De-matting

What is matting, and why does it occur?

“Matting” refers to densely tangled clumps of fur in your dog’s coat. If your dog’s coat is not properly and/or frequently brushed, loose and live hair become embedded in large masses. These matts can be extremely painful for your dog and can cause bruising, or worse to their skin. Another problem with matting is that you cannot see what is underneath the matted fur – many time there could be cuts or parasites lurking below so it is vital for your dogs health that it remains matt-free at all times.

Sometimes matts can be brushed out, but if left too long, they are impossible to brush out without seriously harming your dog and as a result the ‘humanity before vanity’ approach must be adopted and generally the kindest thing to your dog at this stage is to shave out the matts. It is highly advisable to take your dog to the groomer as soon as you see any matts beginning to form especially if you do not keep up with regular brushing.

Matting generally occurs in ‘friction’ areas such as behind the ears where your dogs collar is located, underneath your dogs front legs (the armpit area), inside their hind legs, to your dogs rear and in between their paw pads – check all these areas regularly to ensure your dog’s maximum health and comfort.

How to avoid matting? 

To avoid matting we recommend brushing your dog out daily (depending on it’s breed). If you have a curly coated breed such as a Bichon Frise or a Poodle or poodle mix you really have to keep up with daily brushing. If you cannot keep up with regular brushing then you have no other choice but to keep your dog in a short clip and make monthly trips to the groomers.

What Tools should I use to keep my dog matt-free?

Again this is dependent on the breed of your dog. For long haired & curly-coated dogs such as the Shih Tzu, Bichon Frise, Poodle, Samoyed Husky, Rough Collie, etc. a Slicker Brush and a metal Comb should be used. To brush out your dog’s coat properly & effectively take your the slicker brush starting with the end of the legsand working your way up – brush the coat in quick downward strokes (angle your slicker brush away from your dogs skin – the slicker brush has metal pins so you do not want to repeatedly hit against your dogs skin as this will cause an irritation, we advise that you test the brush out on the back of your own hand first so you can feel the effect it has if brushed against the skin – you want to brush out your dogs fur only). Do this section by section lifting the coat to reveal the skin & brushing outwards from the skin. We will gladly advise and show all customers how to brush out their dogs properly and advise you on which tools are best to use – Please just ask us if you are unsure.

De-shedding Treatment

What is Shedding; When & Why does it Occur?

Shedding is the natural loss of hair in dogs that allows the new coat to come in. Although shedding is a completely normal process for dogs, the amount and frequency of hair that is shed often depends upon their health and breed type. It can also depend on the season. Seasonal shedding occurs as a result of temperature change. When the weather warms, dogs shed their old winter undercoats to make way for a lighter summer coat. Then, when it begins to get cool again, dogs shed their lighter undercoats and grow a thicker, warmer coat for winter.

What Can You do to Combat Shedding?

There’s no way to stop shedding completely but our ever popular de-shedding treatment helps you to minimise and manage that unwanted fur that is otherwise left all over your house upholstery, your clothes, or your car – basically everywhere! It also helps to avoid the occurrence of matting, as at times dead hair can stubbornly tangle itself onto healthy hair, this build up over time can cause serious matting unless it is brushed out, especially in long double coated breeds such as the Samoyed Husky or Shetland Sheepdog.

Serious matting if not managed, could lead to your dog requiring a copmplete shave down. Shaving your dog down is not a good idea, as it can interfere with your dog’s natural self-cooling and self-warming mechanism and in the the long run shaving your dog will not make shedding any less. The key to preventing excess shedding is to keep up with it. Routine grooming is absolutely essential. Brushing out your dog regularly helps to remove dead hairs before they can fall on your carpet, bedding and upholstery. It will prevent those dead hairs from forming mats on your dog’s coat that can eventually harm the skin. Brushing also distributes the natural, healthy oils produced by the skin throughout the hair coat. Using the right grooming tools can make a great difference. For heavy shedders, a de-shedding treatment can make a world of a difference.

What is a De-shedding Treatment & What Breeds is it for?

A De-shedding Treatment is a combination of things – first off you have a top quality specially formulated  de-shedding shampoo which is left to soak your dogs coat for a few minutes whilst they are enjoying their bath. This natural Oat Protein and Aloe shampoo is specially formulated to release loose hair and undercoat while it cleans and conditions. It also helps to reduce both seasonal & non-seasonal shedding. From there your dog is dried using our Force Dryer, this is a handheld blaster dryer that helps to further blow-out any stubborn dead coat that has yet to be released. Finally, we use our secret combination of de-shedding tools to get the last of the shedding dead fur released. This whole process can take any time upwards of two hours depending on your dogs size & extent of their shedding & can be quite a relaxing & enjoyable process for your pooch – think full body massage!

The De-shedding treatment is suitable for all breeds of dogs that you find are shedding from profuse shedders such as Pugs, Jack Russell Terriers to your Samoyed Husky or Rough Collie.

Book in for a de-shedding treatment today and leave those unwanted pesky shedding hairs all over our Studio instead of your home!