Mats, Tangles & Knots: What are they and why does my pet keep getting them?

It’s a lovely Monday morning, you look at your gorgeous Bahamian shih tzu Diamond, and you say, “Hmm Diamond, you need a bath, you smell like dog!!” So you hop into your car, and head to the local groomers, you walk in right to the receptionist and say, “Hey! Morning, Diamond needs a bath, she smells like a dog!” The receptionist responds, “That will be $20 for you ma’am.” You gladly take your money out, hand it to the receptionist and in your best baby talk voice you squeal, “See you later baby, mommy loves you, give me kisses!” You let the receptionist know you will be back at 3pm.

Fast forward to lunch time, your phone rings, it’s the groomers, they have called to inform you that Diamond is matted and will have to be shaved. You’re mortified, because they also tell you she has to be shaved really low as the mats are severe. You reluctantly agree to this, and now you are dreading the 3pm pick up time.

Its 3oclock, you are at the groomer, dreading the fact that your baby is going to come out looking like a rat.

You hear her barking…

The door opens…

She pokes her little nose through…

Your heart is racing a mile a minute…

Diamond burst thru the door looking as cute as ever and excited to see you! What a relief!

So the big question is what are mats? What do they look like? And how can, you as a pet parent avoid them?

The answer is simple, the process well, a bit taxing but worth it.

But first let us discuss what mats are. Mats are sections of hair clumped together forming tangles or knots. These tangles or knots are most common on long hair and double coated breeds, like shih tzu’s like diamond or german shepherds, Pomeranians, poodles, chows, yorkies and more. Mats, as they are most commonly called, can vary in severity. You can have minor matting which can be small sections like on the foot or behind the ear to major or sever where the whole body can be encased like a sweater.

Matts no matter how big can cause discomfort to your pet. Matts can cause tugging on the skin, redness, irritation, hotspots and so much more.

What Causes Matting?

Matting can be caused by static, dirt, water, rough play, trees, infrequent visits to the groomer and NOT COMBING/BRUSHING!!!

So, how do we prevent this preventable thing?

COMBING!

What? Combing? Not brushing, but combing!!

Combing is the best way to prevent mats. Combing your dog daily will prevent mats from forming.

So why not brushing? Brushing if not done properly only gets the top layer and not the undercoat. But if you were to comb the dog, you will be able to get from root to ends and getting out most of the knots.

So where do you begin?

Start from the feet and work your way up the body in small sections. If you encounter a snag, gently comb the mat out.

If you were to comb your long or double coated dog every 2-3 days you can prevent matting and you can keep your pets coat long, luxurious and healthy and would save you from the heartache of your pet coming from the groomers looking like a rat!