What is Matting and Why is it Unhealthy For Your Pet

We here at The Pet Spa are asked quite often about matting, why is it bad, and, most importantly, why it can be expensive to remove. Matting is essentially tangles in your dog or cat’s hair. They occur as a result of friction (think collars), swimming or playing in dirty water, contact with grass, and other factors. They most often occur in areas of the pet’s body where there are body parts contacting each other or where the body comes in contact with grass or the floor.

First of all, it is important to note the crucial nature of a dog or cat’s coat to their overall health. A pet’s coat acts to protect his or her skin as well as regulate body temperature. Often, pet owners are tempted to equate the importance of their pet’s coat to their own hair. A pet’s coat plays a much more important role in the overall health of the pet than a human’s hair does to a human.

Dogs with longer coats, such as the Poodle, Bichon Frise, Cocker Spaniel, and any dog that is a heavy shedder is more susceptible to matting.

Matting can be painful for a dog or cat the closer the matting is to the skin. Knots and tangles tend to take up the “slack” in pet hair which results in the hair being pulled away from the skin. Additionally, bugs and dirt can get under the mat causing irritation and/or sores to the skin underneath.

As a pet owner, you can prevent matting from occurring by frequent brushing with a good quality slicker brush. Be careful, however, as attempting to remove matting can be painful for the pet.

If your pet becomes overly agitated, it is best to stop for the time being or bring the pet to a professional groomer to remove the mats. In some cases, the mats have to be cut out because the matting is so severe that area of the coat cannot be saved. It should be your goal as a pet owner to not allow matting to get to that stage.

For more information about matting, please see Dog’s Hair in Knots? How to Get Them Untangled and Under Control.