terrible mat under chin
Bode is groomed every night...no joke. Its not a big deal for me now that I have a wonderful grooming table, (thank you Diane!). He goes to groomer every 4 weeks. I want to keep him in full coat and that seems to be working out fine. Groomer buzzes his underarms, does his bum and private area. My problem seems to be his gowles and under chin and he definately does NOT like his face brushed. Seems to be matty and I wash his face all the time and comb it. Any suggestions on cutting the matts or how to deal with it? If the matt stays will new growth just get all matted also? Hmmmmm.... Thanks for any input... I have to post some pics. Bode is now 8 months old, 54lbs and the cutest, most lovable dog ever! Didn't think I could fall in love like this  |
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| A narrow toothed comb is great for around and under the chin. Use it after brushing to make sure all is smooth and tangle free. If it's bad you may need to cut it out and start over. You could try some rich hair conditioner and then picking at it with a comb. I also put a conditioner in the face hair after washing to help keep it less tangly. And keep working on the face grooming and his manners. He doesn't need to love it, but he DOES need to behave and let you groom him anywhere and everywhere. Always. He's young and has a lifetime of grooming ahead of him...better to nip this bad behavior in the bud. Better if this was addressed when he was small, but it's not too late. |
| Since his chin is matted, now the best and easiest way to fix it is to shave the mats off. They will continue to build up and the mess will be worse. A wet, matted face often leads to a yeast problem so the area needs to be kept clean and as dry as possible. What kind of food and treats are you giving Bode? Wet food and some chew snacks make chin hair tangle and stay nasty. When you clean his face with a cloth, try to blot or wipe in one direction. Rubbing only encourages hair to felt and causes the actual matting. Using a comb is the best way to remove debris from the chin and keep hair tangle free. Do small sections at a time to reduce pulling. Work with treats and get your dog to love the grooming attention. My dog loves when I use a soft slicker brush on his chin. The medium sized Doggyman brush is great for this: http://www.petedge.com/product/Millers- ... /43892.uts If you can't bear to cut the chin mats off, you can use a mat splitter and try to break them up so they can be combed out easier. If your dog dislikes facial grooming, this won't be easy. Keep working with the treats and let him know grooming is a good thing. http://www.petedge.com/product/Grooming ... /44498.uts Carefully slide the splitter blade under the mat and pull straight out. Keep splitting the mat until you are able to comb it out. Bode is young so getting him to behave for grooming is easier than on an older dog. Be sure to teach him to be tolerant of ear plucking, toe pad trimming, nail clipping and facial care now. You and your groomer will be glad you did! |
The underjaw is a really sensitive area. I lay the dog on his side, less room to move around, and use my fingers to pull the mat apart or if not worrying about saving coat, use a thinning shears to cut through the center of the mat to loosen, then gently pull apart. You can also use a scissors to make a vertical cut through the center of the mat to loosen, then gently pull apart and when the mat is loose work on it with a comb. Keeping that area dry (right!) helps but that is a difficult area. Needs work all the time. Good luck!  |
| I use my fingers & a small metal combs & last bit I use a flea comb ti get the rest of the crap out of her chops. No they don't like it but it needs to be done |
| I'll comb it with a big comb first, then go through it again with the flea comb to get everything else out. It doesn't exactly mat, it gets little sticky bits in it and starts to get tangled together. I have no idea what the sticky gunk she gets on her is, but it's difficult to get it out without the flea comb. |
| Thank you all for some tips. Took Bode to groomers yesterday. My groomer worked on his chin for 45 mins and had to cut just a little bit of the mat. The rest she got all out. I just wanted to make sure Bode was all cleaned and groomed well and matts gone. Hes being neutered Thursday so I know I will not be able to bath and groom him as well as I'd like. Any idea how long til he will be able to have a bath after surgery? Thanks again  |
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