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| Photo Credit: http://www.gracielushihtzu.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/matted-dog1.jpg |
A matted coat is the result of neglecting to
brush a pets coat thoroughly, or even
at all.
Quite often owners brush their dogs fairly often; however they are only surface
brushing and not actually brushing through the coat, rite to the skin on every
surface inch of the body, double checking with a fine tooth comb. Proper
brushing techniques remove loose hairs and separate tangles before they get out
of hand. The hairs that shed from the follicle in regular regeneration (yes,
even “non-shedding” breeds shed hair strands when the coat regenerates it’s
self) release from the pores and get caught in the coat and surrounding hair
strands. They remain there and weave amongst other strands causing a matt; a
clump of hair that is tangled tightly to the skin. Pet owners I encounter on a
daily basis in my career, always want their matted pets “brushed out”. The only
way to do this, to be perfectly honest with you, is to pull and tug and rip the
hair from the skin. It is quite painful for the animal; while there are techniques
to aid in reducing pain such as splitting the matts etc, the best option and in
many cases the only option is to
shave the pet. The length of the blade used on the clipper to remove the matted
coat is determined by how close to the skin the matts are. A groomer cannot
“Take half off” of a matted coat, that would mean cutting through the middle of
the matts which is physically not possible. The blade must be short enough to fit
between the matts and the skin; however short or long that section of hair is,
is how short or long the coat can be left.
A matted coat is the result of neglecting to brush a pets coat
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| Photo Credit: http://www.theanswervet.com/hotspot_dog_shaved_640.jpg |
Removing a matted
coat can be both challenging and dangerous. Sharp tools around a tightly woven
matted coat, on a squirmy dog who does not like the discomfort of removing the
matted coat, much less sitting still for a groomer to poke and prod can be a
challenge in its self to safely remove the matted coat. Even the most skilled and
experienced groomer can nick or cut a matted dog trying to remove the coat.
Once removed safely, without harm caused by the groomer, the skin can reveal
sores, wounds, bruising and parasites such as fleas, lice, ticks etc. that have
been concealed by the matts. The constant pull of a matt tugging on the skins
surface can cause bruising, sores and prevents the skin from breathing. I have seen
matted coats neglected so long that moisture gets under the matt and the air
cannot dry the skin completely or let the skin breath, in which case infection
had set in, hosting a colony of maggots, no joke, this actually happens.
The
challenge of removing a matted coat is the reason that you can expect to pay
more at a grooming salon for a matted pet, so to prevent escalated prices and
physical harm to your pet make sure to keep a regular scheduled routine of
grooming every 8-10 weeks.
Seeing this neglect on a daily can be frustrating to groomers and people who work with animals. As stated in this blog “Do your research when purchasing/ adopting a
dog. If you don’t have the time or money, look for a different, [lower]
maintenance [breed]”
I cannot stress
enough how important it is to remove a matted coat, despite environmental
temperatures or any other reason/excuse to postpone the grooming. The negative
effects of a matted coat far outweigh the effects of a chilli pet. If you are
concerned your freshly shaved pet may be cold, it’s a perfect opportunity to
dress him up in that sporty little pet sweater you’ve wanted to purchase at
your local pet store.
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