Benefits of Regular Grooming and Bathing

The benefits of dog grooming extend far beyond just making your companion look prettier.  Here are some other benefits:

  • Overall improvement in the cleanliness and hygiene of your pet
  • Reduction of skin and gum desease
  • Healthy skin and coat
  • Elimination of painful fur matting
  • Helps to reduce shedding
  • Identification of other problems such as worms, that may go undetected

Grooming stylists are available by appointment only. Your pet receives our full attention. Pets are kept no longer than 2-3 hours maximum, unless otherwise required by the Groomer.

Matting

Matting is a condition in your dog’s fur that is caused by dense tangles and knots. It’s a painful condition that can lead to other health concerns such as infections or skin irritations and can also mask other health issues or parasites. Mats cut off the air flow in your dog’s hair and can trap moisture, which can cause irritation and sores on your dog. Even mild matting can be painful, but in severe cases, matting can cut off circulation to your dog’s skin and cause hematomas. In some circumstances, matting may be so severe that you would need to take your dog to a veterinarian for treatment.               

Some dogs have coats that are higher maintenance and more vulnerable to matting. Any long hair dog can get matting, but certain breeds and coat types are more prone to matting, such as Poodles, Doodles, Curly coats, Cocker Spaniels, Bishon, ShihTzu and any variation of these breeds. Dogs with long silky coats such as Yorkies can also get matted as well as double coated dogs.

     

Treatment

If the matting on your dog is mild, it can sometimes be brushed out with the use of detangling sprays, products, and tools. This is time-consuming and can sometimes be painful. Therefore this should only be done if the matting is mild. If you detect some mild matting in your dog, do NOT bathe them! Remember, the water will cause the mats to get tighter. Bring your dog to the groomer before the mats get too bad. Early treatment of the mats will help prevent skin conditions and may salvage some hair length.

          

Dematting

Imagine trying to brush out dreadlocks in your own hair! It would not be comfortable! The dematting process involves taking small sections of hair at a time and working to release the mats utilizing dematting tools and products and then brushing.                 

If the matting on your dog is severe, the safest and most humane way to remove the mats would be to clip his hair short. The length of his hair will depend on how tight the mats are. We must be able to get the blade under the mat right against the skin to remove them. If the mats aren’t too tight, sometimes we can get longer blades underneath the mats to salvage some length. However, if the mats are tight to the skin, we would need to use our shortest blade available to remove the mats. This would result in very short hair but would give you a fresh start and make your dog much more comfortable. This is often not the style that most owners would prefer, but is often the safest and most humane option for your dog if he is matted.                 

Shaving is not a “short cut” to get the job done quickly, this can be a very slow, tedious and dangerous process. We are working on areas of your dog where skin is thin, likely already irritated and sometimes their hair is being pulled because of tight mats. Removing a heavily matted coat includes risks of nicks, cuts or abrasions due to warts, moles and skin folds trapped and hidden within the matted hair. Therefore, shaving a matted dog must be done slowly with utmost care.                           

Cutting the mats out – Never cut the mats out of your dog’s fur with scissors. It’s very easy to catch your dogs’ skin in the mats and unintentionally create a large wound on your dog. Please do not ask us to just “cut out the mats” when your dog is matted. This is dangerous, and we will only remove mats with clippers for the safety of your dog.                   

Brushing – Many owners who brush their dogs regularly may feel the thick layer of pelted matting under the layer of brushed fur and mistake this for the skin. Your groomer must be able to get a comb all the way down to the skin and through the coat. When the fur is pelted to the skin, it needs to be removed. If you are unable to get a comb through the hair to the skin, chances are we may not be able to either. If your dog has severe pelting, this is not something we can brush out. The matting must be shaved out.                   

Your dog’s ears – The skin on your dog’s ears is very sensitive and thin. If your dogs’ ears become matted, the mats can cause delicate blood vessels in the ears to rupture, causing hematomas in the ears. Hematomas can be very painful for your dog and must be treated by your veterinarian. This is why it’s best to not attempt to demat severely matted ears, but instead, shaving the ears is the safest option. We often uncover these hematomas and recommend a vet visit.                   

Realistic Expectations – We know the pain that mats cause, and our first priority is to ensure your dog’s comfort and safety. Shaving out mats with clippers is the safest way to remove a severe mat. If your dog only has one or two small areas where mats are severe, we may be able to shave those areas and keep the length on the remaining part of his body. However, if your dogs’ legs are matted and the body is not, he may look a little silly with shaved legs. Therefore, many times it’s best to start all over.                 

Our Philosophy

We always believe in comfort over vanity. There are times where dematting isn’t the best option for the safety and comfort of your dog. Dematting of severely matted dogs is inhumane and not a service that we will offer. If it can’t be humanely saved, it should be removed.