Matted Dog Release

Boops N’ Bubbles Matted Dog Release

What is matting?

When the dog’s hair is tangled and multiple tangles form a solid clump. This happens when the hair gets long, and is not brushed and combed out properly. Getting the coat wet from bathing your dog, swimming, rain or snow, often causes severe matting. Dogs wearing a harness or sweater where there is friction will also cause matting.

Why is matting bad for my dog?

Matting restricts blood circulation to the skin.Matting can ultimately damage and tear the pet's skin. Heavy matting can also trap moisture and urine near the pet's skin allowing mold, fungus or bacteria to grow, producing skin irritations. Matting restricts the dog’s movement. Imagine if you wore clothes that are way too tight and wrapped around your body. We often see ears being matted and attached to the neck.

Matting can hide sores, wounds, fleas, ticks, and fox tails that are stuck in your dog’s coat.

How to deal with matting?

It depends on the severity of the matting and also how close the matting is to the skin. Once the dog is matted, it’s best to have a professional groomer determine what to do. Do not attempt to cut out the matts with scissors as you may not be able to tell where the matt is, and where the skin is. There also could be bumps and warts hidden under the mats.

At Boops N’ Bubbles, we practice humanity before vanity and will not de-matt a heavily matted dog. The severity of the matting is at the determination of our professional groomers. De-matting is a very painful, stressful and dangerous process for your dog. Please do not ask your groomer to do so.

Dogs with light matting: We will perform light dematting. We can also perform some spot shaving at the discretion of the groomer. In some cases, it may not be safe to de-matt your dog even if the matting is light. We will perform a shave down in that case.

Dogs with heavy matting: We will not cause serious or undue stress to your dog by de-matting excessively and will require the pet to be shaved. Shaving means to clip the coat very close to the skin, which gives a “smooth” look or sometimes “naked” look. We will notify you prior to shaving your dog.

How to prevent matting?

Regularly scheduled professional grooming is key to preventing matting. You and your groomer should decide on a grooming frequency appropriate for your dog depending on your lifestyle, budget, and what length you would like to keep your dog’s coat. Please be realistic when it comes to determining the appropriate coat length for your dog. Many owners do not realize how easily coats can matt, and most are not able to identify where matts are forming, nor have the skill set to properly brush out a dog. Many clients tell us they brush daily and we still get a dog that is completely matted. This is because most clients do not have the proper brushing technique. Please ask your groomer what tools to use and have him/her talk to you about technique.

What are some issues that can occur with a shave down?

There can be a variety of skin and coat care problems that may occur after the shave down of a pet. These problems may include the following, but are not limited to:

● May dramatically change your dog’s appearance, as the hair will be very close to the skin or your dog could be completely naked.

● In some cases dogs may also exhibit temporary behavioral changes. This is because they feel very different after the shave and don’t know what happened or what is happening to their body. They may be very scared, hide, become aggressive, sleep more, become more clingy. Do not laugh at your dog or talk to your dog in a concerning tone. The dog will pick up on your anxiety and concern. Behave normally. Give your dog lots of positive talk and energy. This behavior change should only last a few days.

● When matting is removed, blood rushes back to the skin and area, sometimes causing tiny blood vessels to burst under the skin. Symptoms may include itchiness, skin redness, bruising. This is often mistaken as the groomer did something wrong and caused “razor burn”. This result is unavoidable and will resolve over time.

● Dogs often will cause further self-inflicted irritations or abrasions by itching, biting, licking their skin. This is because their skin feels different. They went from wearing three layers of a tightly knitted wool sweater to being naked! They could also feel tingly due to the sensation of the blood circulation rushing back to the skin. Do not let them lick, bite or scratch. Applying a little baby powder may help soothe the skin. Use a cone to prevent licking and biting.

● There is a higher chance of nicks, cuts and/or abrasions to your dog from grooming, due to the tightness of the matting hiding moles, warts or skin folds underneath.

● Moisture trapped near the pet’s skin due to the matting can cause mat sores from bacterial growth. Once the mat is removed, the mat sores can now be treated and begin to heal. Sores uncovered after shaving and hotspots developed after shaving are not caused by groomer error. They are consequences of removing mats close to the skin.

● Shaving down the ears may cause hematomas. When blood rushes back to the ear after a shave down, blood vessels may burst through the tips of the ears and the ears may look like they’ve been cut and start to bleed. Your dog also may shake his/her head after the shave down, and this will increase the chance of hematomas. Do not allow your dog to shake. Wrap bandages to keep the ears close to the head. Hematoma is not caused by groomer error, but another consequence of removing mats from the ear area.

● Possible loss of hair growth and/or coat re-growth in different color/texture, different directions (i.e. cowlicks).

● Hyper pigmentation - a darkening of the skin where the coat has not grown back.

● Sunburn (we recommend sunscreen after a shave down).

● Loss of guard coat, especially in double-coated breeds.

● Feeling cold. We recommend a sweater.

While there are possible consequences after a shave down, most of these consequences are rare and temporary. If your dog is matted, a shave down is still the best and safest option. Hair will grow back and your dog will have a fresh start.

Client Consent and Liability Release

The client understands that our professional groomer has determined your dog is matted and a shave down is necessary for the comfort and health of your dog.

You acknowledge that you agree to this shave down and any risk presented. We are not liable for any harm caused by the grooming process with a matted dog, including any after-effects. If you do not consent to a shave down, the full grooming fee applies.

If you feel your dog needs medical attention after the shave down, please contact your vet at your own discretion.