ALL ABOUT MATTING

 

Matts can be very painful to the dog. If the hair cannot be separated with your fingers so that you can see the skin, the matting might be severe enough to be causing your dog pain. If it

Matts mean the skin can’t breath which causes fungus and bacteria, the coat malfunctions and can’t regulate the temperature of your pet leading to a myriad of unnecessary skin sores and problems for your dog

When hair gets tangled especially over a large area, it will pull on your dog’s skin which can cause bruising and the inability for your dog to move freely without it tugging.

Humanely, the only way to remove mats is to shave under the matted hair close to the skin. If we don’t, our tools will be unable to shave through the coat and will cause tugging, pulling on the hair and hurting your dog.

**Dog hair grows about 1cm a month, so your pooch will be fluffy again in no time at all!

Please never try to cut out matts at home as it’s very easy to cut the skin. We take every precaution to keep your dog safe but sometimes injuries are unavoidable. These are usually noticed after chopping off a matt.

These might include:

Hotspots: skin infections that leave a raw, weepy patch on your dogs skin. Can be caused by trapped moisture under knotted hair, or from knots pulling on the skin. 

Spring brings pollens which can cause itchiness without the dogs coat for protection

Bruising: in severe cases, your dog may have bruising on their body from extremely tight matting. Once the matting has been removed the bruising will usually fade over a couple of days.

Aural Hematomas: if your dog has had tight knots removed from their ears, their blood rushes into the ears which may cause bruising, feeling similar to pins and needles. If your dog starts shaking its head a lot because of the strange feel to their ears,the rushing  blood can start oozing out of the pores. A cool compress can be soothing

Rashes: if the tight knots have irritated the skin from pulling, or if your dog has been chewing on the knots to try and relieve discomfort, often we find rashes and irritation on the skin.

Grazes and cuts: even with all safety precautions taken, sometimes we have to use very short blades to remove tight matting, and this can unfortunately lead to grazes. Tight matting can also pull skin into the knots and lead to small cuts in the skin.

After we have dealt with the matting, your dog may be uneasy with its new haircut for a couple of days as they have gone from wearing a heavy fur coat to having a crew cut. If it’s cold, you may want to put a jumper on your dog.

Sometimes dogs might lick sensitive parts of their body after having matting removed, they may need to see their vet or wear a cone.

SPECIFIC AFTERCARE ADVICE for Matts

Things to look out for: If your dog starts licking sensitive parts of their body after having matting removed, they may need to see their vet or wear a cone.

Discourage and distract your dog from excessive scratching with freshly clipped nails as sharp nails may break skin.

If your dog is excessively shaking his head this may lead to a pooling of fluid in the ears, called a haematoma. Seek medical advice.

Very short coats can also allow sunburn. Protect your dogs from the sun as much as you can (go for walks in the evening or early morning. Walk shady streets where possible) or if cold, you may want to put a jumper on them.

Your pet will feel different after matts have been removed. Literally a weight off their shoulders! They feel different and they know they look different. 

Please reinforce what a good boy or girl they are. If you laugh at the way they look or say how silly they look with skinny legs and bald bottoms, they will feel that they have done something wrong and hide away..

 

You may be asked to sign off on these conditions prior to us admitting your dog:

 

I _______   , owner of __________    (name) the ____________(breed), give permission for 

‘MutleyCrew’ to groom my dog. 

I understand because of knots & matting, my dog will be shaved as short as necessary to make them comfortable. 

I understand that there will be an extra charge associated with this groom due to the time taken to safely remove knots from my dog. 

I understand that any injury that occurs in the course of removing knots from my dog is not the responsibility of MutleyCrew and indemnifies them from responsibility of any vet bills that may come from the grooming process.

 

Dated ___________________

 

Signed ____________________