Matted Coats

Matted Coats

Please see first above picture, once this area had been clipped it revealed fly strike (maggots eating at the flesh). This dog was referred to the Veterinarian and made a full recovery as it was caught just in time.

As stated due to the reasons above the skin layer under the matt/matts may be raw and inflamed and can be irritated by the clipping process. There is also a chance of the skin being nicked or cut due to the close proximity we have to work with the skin to remove the coat. We are extremely careful but accidents can happen and you need to give us written/signed permission to proceed.

Clipping Double Coats

Clipping double coated breeds such as Retrievers, Huskies, Labradors and Pomeranian’s etc as seen above can damage your pets coat and skin. Double coated breeds have a top coat and an undercoat. The topcoat is made of tough outer guard hairs, and each guard hair has between 7-14 undercoat hairs which are made up of very fine, fluffy hairs which lay close to the skin. These are highly efficient at trapping air and insulating the animal. This keeps them warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

I cannot stress enough that clipping double-coated breeds will NOT keep them cooler during the summer.

Unless your pets coat is so compacted to the point that the kindest way forward is to clip or as stated below due to medical reasons or personal circumstance, the most effective type of grooming for these breeds is a de-shedding treatment. As seen above this treatment keeps the coat working correctly.

Clipping (cutting the coat) your double coated breed will not stop it from shedding and may increase the chance of sunburn from harmful UV rays.

Coat funk, you may have seen an example yourself, a Pomeranian with a short fuzzy, frizzy and patchy type coat that is very light in colour (this is called coat funk). This has been caused by clipping (cutting the coat), with some professional tender loving care and advice over a period of a year or more it may be possible to correct but very rarely.

However, the clipping of double coated breeds is sometimes insisted upon due to medical and personal reasons and you may wish to continue to choose to have your pet clipped short. If this is the case, please note we will need you to sign a disclaimer.

How to maintain your pets coat at home between professional grooms

You will need a “Dog Conditioning Spray/De-matting Spray”, a “Slicker Brush” and a “Metal Comb” (please see pictures below), all of which are available to purchase in the Salon.

Start by sectioning the coat (personally I like to start at the back leg and work forward toward the head). Lightly spritz the section you wish to work on (Do not soak the coat). Whilst taking caution to not scratch the skin use the Slicker Brush first as this will help to break up any knots/dead coat. Once you are confident this section is brushed, slide the comb through thoroughly, concentrating on the areas you would not normally stroke and areas that encounter friction such as legs, paws between digits and pads, groin, armpits, undercarriage and behind the ears. The final accomplishment being to glide the comb freely from Root to Tip throughout the entire coat. Performing this regularly will help to keep your pet knot free, happy and healthy.

Please ask us and we will be more than happy to show you the correct technique on your pet.