If you own a long-coated dog breed like a Golden Retriever, Shi Tzu, or a Rough Collie something you will likely encounter when grooming your dog is matts!
But what exactly are matts, and how can we prevent them from occurring? In this blog we will go over how to remove matts from your dogs coat- simply!
What Are Matts?
Matts are when the hair becomes tangled and wraps around itself, causing clumps of dead hair, and live hair, an example of a matt can be seen in the below photo.
What Causes Matting?
Shedding, and movement are the main cause of matting in dogs, movement can be in the form of playing, walking, scratching, or even moving around while sleeping! In all these activities the coat moves and can become entangled while doing so. Unregular maintenance grooming in dogs is the biggest cause of matts getting worse, if your dog isn’t groomed regularly it can cause severe matts that can actually be detrimental to your dogs health.
The Complications Of Matting
Severe matting can restrict a dogs movement, cause sores, skin problems, and in very severe cases it can even encourage parasites like fleas, ticks, and even maggots in the dogs coat *yuck!* now we don’t want any of those!How Can I Remove Matts From My Dogs Coat?
Matts can be removed from your dogs coat at home or by a professional groomer, matts are usually removed by using one of three methods: Method 1 Brush & Detangling Spray For small matts What you will need: A suitable area (i.e: table), a slicker brush or grooming comb, detangling spray Run your slicker brush or grooming comb through your dogs coat to locate the matt, once you have located the matt, separate the hair around it and spray the matt with your detangling spray to help soften it. Once the spray has worked into the matt begin to massage it with your fingers to help loosen it. Once the matt has been loosened you can then begin the process of brushing it out, to do this you will need to hold the base of the matt with one hand, this helps prevent the brush pulling on your dogs hair and thus his skin, stopping that ouch feeling like we get when we get a knot in our hair! You can then begin brushing starting at the furthest point of the skin, when brushing out the matt ensure to use very small strokes and to take it slowly, you may need to take breaks in between brushing depending on how tangled the matt is. If after 10 minutes the matt still isn’t untangled you can try using further detangling spray, if this doesn’t work them move on to method 2. Method 2 Clipping For severe matts For matts that won’t untangle via method 1 they will need to be clipped out, due to the nature of this process clipping should only be attempted by a professional dog groomer.How Can I Prevent Matts In My Dogs Coat?
The best way to prevent matting in your dog’s coat is to try to stop them from occurring in the first place this can be done by either: Weekly Grooming By grooming your dog regularly or taking them to a groomer at least once a week it can help prevent and remove any matts and ensure their coat stays in tip-top condition, with minimal matts! Grooming is essential for any kind of dog whether short or long hair, it can help remove dander, dead hair, and even stimulate hair follicles, it can also be a great way to bond with your dog, and to give you the opportunity to check them over for any lumps or bumps.
Clipping
Clipping is another way to prevent matts occurring by clipping your dog you remove the hair and thus remove the matts, your dog can be clipped by yourself, or by a professional dog groomer like us! Please note that only single coated breeds should ever be clipped, double-coated breeds or breed mixes (Border collies, Newfoundland’s, Siberian Huskies, Golden Retrievers etc…) should NOT be clipped unless recommended by your vet for medical reasons
For more information or to book your dog in for grooming please contact us
