When it's cold outside, many owners put a coat on their dog. There are dogs that do need to wear a coat-small breeds, dogs with short or clipped hair, some puppies and older dogs. But, along with wearing a coat there is more care that needs to be taken. The coat can not be left on all the time. It should be taken off when inside. The dog should be brushed at least once a day, unless the dog has a very short smooth coat like a Miniature Pinscher, Pug, Smooth coated Dachshund. If the dog has hair at least 1/4" or longer it can mat. The rubbing that occurs when a dog moves with a coat on will twist and mat the hair. If the hair is not brushed it will knot more each time the coat is put on. If the coat is never removed the hair will continually mat. The matted hair twists and can break off or it tears the hair out from the root, this can also restrict the dogs movement. The condition is very uncomfortable and painful to the dog. When a dog comes in for grooming in this condition the only remedy is to clip or shave the dog. Most people do not know how clipper blades cut, blades do not cut through the mats, the blade must clip under the mats. So the more tightly matted the dog, the shorter the cut must be. As you see in the video, this dog had been wearing a coat and became matted. I had started with one blade and had to go 2 blades shorter to get under these mats. While I'm clipping you can also see where the clippers will not cut easily as the mats are even tighter. The photos show before and after the grooming along with the clumps of mats that were cut off. He was very good during this grooming. Because the skin is twisted and pulled and then released when cut, it can make the dog feel itchy, so the owner must take special care after a matted grooming that the dog doesn't scratch itself and cause injury. Brush your dogs..at least once a week or more, make sure you use the correct brush, get down to the skin, and in all areas, don't just brush over the top of the hair and brush, especially if your dog wears a coat!
