The Dog Spot

Dog Grooming Schools New York Article

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Removing Those Nasty Dog Mats

from: Kyle Besser

A tangle of hair that has formed a knot tight enough to resist brushing and combing is called a mat. Dog mats tend to form on dogs with thick, long, curly, or double coats in areas with longer hair, such as the base of legs, the anal area under the tail, under the chest by the front legs, and around the ears. In most cases, regular maintenance such as daily brushing and combing are needed to prevent tangles from turning into mats, but sometimes a mat will anyway.

Mats form because hair is covered in tiny scales. When hair is tangled or harshly treated, those scales can stick up, acting like tiny barbs. These barbs catch shed hairs, undercoat hairs and even dirt and debris, knotting and tangling until a solid mass of hair is formed that is virtually impossible to comb or brush out.

Some people deal with mats by simply cutting them out, but that leaves holes in the coat. In severe cases of mat, it may be required to shave the coat. Regular grooming should prevent the build up of mats, but if matting has gotten out of hand, shaving the coat might be a better approach rather spending hours and hours working with a mat splitter, scissors, comb and brush, pulling on the dog's coat.

The first step in mat removal is to have the proper tools. You may be able to get through most mats with sharp scissors and a comb, but you may also be able to preserve more of the coat using specialized equipment and products.

*Oil-based coat conditioner spray helps to smooth down the scales on the hair, saturates and loosens the mat so that it comes out more easily.

*A mat comb is a comb-like tool with blades instead of teeth used for slicing large mats into small sections that can then be worked out individually.

*A mat splitter is a blade with a curved handle that is used to cut through a mat. The curved handle makes the mat splitter easy to hold and easy to slit into the mat.

*Sometimes, the best way to get rid of the mat is to cut it into strips. Sharp scissors can do the work of a mat comb or a mat splitter.

*After cutting the mat into smaller sections, brush out the tangles with a slicker brush.

The best care for mats is prevention. Proper and frequent brushing of the dog's coat is the best way to avoid matting, even for dogs who are prone to matting.