Caring for your dogs coat at home

Keeping your dog clean and well groomed is important not only to keep them looking beautiful, but it also is important for maintaining a healthy coat and skin. 

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Regularly brushing or combing your dog's coat has many benefits; it helps remove dirt and knots, prevents matting, promotes blood circulation and massages a dog's natural oil secretions throughout their coat. 

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Some breeds are more prone to matting than others. This includes breeds with: 

• Curly coats: Poodles, Bichon Frise, Poodle crosses e.g Cavoodles, Spoodles

• Silky drop coats: Shih Tzus, Yorkshire Terriers, Havanese, Pekingese Malteses, Lhasa Apsos;

• Double  coated dogs: Cocker Spaniels and Golden Retrievers

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Excess and severe matting, often referred to as pelting, can lead to bruising, hematomas and bacterial infections due to lack of airflow. 

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Ways you can prevent and treat matting at home: 

• If your dog likes to swim or they've been out for a walk on a rainy day, make sure you brush their coat out before they are completely dry. 

• Make brushing your dogs coat a part of your regular routine; just five minutes a few times a week should be enough for most breeds. 

• When brushing, pay extra attention to areas of the body where fur is generally finer, such as the ears and tail. If your dog wears a collar or harness, make sure to take it off when you are brushing your dog, as the compression and friction of wearing these can create matting around the neck and chest, depending on what your dog wears.

• Have your dog on a regular grooming schedule. For more information about how often your dog should be groomed, click here.

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At The Well Groomed, we can treat matting by either dematting (brushing out the affected area) or giving your dog a short clip. 

If you wish to have your dog de-matted, we will assess the severity of the matting and offer a quote for the dematting fee. 

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We cannot provide our de-matting services to dogs with severe matting as not only is it time consuming, but the process can be uncomfortable or even painful for your dog.
In the event of this, we may offer to shave off the matting instead or refer you to have the matting treated at your Veterinarian