Veterinarians recognize chronically matted hair and strangulating hair mats in dogs as a medical finding in animal neglect.
Chronically matted hair and strangulating hair mats in dogs are recognized by veterinarians as a medical finding in animal neglect.
According to ASPCA Veterinarian Dr. Julie Horton, matted hair can lead to severe medical problems for pets: Even very mild hair mats can cause skin irritation and progress to infected lesions. A wound left unattended can accumulate maggots.
Mats cut off the air flow in your dog's hair and can trap moisture, which can cause irritation and sores on your dog. Even mild matting can be painful, but in severe cases, matting can cut off circulation to your dog's skin and cause hematomas.
While some cuts are small enough that they will heal on their own, many wind up needing sutures to have the wound closed properly. Because of this, most mats need to be removed with specialized grooming clippers which let us get up under the mat and right against the skin without cutting into it.
If you're really struggling to remove your pup's mats, take him to the groomer. While it may cost you some money, it will save both you and your dog a lot of anguish. If you find your dog is developing mats, increase the frequency of grooming appointments to help keep them at bay.
Over time, mats grow tighter, and become itchy, and become hot on the cat's skin, causing great discomfort. Eventually the skin becomes irritated and inflamed, risking possible infection. Extreme cases of matting may require the cat being put under anesthesia and shaved.
Veterinarians recognize chronically matted hair and strangulating hair mats in dogs as a medical finding in animal neglect.
Some dogs are more prone to mats, such as the Poodle, Bichon Frise, Cocker Spaniel, and any dog with a long coat or who is a heavy shedder, Verplank says.
Don't bathe your dog, as the mats will soak up water and become even tighter. Try using cornstarch to help loosen the fur. Rub it directly into the matted area.
If the matting is severe and close to the skin, airflow becomes constricted and the skin can dry and fester. This leads to painful sores and infections. Dander and dead skin carried in mats also leave dogs prone to infection. This can happen even if they only receive a very small knick or scrape.
Acute hair matting presents with a stiff prominent and impenetrable mass of matted hair and, in many cases, is associated with a foul smell.
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.
If the guardian of the animals is not approachable, or if you suspect the animal is suffering from abuse as well as neglect, alert law enforcement, your local humane society, or your local SPCA (whichever is appropriate in your area) about the situation.
Still, grooming-related omissions of care may meet legal definitions of animal neglect and have serious consequences for individuals who are unable or unwilling to provide adequate grooming-related care (7, 8). For example, if animal neglect is reported to law enforcement, these pet owners may face criminal charges.
Bathe your dog regularly, but only once you can get a comb through his fur or hair. Bathing a matted dog will make the situation worse. Conditioner alone does not magically remove matting. Talk to your groomer about how often your particular breed needs bathing.
Unhealthy coat's appearance: A dog with an unhealthy coat will have dry and brittle hair with lots of loose hair in the coat. The coat itself may also be greasy or have a dusty appearance and include bald spots and an unpleasant oily smell.
Though many people think dogs can curl up and sleep most anywhere, your furry friend really shouldn't be sleeping on the floor. You also probably don't want him climbing up on your beds or sofas. The truth is, dogs need beds just like we do, and they are beneficial for a variety of reasons.
Mats in cat fur are not only unsightly, but they are also painful to your cat. They can lead to skin irritation and infection if they're not removed. De-matting a cat is typically not a fun experience for the feline or the human.
Matted fur is more than just a cosmetic issue. Matting can lead to dry and flakey skin, resulting in air and moisture being prevented from reaching the skin. If left to worsen, the skin can even become irritated.
For serious cases of matting, you should seek help from a professional groomer or your veterinarian. If the mats are only affecting your cat's fur, a professional groomer can remove them either by combing or by shaving them off with electric clippers.
A groomer has to adjust the price to cover the time lost when grooming a matted dog, as well as the money spent to have clipper blades and shears sharpened.
Matting Affects Circulation
By trapping blood near the surface of the skin, matting may keep blood from flowing to the feet, ears and tail, which can cause severe wounds (like bed sores) or allow your pet to overheat in the summer or contract frostbite in the winter.