What is matting? How do I treat it? And how do I prevent it?

Matting is the tangling in a thick mass of hair. Some dog breeds are more prone to matting, those are ones that have hair instead of a fur coat. Matting typically starts at the ends of the hair, then slowly gets tighter and thicker as it moves towards the skin. Once the matt has become taut to the skin is when it becomes dangerous. Taut matts can restrict blood flow, especially when they’re around the legs, tail, ears, and neck. While the majority of taut matts only cause discomfort, if left untreated, the most extreme cases can lead to amputation due to lack of blood flow. 

It is important to note that there are different stages of matting. 

1. End matting: this is when the matts are just forming and are not near the skin yet. Typically these matts are isolated and have not formed a matt coat yet. 
2. Skin matting: this is when the matts have migrated from the ends of the hair to the base of the hair at the skin. These can be isolated matts, which would require only careful excision of the matt from the base. There will typically be very little hair left where the matt was once removed. 

Full coat matting: this is when the matts are not isolated, yet are found throughout the entire coat. Full coat matting can either be end matting, skin matting, or a combination of the two. The treatment of full coat matting will depend on the severity of the matting. 

So how do you treat matts? Cut them when you see them! Yes, this may cause their hair to appear uneven in the places where you cut the matts, but remember that your dog's comfort and safety is more important than their aesthetic. However, only cut the matts yourself if they’re end matts. If they have already migrated to the skin, a professional should remove the matts due to the risk of cutting the skin. 

If you bring your dog to WDD grooming with skin matts, there are two options for treatment: 1) excision of matts for isolated matting or 2) full #10 shave for full coat matting. This includes full coat end matting. We cannot shave with any other guard except the #10 when matting is present, due to the matts getting stuck in the guards and causing pain to the dog. 

Below is an example of a dog, Titan, with a combination (end and skin) full coat matting. Titan’s only option for treatment was a #10 shave. This is a shave all the way to the skin. This treatment is not ideal for winter months, but is necessary if the matts are present and causing discomfort to the pup. 

How do you prevent matting? You can prevent matting by regularly brushing your dog with a matting rake. I recommend this matt rake that you can buy on amazon for $29.99. While this is more expensive than other matt rakes, you truly get what you pay for. This matt rake is completely pain free. And if it is not pain free, then you know your pup has skin matts and should be taken to the groomer ASAP!