Help Aussie! My Pet is Covered with Mats

You reach down to pet your normally loving cat and she jumps away hissing.  You try to run your fingers through your dog’s beautiful tail and as they get stuck your poor dog yelps in pain.  You try to brush out your cute Labradoodle and the brush won’t even move an inch.  Your cat barely moves and when they do, they walk like a 90-year-old, in constant discomfort.  All of these things are signs of a badly matted pet.  Mats are not something that will go away. They will get worse and worse until they are dealt with properly.  Luckily, you’ve found Aussie Pet Mobile and our caring and professional groomers can help you and your pets get back on the right track.

Pet matting can be caused by any number of different things.  Some pets simply need regular grooming.  These can be both purebred pets like Cocker Spaniels, Shih Tzu’s, or Maltese or blended breeds like Doodles, Malti-poos, and others.  Dogs like Doodles that are hypoallergenic (no shedding) often require very regular grooming to keep their coat from forming knots and mats.  Matting can be caused by changes in weather and wearing certain kinds of collars or harnesses or even wearing coats or other pet wear.  Mats can also form easily if pets go swimming or run through the sprinklers.  Once matting starts it usually spreads quickly.  It can happen under the surface close to the skin or it can happen at the edge of the hair.

Cats are usually pretty good at keeping up with mats.  Those sandpaper-like tongues allow them to groom themselves to a degree.  But cats that are less flexible or heavier can’t keep up and mats on cats can start down the middle of the back or on the belly and be hard for the cat to deal with.

If you catch mating early and play with your pet regularly, you can often work them out yourself either with a comb or small rake or even with your fingers.  Mats that are at the outside ends of the hair can be dealt with by holding the hair between the mat and the skin (to keep it from pulling on your pet’s skin) and either working it out with your fingers or using a comb.  If the mat is very tight or was caused by sap or something sticky, you may want to use ball tip safety scissors and gently cut it out.  Hair grows back and it’s much better to have a small patch than risk the mat growing into a set of body armor.  If you are at all uncomfortable with taking scissors to your pet’s coat (and remember, use only ball tip safety scissors), don’t risk it, just call 1-800-PET-MOBILE and ask your Aussie Pet Mobile professional groomer for help de-matting your pet.

Small amounts of mats in a pet (especially those near the outside of hair) can be easily hand de-matted by your groomer.  However, if your pet is matted in multiple spots, or close to the skin, hand de-matting can be very painful and a terrible experience for your pet.  In any of these cases, the best solution for the safety and health of your pet is to let your groomer get under the mats and remove the matted coat.  This may mean a very short haircut or even a full shave down for your pet.  But remember its hair and it will grow back and this is for your pet’s benefit.  They may look funny for a while, but they will be ever so much more comfortable and happy and they will grow back.  If your pet is older with loose skin or very severe matting, your groomer may recommend that you take your pet to a vet where it can be gently sedated and shaved with a surgical blade.  Loose skin can easily tear or cut and can cause greater issues.  Untreated matting can lead to hot spots, open sores, stinky pets, and pet discomfort.  Your Aussie Pet Mobile Professional Groomer is all about the health, safety, and happiness of your pet and will make the best possible recommendation for your pet’s care.  Call Aussie Pet Mobile today and schedule your pet’s spring cleaning. 1-800-PET MOBILE.

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