Animals with matted coats need special attention and tend to take longer to groom than a non-matted pet. Mats are painful for the animal, and we will not leave mats on a pet that comes to see us. "Humanity over vanity" is our motto. We will not cause your pet any major or unnecessary stress by dematting (using a tool to cut through and brush out mats/pelting).
Why Mats are Serious Business
Mats in an animal's coat can become so tight that they pull at, damage, and tear the skin.
Heavy matting can trap moisture and biological matter on the pet's skin, causing mold, fungus, or bacteria to grow and cause skin irritations. Pelting is matting that covers the majority of parts of the body. This kind of matting is the most painful and difficult to remove from the pet.
Best Practice Solutions
When possible, we will spot shave or mildly demat by brushing out very small patches. “Very small” is relative but usually the size of a marble behind an ear, or a golf ball size bunch on a tail. These kinds of mats are easily hidden by other fur so shaving out is an option.
Pelting cannot be spot shaved as it will look patchy and daft.
The best and most comfortable solution for the pet is to be shaved all over, and that is what the owner should expect when there is thick matting over the majority of the dog.
Dematting a large area/areas can actually do more damage than good, breaking and splitting the hair, making it mat faster in the future. A shave down is a full reset to help grow back healthy hair!
Warnings and side effects
Removing a densely matted coat might result in nicks, cuts, or abrasions. Itching, skin redness, self-inflicted irritations or abrasions, and hematomas especially on the ears are all possible side effects of mat removal.
Pets may also experience short behavioral changes in some situations.
Prevention and Defense Against Mats
Grooming visits should be scheduled every 4-8 weeks for the best defense. We offer full grooms but also bath and tidy services, as well as between-groom brush out services. At-home brushing and combing 1-3 times a week is also highly urged. The groomer will be happy to go over how to properly line brush and comb with you.
By checking the box below, you acknowledge that your pet may need to be shaved to remove matting, and that you understand the risks involved.
Matted grooms incur an additional fee because it is time intensive and causes additional wear and tear on grooming equipment.