Photo of a dog before grooming

Weekly Bible Verse: Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly.

Lets not be fools and learn from our mistakes so we don’t repeat them.  If your dog has suffered from matted fur in the past, don’t let it happen again!

There are many breeds of dogs.  Every breed needs to have their coat brushed, some need brushing daily to prevent matting, and others just a need a little brushing a few times a month to help remove dead coat.  When you’re considering getting a dog it is very important to look at the grooming requirements before adopting. As an owner you are responsible for brushing your dog’s coat in between grooming appointments. Here is a list of some breeds that require a lot of grooming; Bichon Frise, Chow Chow, Collie, Great Pyrenees, Maltese, Old English Sheepdog, Pomeranian, Poodle, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier, and the list goes on. It is NOT an option to let these breeds go un-groomed!

Matting can cause both minor and serious health issues depending on the extensity of the matting. Because we own a professional grooming salon, we frequently see first hand dogs in poor condition. When a dog’s coat becomes matted it tightens up against the skin causing pain! Also when a matted dog becomes wet the coat often takes hours to dry completely, it can even take days in severely matted dog. Can you imagine having wet dirty hair against your skin for days? Yuck! A matted coat, does not allow adequate air circulation to the skin so bacteria can and will grow! The matted coat keeps in all the dirt and oils against the dog’s skin constantly and this leads to skin problems. The skin can become infected and need veterinarian attention. Another thing that is very common in matted dogs that live here in the desert of Apple Valley CA, is that small thorns and fox tails find their way underneath the mats. When we groom matted dogs we always see several, sometimes even hundreds of thorns and foxtails embedded right into the dog’s skin! Ouch! The owners rarely know of the dog’s condition because the mats hide them.

Blow is a photo of a dog that had hundreds of thorns embedded right into the skin under many mats!  The owner had no idea about all the little thorns because they could not see the dog’s skin due to the severe matting. All the black/red dots are thorns.  Do you see how the skin is red and irritated from the thorns?

Please don’t let your dog suffer from matted fur! If you can’t afford having a dog professionally groomed, especially a breed that requires a lot of grooming, think twice before adopting one. If you already own a dog that is matted, seek professional help today. If you were to try grooming your matted dog yourself, you can easily harm your dog!  Never, NEVER use scissors to trim a tight mat off your dog!! If you use scissors to cut out a tight mat, you will also take your dogs skin off with the mat!  Take your matted dog to an educated professional groomer. If you’ve ever tried to groom a matted dog before, you understand why professional dog groomers are not cheap. If you do happen to find a cheap groomer, chances are you should stay away from them! When it comes to dog grooming you get what you pay for. Sure your dog might come out of that cheap grooming shop looking better but what kind of products are they using on your dog and are they safe? Is the grooming shop cleaning and sterilizing their equipment properly?

If your dog has matted fur now, don’t be embarrassed to get professional help; make a grooming appointment today. This is the best thing you can do for your dog!  If you still absolutely can’t afford your dog’s grooming fees, maybe it’s time you find your dog a new home that can care for him/her.  We all make mistakes but the important thing is making it right and not repeating it.

After photo of a dog that was matted