Matting: Here’s What Your Groomer Needs You to Know

RAFFI OHANIAN • March 4, 2022

If your beloved dog has intense knots and tangles in their fur, that means he or she is dealing with matting. It's worrisome not just because it hurts the doggo but also since it can lead to health issues like skin irritations and infections. Worst of all, it can inadvertently hide parasites and even other alarming problems.

Mats

Mats can be painful, making any activity your dog does uncomfortable, especially if it is warm. The air flow in their hair will end up rapping moisture which can be risky. Mild matting isn't harmless either, leading to discomfort that essentially turns into pain. Severe matting can cut off circulation to your dog’s skin and cause hematomas. You may need to visit a veterinarian to have the matting removed in extreme cases.

Brushing Your Dog's Matted Fur

Owners brush their dogs, thinking they are brushing off their coats. However, they may not realize that underneath this mat lies a thick layer. It's important for a groomer to comb all the way down to the skin and through the coat. If the fur is pelted, it has to be removed quickly.

Severe pelting cannot be brushed out, however; shaving is the best route.

Key Information Groomers Want to be Known

Groomers believe in doing what would be best for the dog. When it comes to dealing with mats, that essentially means shaving. No, this is not a short cut to handling things at all.

They are working on areas of your dog’s body that have thin skin, where the hair is likely to have been irritated and has become matted from being trapped in a certain place. Although they are taking precautions to ensure they will not cut or injure your dog, they still risk nicks, cuts or abrasions due to warts and moles hidden within the mat. Therefore, a heavily matted coat needs to be shaved slowly and carefully so that the groomer can take out all of the loose hair.

Why Not Just Grab Scissors and Cut the Mats Out?

Never use scissors to cut your dog’s matting! Instead of helping, it will put you in danger of accidentally cutting your dog’s skin. Groomers can’t just cut out the mats either since hat will be quite risky for your dog. They will only remove mats safely with clippers.

While shaving out mats will remove a large amount of fur, clippers are the safest way to shave out tangled fur. Even though they will be shaving some of your dog's fur off, it is our goal to keep him looking as full as possible.

They will work to ensure that he or she is comfortable during the shave and that he receives the best grooming possible. If your dog has a few small areas with severe mats, they can work around them; however, many times, it's best to start over with a full shave just in case.

If your dog's legs are matted and his body isn't, he would probably be best served by having his body shaved while keeping his legs intact.

Conclusion

Matting is a condition wherein dogs have dense tangles and knotting in their fur. They can be incredibly painful, even when mild. The best way to address it is to shave the dog's fur, something best done by groomers.

Looking for mobile grooming in Happy Hounds? Reach out to The HHG today! We are dog lovers who have made a career choice of spending time with dogs and helping with all their mobile grooming needs.

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