Matted Coats
Why Do Matts Occur?
Matting occurs mainly in areas of friction: armpits, collar / harness areas, legs, behind the ears, areas where they sit / lie down. This can be accentuated by seasonal shedding as loose fur can become tangled within the fresh coat, which then becomes matted. Allergies and fleas can increase matting from your dog scratching certain areas and even water can play a part in making matts tighter in your dogs coat.
The 4 Stages Of Hair Growth
Dogs have on average 5 to 22 hairs in one hair follicle that are in a constant cycle of growth. Dog hair grows in 4 stages:
Anagen Phase: When hair follicles begin to grow new hair.
Catagen Phase: When hair transitions and stops growing the outer root sheath attaches to the hair.
Telogen Phase: When the hair rests and is at a standstill, at this stage it does not grow or shed.
Exogen Phase: Where the hair falls out ready for a new hair to grow.
Double Coated Dogs
Double coats require regular brushing to help with seasonal shedding. If you do not brush your dog or have them groomed regularly this can impact on their coat health and overall comfort. Clipping a double coat is always a last resort due to the higher risk of sunburn and alopecia.
A freshly groomed coat that has been brushed out allows air to reach the skin and circulate. Sun rays cannot penetrate the top coat.
A coat with moderate undercoat blocks the air flow to the skin and causes the dog to overheat. As the undercoat is porous, it will absorb the sunrays.
Impacted undercoat cannot be brushed out due to hair that has formed matts. Attempting to do so will cause the dog pain. The last resort is clipping.
What Can Be Done?
Mild Matts
Mild matting can be brushed out - mild matts form in clumps in the matt-prone areas of your dog. At Canine Design we use Démêl'Ex as this product improves the structure of the hair making it easier to brush out small matts. To brush these kinds of matts we use a slicker brush lightly on the affected area. Alternatively, small matts that won’t brush out can be trimmed out of the coat leaving very little evidence of having been there.
Severe Matts
Major matting can turn into pelts, your dog will become uncomfortable with the tight dreadlocks that form in their coat and this cuts off the air flow to the skin. Skin can become sore and irritated, even bruised as the blood supply to the skin can be cut off. In these cases we will need to clip off your dog’s coat so that it is short and the coat can regrow healthy. Severe matts cannot be brushed out as this would cause your dog hours of pain.
Matt Prevention
Bring your dog to a professional groomer regularly to prevent matting and encourage a healthy coat. In between grooms, brush your dog at home. Focus around the dog’s legs, belly and rear as these areas will be more prone to matting.