Did you know…
- Regular weekly brushing reduces shedding in the house by up to 60-80%, and prevents matting.
- All pets shed, even if you don’t see any noticeable hair on the furniture or floor.
- Unbrushed pets develop matting because the dead undercoat doesn’t fall out of the living coat.
- Matts pull on the skin and are painful, cause skin irritations and possibly serious infections.
- The best grooming tool to prevent matts is a metal comb, and make sure to get down to the surface of the skin.
- Typically most matts are found behind ears, at end of ear leather, around mouth, on/around tail and rear-end, in armpits, on feet, and under collar/harness areas.
- A matted coat left uncared for turns into a pelted coat.
- Shaving down to the skin may change hair texture, cause razor burn and even sun burn.
You have 2 options to deal with a matted coat…
- De-Matt – for very mildly matted coats
- Shave Down – for matted and pelted coats
How to tell if your pet is matted or pelted…
It’s simple, if you can’t put a comb through the hair from the skin to the end of it, you have a matted or pelted pet. Surface brushing does not get down to the skin, which is where matts start. Pay attention to places that matts are typically found, behind ears, at end of ear leather, in armpits, around mouth and tail, in-between tops and bottoms of toes, and under collar/harness areas.
This is what matted & pelted looks like…
Brushing matts out takes extra time, you pay an extra fee to have it done, and it’s uncomfortable for your pet. So, why not keep both of you happy (and your pet healthy) by regularly brushing your pets coat and scheduling a grooming appointment at 4 to 6 week intervals. Remember, even if you’ve had your pet shaved, but still want to keep the hair on the ears and tail long, without regular maintenance, there could be a de-matt or shave down fee.
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