive thing to fix.
Thanks for the feedback, it's heartbreaking seeing her paws but o think you guys are right. All i can do is bring it to the owners attention.
Unless it's a life-threatening emergency, I would do as Karen suggested and just mention it to the owner. Do not take it upon yourself to fix anything. That's not your job, and you could get in trouble from the owner.
I can relate to you. I want to fix every dog that comes my way. I have a dog that comes to me about 4 times a month and her nails were really long. I told the owner in a very casual way. Hey (dog's name) nails are so long did you know that hurts her every time she walks? Low and behold I saw her the next time and her nails were shorter. As for the growth I would mention it as well in the same manner. " I was petting so and so and I noticed she has growth on her skin, can you confirm if it's something that's contagious I need to make sure because there are other dogs in my care." Who's to say they are growth and not something else? And don't take any dog to the vet, remember she is not your dog, your job is to care for her while her owner is away. We love dogs and that is why we are in this business but unfortunately we can't fix them, I wish we could :)