# mats



## osdbmom (Feb 15, 2011)

I take my dogs to the groomer about every 6 weeks. I bathe them weekly. I brush them often. 
When we first got Zoey, we did nothing different, but she NEVER got mats. Now, it seems, it keeps happening. (shes 11 months, pap/poodle cros). 
Ziva, (yorkie, 5 months), went to the groomer yesterday and came home shorn, groomer said there were mats under her legs in like the "pits" and once she cut all that down, it looked odd so she had to go ahead and cut her down to look even. She thought Id be mad but Im not, I prefer my dogs fluffy but if there were mats then she had to do it. Id just really like to prevent it from happening again.
Ziva gets brushed, but its really hard bc she hates the brush and screams/wiggles VIGOROUSLY. Its kind of a crap shoot on which areas are getting brushed and has to be done in small increments.
The groomer said for some reason she sees dogs that get mats more often once they have another dog they wrestle around with a lot. do you find that true? My dogs do surely wrestle around with each other all day, but thats how they play and I cant really stop that.
How can I prevent mats from happening, what more can I do, and what can I do once they start....if I cant get it brushed out, is there any other way to get them out?

thanks.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Your puppy is likely developing her adult coat and that can reflect the change in matting of the coat and yes, play can cause matts because there is often saliva involved. Moisture causes the hair coat to cling together, so swimming, getting muddy, playing vigorously etc can cause matts in certain areas (under the ears, under the front legs, on the back near the tail and thighs). Hand splitting can be used for some matts to get them started so that you can brush them out, using a comb or blunted scissors can help split them. Be very very careful with scissors and if the pup struggles do not use them, many an owner has snipped their dog's skin by accident and not noticed because it is under the matt and not visible until the matt is removed and the wound infected. I believe you can also get a spray conditioner that will help "oil" up the matt for easier removal, but this means a bath as well...
Conditioning the dog to accept brushing and handling using a high value treat and working very slowly and methodically to condition it can help. Making it a daily occurrence and keeping the sessions short and rewarding will help too.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

I noticed Pixie got a lot of mats one time we used a different groomer. Normally she doesn't get mats at all, ever. But after using that particular groomer, she got mats if I so much as looked at her. I strongly suspect that it was the shampoo they used, because she smelled quite strongly of shampoo for several days, which doesn't happen with our regular groomer.

So maybe try a different shampoo? Not sure what they use at our groomer's, but at home I use a mild organic brand, shampoo and conditioner in one, and she never get mats when I use that one either.


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## luv2byte (Oct 21, 2009)

Every day when we are petty CHloe (Eskie) we make sure to feel behind her ears and under her front arm pits, the two main places she get little knots in her fur. We take a minute to brush them out if we find any, it only take a second, she is happy to sit for us - her arm pits are very sensitive though. We keep her matting down since it can be painful and I really do not ever want to have to shave my eskie. Our mini aussie has never had a problem with any sort of mats.


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## WolfyNeiviv (Apr 24, 2011)

My gal did not used to like being brushed. Actually, in honestly ... she still does not like her tail or back legs brushed. Most likely because by the time I get to that part of her she is 'over' the experience. I trained her to enjoy the brushing little by little - brush her head/ears/neck, give her a treat; next time do the back and sides, give a treat; next time legs, treat; next time tail, treat. 

She actually loves to brush her teeth, so now it's a weekly routine - she even knows that on Sunday when I ask her if it's time to brush her hair, she runs right over to where her brush & toothbrush are kept. She sits while I brush her, then she gets to brush her teeth. (2x a week when her hair gets longer, and daily brushing if I notice mats starting)

One thing - you can hand split mats before they get too thick, but if they manage to get away on you (like my gal's did last month - for every one I got out four more dug in. argh!), do NOT cut them horizontally - be very careful if cutting them out - cut vertically with the hair/fur. Cutting across them will leave a mat/knot close to the skin and will keep bothering the dog. Cutting along will help you to be able to brush them out, and will leave more hair intact.


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

My dog is not long haired, but our cats always have been. Our old cat used to get mats in his "armpits" pretty regularly. Even with brushing, the constant friction from walking eventually matted up his fur. We (or our groomer at the vet) would shave them off using a beard trimmer (no guard). It worked very well and was easy for me to alone.

I don't suggest using scissors b/c it's too easy for the skin to be cut since it's hard to see through the hair and the mats are often all the way down to skin level. And the skin there is pretty stretchy and could easily be stretched up into the part you're trimming. If the mat isn't too awful, you _could _use conditioner and trim the end of it off and then comb the rest out. I just found shaving it off was fastest, least painful for both of us, and safe.


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## mom24doggies (Mar 25, 2011)

Sounds like your puppy is going through her coat change, and that always makes them mat more...you'll probably have to brush her daily for a while to keep her from matting up. Poodles especially have a difficult time with the whole coat change thing. For Ziva, I'd definitely recommend desensitizing her to the brush...I think someone already posted on how to do that. And yes, playing with other dogs causes the coat to mat. Getting wet with saliva, being chewed on, and rubbing against each other all contribute to mats. 

Do you brush them out before the bath? That is important. Water causes the mats to tighten, making them more difficult to get out. Also, blow drying after the bath is helpful. Thoroughly brushing the coat out 2 to 3 times a week is usually sufficient for medium length (1" and under) coats. Anything longer than that is probably going to have to be brushed daily/every other day. First, mist the coat lightly with either water or a light coat conditioner. Brushing dry hair can damage it. (I don't always do that with my kids, but it really is a good idea. I just get lazy sometimes.) Use a slicker brush, start at the back and work your way forward. The best way to brush thoroughly is to line brush...lift a section of hair with one hand, and brush the section beneath it with the other. Let down another section, brush it, and so on and so forth. After you brush, use a comb and go back over the dog to check for anything you missed. Concentrate on armpits/belly area, legs, and behind the ears. If you encounter a mat, separate it from the rest of the hair and gently work at it with your brush, using a "pat pull" motion. If it's a really stubborn mat that isn't coming out with brushing, you can use a mat splitter. Those are way better then trying to snip at it with scissors; it's much harder to cut your dog. If the mat is in a really sensitive area, (armpit, behind the ear...you can rip the ear open brushing/using a mat splitter on mats behind the ear. I refuse to brush those out, even if the dog's mom wants me to.) you'll have to shave it out, or have your groomer do it. The best thing for those areas is prevention....the cure creates funny looking bald spots. HTH a little.


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