What Is Matting?

Matting in dogs is more prevalent in certain breeds and hair types.  Typically breeds that don’t moult have the propensity to mat if owners don’t engage in a good brushing routine.  Long haired breeds, double coated breeds and silky haired breeds are the breeds at greatest risk.  Matting essentially means knots and tangles in a dog’s hair.  While this may seem harmless mats can affect the welfare of our beloved pets.

Dog Grooming

What Causes Matts In The First Place?

There are several reasons for dogs matting; here are some of the typical causes:

  • Licking – Dogs with allergies or skin irritations may lick their fur more often than usual, this action and the moisture can clump hair together.
  • Water – Dogs that enjoy swimming or the rain can be prone to matting.
  • Friction – Coats, harnesses and even collars can rub hair together and cause matting.

What Problems Can Matts Cause?

Matts can be uncomfortable for your pet for a number of reasons.  Matts can trap objects from the environment such as twigs and leaves, they also trap dead skin cells and sometimes parasites.  As well as hygiene issues mats also restrict the airflow to your pet’s skin, this means that it may restrict them from properly cooling down, and in severe cases cause sore spots. When these knots are towards the end of a dog’s hair, they can typically be removed far easier than when they reach the skin.

Dog Hair Brushing

What Can I Use To Combat Matts At Home?

  • Choosing the appropriate brush and comb for your dogs hair type and keeping up with a good brushing routine will prevent mats from forming in the first place.
  • Booking regular grooming appointments to keep your dog’s hair a manageable length will also help ease matting. Our groomer will always let you know a suggested time for your pet’s next groom after an appointment thus allowing you to re-book in good time.
  • Diet – A good diet can improve skin and hair hygiene and also reduce the presence of allergies and therefore excessive licking.

Some Product Recommendations from The Grange:

  1. Thunderpaws Deshedding Tool
  2. Slicker Brush and Comb
  3. De-tangling Spray

Please note that while The Grange Retreat love the above products, it is always safest to have your groomer administer and use them.

Is It Safe For Me To De-Matt At Home?

There are some risks to de-matting, which is why it is always best to keep on top of hair care and prevent mats before they form.  Using scissors without proper training could result in cuts and abrasions to your dog’s skin.  If the wound is particularly bad or becomes infected you may end up with higher vet bills than if you had simply taken them to a professional in the first place.

Dog Grooming At The Grange

How Does The Grange Retreat Take Care Of Matting?

Our groomer will often give a dog a dry cut, before a bath if there is evidence of mats.  There are a couple of reasons for this; if your pet has a lot of matting, washing a dog will not clean the areas which are densely matted so they wouldn’t get a proper clean if bathed before.  Also as mentioned before water can actually cause more matting so a good thorough de-matting course is needed before a bath.

Dependent on the severity of the matting our groomer will use different tools.  Sometimes matts can be teased out with the clippers, but if the matts reach the skin this poses a risk of cuts and so our groomer will have to tease out the mats with scissors and brushes.

The Grange Retreat do all we can to make pets comfortable during a groom but as you can imagine if matting is particularly severe it grooming can be a long and arduous process for both the groomer and the pet.  Therefore, it is always best to keep on top of hair care routines at home.

What Does The Grange Groomer Want Pet Owners To Know?

  • Sometimes if a dog is thoroughly matted, it may be in the best interests of the dog to be cut short, this may affect the style you wanted for your pet, but it can help to reduce the time grooming takes and the stress on your pet. Please don’t be under any illusion that we just want the groom completed quickly, this can still take a long time, we simply want your pet to be as comfortable as possible and to groom them without risk.
  • If there is evidence of matting on your dog and you cannot remove them safely at home, please don’t bath them, instead book a grooming appointment at your earliest possible opportunity.
  • For the safety and comfort of pets, knots and mats have to be worked on one at a time, and depending on the number and severity of mats this can take a long time, this is why we have a small additional charge for matting – £5 per extra 15 minutes of grooming.
  • For more information on our grooming prices, follow our link.