Matted Coats

So I've had a few dogs that have been fairly matted and have had to shave off coats or sections of the coat due to how bad they have become. So I thought I would do a quick write up about matted coats.

I think with the wet damp muddy time of year it's more important to be checking your dogs coat.

Also if you are unsure if you are Brushing your dog correctly, please feel free to message and we can arrange a quick lesson.

Brushing & Matting

Matting is caused by dense tangles and knots within the dogs coat and it is a painful condition that can lead to other health issues such as infections or skin irritations, bruising and can also mask other health issues.

Matts cut off the air flow in your dog's hair and can trap moisture, which can cause skin irritation and sores on your dog. Even mild matting can be painful, but in severe cases, matting can cut off blood circulation to your dog's skin and cause hematomas. In some circumstances, matting may be so severe that you would need to take your dog to a veterinarian for treatment as it may need sedation or other treatments to remove the Matt's and treat any sores.

Some dogs have higher maintenance coats and more vulnerable to matting. Dogs with longer hair/ coat types such as Poodles, Doodles, Curly coats, Cocker Spaniels (specifically ears), Bishon, ShihTzu and any variation of these breeds. Dogs with long silky coats such as Yorkies can also get matted.

Friction: Areas such as under the armpits, in between the legs/ tummy, neck, ears and legs where they lay down are high priority areas due to harnesses, collars, and rolling/ laying down and also if they wear coats etc.

Water: Water is a big contributor to matting this not only includes bathing but also rainy walks, puddles or rubbing/ rolling around on wet grass

Imagine having extremly knotty/ deadlocked hair and trying to brush it out...it is going to be extremely uncomfortable and most likely painful for you. The same as it would be for a dog

Unfortunately in some cases it is not an option to keep fluffy "fluffy" and dogs may need to be taken short/ shaved. This is on order to keep the dogs comfortable, healthy and free from pain.

It is highly recommended to brush your dog regularly between grooms to avoid matting and keeping the desired fluffy groom you like. Recommended brushes are slicker brushes, combs, long pin brushes to get right down to the skin and brush right out, remember to use the brush first and follow up with a comb, making sure the comb can easily slide through the entire coat to the skin.

Hope this helps to explain, and happy brushing.