What Should You Do When Your Dog’s Fur Becomes Matted?
Matting is when a dog’s fur often gets knotted or tangled. This can happen in dog breeds that have fine, curly, or double coats.
Matted fur isn’t just an aesthetic concern. It can also prevent proper temperature regulation in your dog, causing skin irritation. Parasites can also hide behind the dog’s matted fur, leading to discomfort, and in some cases, pain for your dog. So, what do you do when your dog has matted fur?
The Difference Between Matted and Corded Fur
Before we get into it, let’s first examine the difference between matted and corded fur. Corded fur may seem like matting, but the former is intentional while the latter just seems to happen.
In certain dog breeds, the fur is meant to be corded. This involves meticulous hand grooming to create cords or dreadlocks. Unlike matted fur, corded fur is meant to be trimmed and maintained to prevent skin issues.
Corded fur is most common in breeds such as the Komondor, Bergamasco, and Puli, often lovingly called “mop dogs” due to the cording. Their fur is often corded to help disguise their appearance while they are herding livestock and guarding.
Why Does Dog Fur Get Matted?
Matting is a result of the tangling of dog fur. When the loose dog fur wraps around itself, it can form tightly wound clumps or mats. If these tangles are not brushed out, more fur can get trapped in the clusters. When this keeps happening, it’ll come to a point where the matting is close to the dog’s skin, causing skin irritation.
Matted fur often forms in the areas of the dog’s body that experiences the most friction. This includes:
- the area behind the ear
- around the neck, where the collar sits
- the armpits
- where the harness sits
- under the chin
- the feet
- back of the rear legs
Matting also occurs more frequently during seasonal shedding as the dog switches from their summer coat to their winter coat or vice versa. When this loose fur isn’t brushed out, matting occurs and even becomes impacted against the dog’s skin.
Dogs who swim frequently are also more prone to matting. This is because the moisture allows the fur to curl, and when it dries out, it can end up wrapped around itself. So, it’s important to thoroughly dry and brush a dog after bathing to prevent matting from developing.
How to Prevent Matting in Your Dog’s Fur
The key to preventing matting in your dog’s fur is regularly brushing their coat. The frequency of brush can depend on the dog’s breed, coat type, and whether or not it is shedding season. But as a general rule, dogs with long, fine, or curly coats should be brushed more frequently. In some cases, a dog may need to have its coat brushed once a day. But for other coat types, once a week may be sufficient.
A common mistake you should avoid is only combing the top layer of their coat. By only focusing on the top layer of fur, you’re pushing the tangled fur closer to the skin and worsening the matting. To avoid this, it’s best to use the correct brush for your dog’s coat type. For example, if your dog has a double coat, an undercoat rake may be best.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, a dog’s loose fur can wrap around itself, resulting in matting. Matted fur isn’t just an aesthetic concern, as it can cause skin irritation and hide parasites if the matting gets too close to the dog’s skin. So, it’s best to make a habit of regularly brushing your dog’s fur, especially if they have a long, fine, or curly coat.
The grooming process can be confusing and quite scary for pets. Visiting a vet for grooming can raise a pet's stress level and agitate an animal. At Earthwise Pet Supply & Grooming Marysville, we take care to make your pet's experience as comfortable as possible. Aside from providing dog grooming in Marysville, we also sell natural pet foods, raw foods, treats, toys, litter, leashes, collars, and more. Book an appointment now!