The Dangers of Matting and How to Avoid it

Matting is risky for a dog’s health, especially since it makes it impossible for pet owners to take a good look at their pet’s body.

Daily inspections are necessary to make sure that your dog doesn’t pick up parasites from the outdoors – and if the fur is matted, you have no way of telling whether they have fleas or, worse, any skin lesions.

What is Matting and 5 Tips to Avoid It

A matted coat usually occurs in periods where your dog tends to shed a lot - it's when the old coat and the new one stick to each other and form dense tangles and clumps. Mats can spread across a dog's entire body, creating a layer that can sometimes cover them from their ears to the bottom of their tails.

Groomers can get rid of knots and tangles by simply giving your dog a haircut. This is one of the most effective methods and one that you can also perform at home if you have prior experience in grooming your dog.

If your dog’s coat has matted and they develop some sort of skin condition, you'll have a difficult time treating it as the medication should come in direct contact with the dermal surface.

Furthermore, if your dog gets a skin ulcer from, say, sustaining a superficial scratch, matting might increase the risk of them developing a bacterial skin infection.

To make matters worse, insects can lay their eggs in such spots, so your dog could end up having worms in some bits of their skin without you even knowing.

Here’s how you can prevent your dog’s coat from matting.

Brush your dog’s coat regularly

We all know that grooming is essential when it comes to dogs, especially those with thick coats. If you don’t maintain a set schedule for brushing your dog’s fur, you’re making way for knots to happen.

And once your pet’s coat has matted, you’ll have a truly hard time getting rid of those areas. If you can’t handle the task of brushing your pet’s entire coat every day, the least you can do is to put on a Pet Grooming Glove and give your mate a nice massage before or after every walk.

However, if your dog’s coat is very long, we suggest using a Self Cleaning Slicker Brush instead. This type of accessory easily detangles your dog’s fur and removes dust and debris with as little effort on your part as possible.

Give your dog a haircut

Taking your pet to the grooming salon will cost you some money, and if you aren’t prepared to do that regularly, the least you can do is to trim their coat on your own.

If your dog is generally calm and doesn’t get scared easily, you can rely on our Easy Trim Cordless Clippers to keep your pet’s coat short and manageable, especially in those problem areas such as around their ears, face, or on their paws.

Use a shampoo that conditions your dog’s coat

Although bathing your dog day in and day out is definitely out of the question as you will be ruining their skin's pH level, giving them a bath once every three to four weeks is allowed.

Use a soothing shampoo such as one made with safe and conditioning agents like aloe vera, oatmeal, chamomile, vitamin E, and other similar ingredients that can give your dog a shiny and healthy-looking coat and also help them with itching in case they have an allergy.

Our 2 in 1 Oatmeal & Aloe Wash combines the best of both worlds since it’s both a shampoo and a conditioner in one. All of its ingredients are natural, which is why it can be used safely on both adult dogs and puppies.

Remove small knots

If giving your dog a haircut isn’t a ready option, and you can’t take them to the grooming salon, you can opt to work on detangling their coat instead. And when all else fails, you can simply cut the knots, provided that this is something you've done before without ruining your pet's entire coat.

If detangling is possible, though, you may want to try the Rufus & Coco 4in1 Detangler & Pamper Spray, which also deodorises your pet’s fur, gives it a great shine, and also reduces static.

Feed your pet the right diet

Although matting can affect most medium to long-haired breeds, your mate’s diet actually has a say when it comes to how often this issue needs to be resolved.

If your dog’s skin is well-nourished thanks to the food you’re giving them, it will produce enough natural oils for their coat not to get severely tangled.

If you keep up with a normal coat brushing routine and your dog gets plenty of omega fatty acids and vitamin C, E, and K from their food, you can effectively and conveniently prevent matting.

Final thoughts

If you do decide to remove your dog’s matting by cutting their knots with a pair of scissors, make sure that you always have a disinfectant on hand.

Our Ear & Wound Care can also come in handy in this case, as you never know when an accidental scratch can happen – in case your dog moves or you lose your concentration.

Preventing matting is much easier than solving the problem, so try to stick to a regular grooming routine.