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.
Chronically matted hair and strangulating hair mats in dogs are recognized by veterinarians as a medical finding in animal neglect.
In severe cases, matting may impede regular air circulation to skin, cut off air supply to extremities, damage, bruise and discolour skin, open up sores and rips, become a breeding ground for fleas and parasites and be very smelly. Simply put, matting is painful for your dog.
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.
But, cat matting will not go away on its own. It will need to be removed before it can cause further pain and damage to the skin. If you are uncomfortable with either of the techniques below, then the best thing would be to reach out to a professional cat groomer near you for the best options for your cat.
Smelling badly, having rashes or other skin conditions that might indicate poor hygiene, and having consistently unwashed or matted hair could all be signs of neglect.
Does it have to be cut out? No, matted hair can be successfully detangled without cutting the hair. It takes patience, work, and product, but it can be accomplished and end up saving your strands and your nerves from being shot. Yanking or ripping the hair apart leads to further damage to your strands.
The dematting tool has been developed primarily to remove the knots and matting without affecting the coat. Getting rid of mats and tangles from your dog's fur is essential since they can cause infections, skin irritation, and even painful skin problems.
The quick answer is: It will take an average of 1 hour to groom your dog. If he has a short and low-maintenance coat you may be done in as little as 20 minutes. If you own a breed with a more difficult coat or a large breed, it may take up to 2 hours to groom your dog.
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.
If your dog has long hair and sensitive skin, your options for keeping her coat tangle-free and soft are limited. Make an all natural coat detangler at home using coconut oil and fresh rosemary. This wonderful concoction will make her coat soft, shiny and keep it smelling wonderful.
It can cost between $50 to $220 to sedate a dog.
Veterinarians recognize chronically matted hair and strangulating hair mats in dogs 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.
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.
DON'T brush damp fur
Because brushing your dog when his hair is wet can be quite painful, while also creating more tangles and knots. That's why you should always brush dogs before you bathe them and then just let it all dry naturally afterward.
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.
Use leave-in conditioner to brush mats out.
Fill a spray bottle with 1/2 conditioner—preferably dog conditioner, but even human conditioner will work in a pinch and 1/2 water, so that it's diluted. spray liberally on and around the mats and matted area. Gently brush the matted area, drawing mats away from the skin.
With wet or lightly dampened hair (a spray bottle to spritz on some moisture works great!), massage in moisturizing or detangling-specific conditioner. You can also use detangling spray or oil (coconut, jojoba, argan, or a similar oil) instead, to help hydrate and loosen your hair.
If the matting is somewhat loose and not close to the skin, it may be possible to brush through and remove some areas. This process is usually painful and stressful for most dogs. The kindest way to remove matting is the dreaded shave down, whether the matting is sparse or covers the dog.
Most small knots can take 1 to 2 days to remove. Curly hair can be difficult be more difficult than straighter hair. Long curly hair tends to wrap around each other so there may be many knots inside of the 1 visible knot.
Acute hair matting presents with a stiff prominent and impenetrable mass of matted hair and, in many cases, is associated with a foul smell.