# Badly matted fur!



## Greater Swiss (Jun 7, 2011)

I found a dog wandering around where I work today, called the SPCA and posted several ads, contacting the vets tomorrow. No collar, no chip (the SPCA checked for me). I brought him home for the meantime, I don't mind plus the SPCA has no room left. He is FILTHY and he has fairly long fur which is very badly matted. I spent about an hour getting the sticks and burrs out of his fur. If his owners don't call for him tomorrow I really want to give him a bath. 

Question is, what to do about the mats? He is tolerating brushing fairly well, but to really get rid of them all the poor guy needs to be shaved. Of course I don't want to do that to him in case his owners call and are really angry about it. Suggestions? Should I do what I can then bathe him even with the mats, he's really dusty, dirty, and smells a bit. His ears are also a bit of a mess, at least I can clean those!
Thoughts? Oh, and here is a picture, yes, he only has three legs, he's a bit overweight so isn't too nimble (OOOOH I could rant for hours about the owners that let him get in this state, and let him wander which probably lost him his leg, he is young too! but I digress and am making unfair assumptions)








I just have to hope my internet works for more than 30 seconds tomorrow, I kind of hope the owners take their time, I'd like to see this guy get cleaned up before he gets let out again


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Poor dude. Is he matted to the skin or no? If he isn't matted to the skin, I would just cut the mats off as long as I could. If is he matted to the skin you could try a little corn starch to break them up and pick them apart if he tolerates the brushing. At least someone is looking out for him.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Eee! He looks like my Penny. Her fur doesn't get matted, exactly, just sort of thatchy. It can be combed out with some effort. Is his fur like that or in actual hard mats? If they are mats, you can carefully cut them out. Be reallyreally careful because it's super easy to cut skin instead of mat. If he's just thatchy, grab an undercoat rake and a metal comb and get ready for a few hours of combing. . .


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## Greater Swiss (Jun 7, 2011)

Hmmm, actually Willowy, thatchy sounds like a good description, but its all the way down to the skin, there are one or two hard mats, but everything (especially his hind end) is a mess of tangles. If I cut it out like mats, he'd be bald. I might try some corn starch though! Worst case scenario I have to wash it out. I did try some human detangler for kids, just a squirt or two, it made a tiny difference. I'm working tomorrow, but if I have time with him after, and on Friday I'll keep working on him. 
I'm not pleased about how he's been "taken care of", he's pretty overweight, so he hasn't been lost long, but such a mess. I really hope I at least get him cleaned up really well before I have to give him to his owners (assuming they bother looking for him, though they cared enough to get him amputated apparently....)


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Just brush and comb him, ideally, no bath unless you get him all combed out. If you shave him, it may ruin the coat,,as he is a double coat. He doesnt look in very bad shape, and likely just needs a good brushing. If there are some small hard matts hanging in the fur, they will brush iut of the fur. Bathing with matts and not drying completely with a hair dryer while brushing will just tighten them making it more difficult to remove them. I am sure his owners are looking for him.


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## Greater Swiss (Jun 7, 2011)

Graco22 said:


> Just brush and comb him, ideally, no bath unless you get him all combed out. If you shave him, it may ruin the coat,,as he is a double coat. He doesnt look in very bad shape, and likely just needs a good brushing. If there are some small hard matts hanging in the fur, they will brush iut of the fur. Bathing with matts and not drying completely with a hair dryer while brushing will just tighten them making it more difficult to remove them. I am sure his owners are looking for him.


I was worried it would make the mats worse....I guess no bath for this little guy if his people come for him tomorrow. He is shockingly matted. I HOPE his owners are looking for him, it just seems so odd that they cared enough to pay for an amputation, but don't care enough to brush him (or wash his ears for that matter, ICK!). He is really not doing great with the amputation, not nimble at all, and although Caeda is behaving fairly well, she really stresses him out. We've set the date to take him to the SPCA as Saturday if they have room and we haven't heard from the owners by then. After work tomorrow its a long walk for Caeda and the rest of the night spent brushing out mats!


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