Dematting
WHAT IS MATTING?
This condition of your dog’s fur is caused by very dense tangles and knots and is very painful. If left untreated, it can certainly lead to other health concerns like infections or skin irritations. Heavy matting also hides parasites like fleas, ticks, and mites. Matting can trap moisture and cut off your dog’s hair’s natural airflow, cutting off air circulation to your dog’s skin and cause hematomas. Matting can be quite painful.
Most long-haired breeds are prone to matting, but certain breeds suffer more than most such as Shih Tzu, Pekingese, Poodles, Doodles, Cocker Spaniels, Bishon, Japanese Spitz, Yorkies, and Maltese.
WHAT CAUSES MATTING?
- Fleas/Ticks/Mites: If your dog has ticks, fleas, or mites and itches, the scratching will result in matted and knotted fur.
- Allergies: Dogs with allergies that cause them to lick and itch themselves will probably develop matted fur.
- Playing in water: If your dog plays in the water and then rubs himself in dirt or grass, it will likely get matted fur, especially between the legs, belly, and anal region.
- Never bathe a matted dog as the mats will only get tighter and need to be removed first.
- Seasonal: As dogs are “blowing their coat” or shedding and getting their summer coat. If loose hair is not brushed and removed, the dead skin mixes with the hair and causes matting.
- Friction: This includes the areas where your dog has the most friction, such as armpits, legs, behind the ears, anal region, where the collar or harness sits.
HOW WE CAN HELP:
- Matting on a dog is like dreadlocks in your own hair. It is a time-consuming process. Our dematting process includes working on small sections of hair at a time, slowly releasing the mats using specialized dematting tools, and then brushing carefully.
- If the matting is severe, we recommend that your dog’s hair be cut short. How much we cut is dependent on how tight the matting is. We may have to shave close to the skin if the mats are very tight all the way up to the skin. It might not be the ideal haircut you want but will make your dog more comfortable.
- We want only the best for your dogs, and we are passionate dog-lovers, so we care for them a great deal. When dematting a badly matted dog, it will be necessary to shave them short very slowly.
- With medium matting, we are able to use clippers and not scissors to remove them safely. Scissors can cause damage to the skin or cause a wound.
- With light matting, we can use different brushes to remove the mats slowly.
- Matting around the ears is best shaved and never brushed. Mats around the dog’s ears can cause delicate blood vessels to rupture, causing hematomas in the ears, so brushing would only aggravate that.
- Prevention is the best cure – make sure you brush your dog’s hair regularly to prevent matting.
Schedule your appointment with us today if your dog’s hair is very matted. We can help!