Is your dog having matted hair Is her coat so gnarly and matted that you’d unzip it and send it to the cleaners if you could? It’s obviously not fun or a joke untangling the matted fur.
While trying to untangle, you may find hundreds and hundreds of hairs involved in just one mat.
Those who haven’t experienced it before, believe me! It’s not an easy task to break them up.” Unless Your pet wears a buzz cut or the groomer, you’ll probably end up dealing with hair cuts at some point. And, that is the wrong way of handling matted hair in dogs.
Even I messed up untangling the matted hair of my dog. While Here are a few tips from the experts to help smooth things out.
01. Keep your pet dry:
Once your dog’s matted hair gets wet. Believe me! after that, you gonna mess up into failure. I know what I have been to me.
When your dog is wet, the mats will shrink up like a wool sweater. An when they dry and you’ll never be able to get them out
So keep your pet out of the water, and even wet grass. Until you successfully de-mat your dog’s fur.
02. How can you untangle with fingers?
Untangling a mat is like solving a brain teaser. It takes both time and patience. But it can be done.
How?
- Start at the ends of the hairs and gradually work inward—hair by hair, if necessary—divide the mat in half with your fingers. do not be in a hurry while performing it.
- Next, divide the halves into quarters, the quarters into eighths, and so on until all the clumps are gone.
- Then run a comb through the hair to make the coat smooth.
03. Brush-off the mats:
Brushing can be a great solution to the matted hair on dogs.
How?
- Begin near the tips of the hair and using short, rapid strokes.
- Likewise, gently brush upward.
- As the hair gets smooth, gradually work your way down toward the skin.
Most importantly, don’t dig the brush in too deep or you’ll cause more tangling. Once you find the way to reach a dog’s skin, brush the length of the hair, then finish the job with a comb. If the comb snags, go back with the brush and work out the tangle.
04. Sprinkling cornstarch makes it slippery:
Spraying cornstarch on dog hair makes rough and tangled mats easier to separate and loosen. It helps the hair slide right out of the mat, As you work deeper into the mat, add more cornstarch as needed.
05. Buy a spray for matted hairs:
Pet stores sell sprays made specifically for detangling unruly snarls. Or use BioSilk Detangling Spray which typically contains silk proteins, will help hairs slide out of the mat. If you think to work it on your cat, however, read the label to make sure the product is safe for felines.
Take it in stages. If your pet has more than one mat or one big mat particularly tough, a good idea is to untangle it in stages. Experts recommend working on mats for only about ten minutes at a time. Because prolonged working can be painful for dogs. Then give your pet extra love and maybe a special treat. Thereafter, come back to the mat a few hours later. You want to make the de-matting as pleasant an experience as possible.
06. Be careful! With cutting job:
If you come across a particularly stubborn mat, cutting it in half or simply straight down through the middle will make it easier to work out with your fingers.
In some cases, it may be easiest just to cut the whole thing out.
It’s often the best thing to do for the sake.
- Carefully push the tips of the scissors between the mat and the skin
- Then gently spread the tips to loosen the mat.
- Do this from several angles.
- Then carefully use the scissors to cut the hairs between the mat and the skin, a few hairs at a time.
It’s easy, with a thick mat surrounded by hair and a struggling pet, to cut the skin, so be very careful.
Pet stores sell a variety of sharp grooming tools such as mat splitters, but in most cases, it’s best to leave such tools to the pros.
Even sharp scissors can be dangerous, I have found too many pets come in for stitches to the vet after well-meaning owners used these tools.
07. Take your pets to Professional Groomers:
It is important to remember that professional groomers have special tools to help untangle tough mats. You can take pets to these groomers. While the best groomers sometimes give up and resort to a shortcut. It is the only alternative to step 6.
08. Prevention: Thoroughly brush daily:
Once your pet is mat-free, giving her a daily brushing will help keep her coat smooth. Be sure to brush out every laver of the coat down to the skin.
While many owners follow a wrong practice of just brushing the surface layers. And that won’t work. Your pet is still going to suffer from matted hair. Since every animal coat is different, you must dog-specific grooming brush like a Dematting Comb Tool
09. Apply Conditioner Once a Week:
Regularly using a conditioner will help keep your pet’s coat smooth and healthy,
You should apply the conditioner like Coat Dog Shampoo about once a week. As always, read the label to make sure the conditioner you choose is safe for your pet, be it a cat or a dog.
10. Short Coat Prevents Matting:
One full proof way to prevent matting is to keep your dog’s coat cut short. It’s much better, in the long run, to prevent mats than to have to get rid of them, A short coat is easy prevention.
Final Words:
Matted hair is never pretty below the surface can be even worse. But what’s happening worse. Unless you regularly comb out mats. they can provide an ideal hiding place for bacteria, yeast, and other parasites.
Overtime. sores may develop under the mat, which in turn can cause a serious infection. So if you or the groomer finds an open. infected sore underneath a large mat—or if your pet experiences a fever or loss of appetite—see your vet right away. These signs would indicate that a mat was much more than just a cosmetic problem. Your dogs may need medical attention quickly.