Matting is dangerous and easily prevented with regular maintenance grooming
Matting can cut off blood supply to extremities, and deny regular air circulation to the body. Skin denied fresh air and stimulation from regular brushing can turn dark pink to red (due to blood being constricted) and open sores are apt to form emitting foul odors. Even organic matter, like weeds and stool of the pet can become entangled in a pet’s coat. It may even be completely hidden from view! Regular grooming and brushing is necessary to prevent this from happening.
Matting can cut off blood supply to extremities, and prevent normal air circulation to the body. If the skin is denied fresh air and stimulation from regular brushing, it can turn from dark pink to red (due to blood being constricted) and open sores/odors are likely to form. Even weeds, dirt, dust and the pet’s own stool become entangled in the coat. This could even be concealed by fur.
Hemotomas/Bruising
When dog’s or cats are matted, even small areas on your pet like their ears, can be at risk. When the outside of a dog’s ear has matted into one solid mass of hair, it is hard to even identify where the ear is. The tightness of the mats can cause the very delicate blood vessels in the tips of the ears to burst which then causes the blood to pool under the hair at the tip of the ear. When we shave off the matted hair, the blood starts seeping through the tips of the ears as the tightly bound hair is now let loose and the pooling blood is now free to leak out through the ear flaps. When the blood flow is released on a dog or cat’s body, it typically leads to bruising.
A dog’s natural instinct is to then shake his head and now this blood that is free-flowing starts to fly. The same is true on a matted cat. The matting slowly pulls at the skin the tighter they get. Mats restrict blood flow to the skin, holds moisture and bacteria and mats can attach to other mats to the point the cat is mummified in it’s own fur. Matting is a very serious neglect issue and is extremely painful for a cat or dog.
We can use techniques to ensure this pooling is reduced and your pet is clean, comfortable and happy.
Quick test to see if your cat or dog is matted:
Take a stainless steel comb (or yours if you don’t have one) and try to brush where mats tend to form. These areas are under the collar, behind the ears, in the armpits/lower legs where the legs rub together. If you can comb it through the dog or cat’s coat WITHOUT it snagging or catching on the fur, the hair is not matted. If it get’s stuck and can’t be combed without causing your pet pain, call us!
Dog Breeds that Mat Easily:
- Any Poodle Mix (Golden doodle, Woodle, Labradoodle, Schnoodle)
- Afghan Hound
- Bearded Collie
- Briard
- Old English Sheepdog
- Skye Terrier
- Lhasa Apso
- Lowchen
- Tibetan Terrier
- Chinese Crested/Powderpuff
- Havanese
- Maltese
- Shih Tzu
- Silky Terrier
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Kerry Blue Terrier
- Wheaton
- Bedlington Terrier
- Portugese Water Dog
- Bichon
- Poodle
- Bouvier
Cat Breeds/Cats that Easily Mat
- Persians
- Himalayans
- Long haired
- Senior cats
- Ragdolls
- Spynx