Matted Dogs
At Pawsmere I don't believe most people deliberately let their dog become matted but unfortunately this does sometimes happen and the only humane way to deal with this is to clip the dog short and start again. However this is not as easy as it sounds; Matted coats can cause a variety of skin and health problems. Matted fur does not allow for air circulation to the skin causing hot spots, bacterial and fungal infections. Fleas, ticks, maggots, and other parasites may be lurking in the coat causing further skin infections. Matted fur also pulls and binds, causing pain to your pet when they move or lay on mats. The skin underneath is usually raw and inflamed. Matted coats will not dry properly and can lead to rotting fur and skin.
Due to the matting, your dog's hair may need to be clipped extremely short to the skin and may show signs of skin irritation and sores due to the matting, wet undercoat, and dirty undercoat. In order to take care of a dog that has not been groomed often enough, and is matted, the required grooming session may be long, stressful, or painful. I will always do my utmost to keep your pup as comfortable as possible during the process.
There is a chance that your pups skin will become irritated during the clipping process. I will use a medicated shampoo to help sooth any irritation that may occur. The matted hair rests tightly against the skin and the only way to remove it is to use a short blade clip between the skin and mats. Your dog may possible get nicked and cut because I have to work so closely to the skin to remove the matted coat. I am always very careful but the possibility of injury exists.
The ears are especially dangerous because the ear can become encased with severe mats, an ear hematoma can develop - the swelling of the dogs ear flaps due to filling up with blood. Mats restrict blood flow to the area of the body that it covers. The lack of blood flow weakens the skin causing it to be thinner and more likely to tear or bleed. After removing mats from the ears, a quick rush of blood fills the ears at the tips and can cause "bleeding out". It doesn't always happen right away. After being groomed, sometimes the ears feel different to the dog which makes them feel the need to shake their head excessively and can cause injury. Please keep an eye on your dog over the next couple of days. If any problems arise please seek veterinary advise.
When dropping off a matted dog you will be asked to sign a form explaining that you understand these risks and that you release Pawsmere from any liability associated with the above-mentioned process and any and all medical problems that may be uncovered and/or occur during the stripping and de-matting process.