Ways of dealing with MATTS!

As any long haired cat or dog owner knows only too well “Matts” are a constant reoccurring problem!

Left unattended you and your pet could end up paying a visit to the vet for a “surgical” clip – not a pretty sight for either the cat or dog!

There are several measures which help to reduce the ever constant build up of Matts and whilst some will succeed in almost total prevention, you cannot guarantee success with every breed – cats and dogs like humans vary!

Finding what best suits your pet – is the name of the game!

Whatever you do – the less the animal objects the better it will be for all concerned! (You and them!)

This is not a “one off” problem – it will be with you as long as your pet is!

Bathing:
Occasional bathing has its uses, but don’t overdo it to the point where you remove natural oils and certainly be fussy about the quality of shampoo! Double K shampoos are perfect in that they are made from natural products and are gentle to both the hair and skin. Professional opinion seems to suggest bathing no more that every 4- 6 weeks – but use your own judgement – every animal is different!

Blower/Dryers
If you can justify the cost, a blower/dryer has many benefits not only for coats plagued with matts, but for fast drying after washing legs and tummies when covered in mud, (especially in winter) One of the most valuable uses to my mind is for general coat and body grooming, irrespective of whether the animal has been washed fully or partly.

Coats which are liable to matts can be assisted also with a regular application of a blower/blaster if you happen to have one. The action of the air aimed via the blower’s coned tip serves to shake loose some of the hair that is inter woven and starting to form the matt. In the case of more coarsely textured hair, a good deal of detangling can be done with airflow and splitting of larger areas. On finer coats, the use of air from an arm held dryer while fluff drying or from a blower tip suitably applied will speed up dematting.

Our German shepherd’s coats and bodies look magnificent after a good “blasting.” Beautifully soft and silky, and there is no better or more effective way of getting all that endless dead hair out! Introduced and trained correctly to the blower, and your pet will have no objection to the warm drying air and thoroughly enjoy the soft massaging effect on their skin! (If you take your cat/dog to a grooming parlour they probably know more about dryers than you do!)

Another of the benefits of a good blower/dryer is the air flow “opens the coat, parting the hair, and letting the skin breath! It certainly seems to make brushing, combing or using a slicka tool much easier!

If you do consider ever getting a blower/dryer, we use and recommend a Double K 2000AD or if you are willing to pay more, consider the “AIRMAX” especially for the bigger and more hairier breeds. Portable machines are perfect, you do not need a floor standing type – they are for busy grooming parlours!

The nice thing about these two Double K machines is they are portable, light, compact, robust plastic casing – no rusting metal, and last for years with minimum maintenance expense providing you look after them!

De-Matt Sprays.

There are several very good “spray on “products, which effectively make the hair slippery, and if mist sprayed on and worked into the coat with a comb will help to reduce the reoccurrence of the matts.
They are not a guaranteed “miracle” cure but do help! The degree of success will depend on your diligence in daily grooming!

Kelco “Conditioner and De-mat,” Double K’s “Tangles Away” and “Easy Groom” by Wahl are all very successful and do not require washing out after use. Once you have rid the coat of matts a regular application of one of these products when grooming will also help to keep the re-appearance of the dreaded knots at bay!

Other useful grooming tools include
Coat King’s
The Mars Coat King stripping combs have rapidly become tremendously popular and are now sold in over 80 countries worldwide!) They are far more relaxing to your hand than traditional combs especially on the wrist when doing prolonged grooming.

These unique shape and design of these tools work large areas of coat really fast, quickly and easily removing any loose hair, especially from those thick undercoats, which many breeds have. The Coat King is a great tool for aiding both detangling and dematting, if correctly applied.

Really good results can be achieved with matted coats if you start with a 6 or 8 blade comb to prepare, and then use a 16 or 20 blade comb to finish. Benefits following the use of the Coat King are quickly seen with coats displaying a really healthy look and invariably a “show quality” finish.

Andis power de-shedders

The Power De-Shedder Plus has a unique and exclusive power vibrating action that helps the tool glide through the coat and provide a relaxing massaging action for the animal. The ultra quiet vibrating comb gently massages and calms the animal while removing undercoat and loose hair. We found it pays to take a relaxed approach to the grooming and let the tool do the job rather than try pushing it through the coat.

Spratt’s metal combs
A range of four chrome plated quality made metal combs especially favoured by groomers and owners alike. Really nice tool to use for grooming as they are a nice weight and have a good positive handling feel about them.