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 The
Risks
Owners must address
their responsibilities to care for their dog's
haircoat with regular brushing and combing.
Brushing removes dead hair shed from the coat.
Hair shed allowed to remain in medium to long
coated pets can easily tangle
and matt and cause a pet discomfort and in
severe cases, affect their health. Once a coat is
matted we strongly
suggest pet owners
to seek a
professional groomer
for assistance with
matt and possibly
coat removal for the
welfare of the pet.
Every groomer faces
the situation some
day where they see
matting so bad they
advise the owner
that the coat must
come off, for the
comfort of the pet.
The owner says,
"NO!" Groomers then
face a uniquely
challenging
situation where a
truly stubborn
client adamantly
refuses a coat
removal procedure,
and yet the groomer
knows that the
dematting process
will simply be too
intense for the pet,
especially if the
pet is aged or
disabled, or
behavioral. Wise
groomers are never
so hungry for
business to accept
unwarranted risks.
Do what is right for
the pet, even if you
lose the customer.
Your only hope in
these situations is
to compel the owner
to clearly empathize
with their pet, and
forget about
worrying about what
people will think of
them and their pet
while the hair grows
back. We'll come
back to this topic
later.
Pet owners need to
understand that
de-matting is
uncomfortable for
all dogs, and they
should leave it to a
professional that
knows how to
minimize the impact
of de-tangling and
de-matting on your
pet. It is not as
simple a process as
it may sound. In
fact, there can be
significant risks
involved. Skin
denied regular air
circulation and
stimulation from
regular brushing
becomes quite
unhealthy. It is
often dark pink to
red, and sores are
likely as well.
There may be foul
odors, and even
organic matter like
weeds embedded in
the skin. It's a
delicate and slow
process to remove
the coat on such a
pet requiring
significant grooming
experience.
If you are a groomer
and uncertain about
removing severely
matted coats, don't.
Also, don't perform
a coat removal if
you are in a rush.
Coat removals are a
"special care"
service and you may
have to charge more
for your time. In
fact, we've done
some coat removals
that dulled two or
more blades on large
dogs, and that means
we faced extra
expenses for blade
sharpening as well
as extra labor.
In extreme cases we
have seen skin so
damaged and
unhealthy under
heavily-matted coats
that its outer layer
"peeled" away as the
clipper was lifting
and removing coat.
In all cases, the
grooming was
immediately halted
for veterinary
attention.
Another word of
caution. De-matting
or coat removal on
very matted pets
involves the
post-grooming risk
that the pet will
develop an itchy
skin response.
Whenever you remove
a heavily matted
coat or de-matt one,
you should advise
the owner to watch
for constant itching
and advise medical
attention if it
does. You don't want
the dog to injure
its skin with
constant scratching
and have the owner
blame you. Because
of this risk we
often required pet
owners that
requested grooming
on a pet in poor
condition to sign a
Release and Hold
Harmless form before
we would groom their
pet, and in extreme
cases we required a
veterinary clearance
in writing as well.
A sample Release and
Hold Harmless form
written by an
attorney is provided
in the grooming
business book,
From Problems to
Profits.
How do you decide
when to de-matt and
when to require coat
removal? Our rule of
thumb was the 30 to
45 minute rule. If
the normal
pre-bathing
procedure for the
pet was 15 minutes,
we would not allow
the de-matting
process to continue
more than 30 to
(possibly) 45
minutes longer than
the normally
allotted time. If we
could not de-matt
the pet in time,
coat removal was the
only option if we
were to groom the
pet.
As a professional
groomer gains more
experience they can
tell right from the
start whether
de-matting is
reasonable or not.
It's one of the best
reasons to perform a
pre-grooming
inspection
before you accept
the pet from the pet
owner. You should
also be aware that a
professional groomer
makes their judgment
to require coat
removal not only by
the time it will
take, but whether
they believe the pet
can reasonably
endure de-matting.
For example,
aged, ill or
disabled dogs,
or very behavioral
dogs, are not
well-suited to
endure extended
periods of
de-matting.
During our grooming
years we saw some
pets that we
wouldn't put pet
through the
discomfort of
de-matting; even if
it meant the pet
owner taking the dog
elsewhere after
refusing to allow us
to remove the dog's
haircoat. You
certainly don't need
business bad enough
to risk the welfare
of a neglected pet,
and to risk your
investment in your
business. However,
we were very skilled
at communicating our
reasoning, and
arousing increased
owner compassion for
the affected pet.
Eventually owners
did allow us to
groom their pets in
the most
compassionate way we
suggested.
Don't assume that
pet owners balking
at recommendations
for coat removal
clearly understand
how truly
uncomfortable
de-matting
procedures are. You
need to give them an
example they can
relate to, and when
they "get it," they
will allow you to
provide for a more
comfortable grooming
procedure.
Maddie, author of
From Problems to
Profits, would
ask the most
reluctant clients to
pinch their skin
right then and there
at the front
counter. Then she
would say, "That's
sort of how your dog
feels all over from
the dense matts and
tangles pulling at
its skin day and
night." That easily
she stirred up more
compassion from the
pet owner for the
plight of their pet
with a neglected
coat.
What's another
source of their
resistance you may
face? Often the pet
owner is really
embarrassed, and
imagining how much
more embarrassed
they are going to be
when "their friends"
see that their dog
has been closely
groomed. We always
reminded owners that
their pet's coat
would grow back, and
just hearing that
obvious statement
seemed to ease some
of their stress.
A word about
products.
Technological
advances have
brought about new
coat treatments that
make de-matting
easier than ever. We
suggest you ask
grooming suppliers
for recommended
products.
The Procedure
Different types of coats matt
differently. Double coated dogs need
matts removed to allow fresh air to
reach the skin. Soft haired breeds
matt in spots, and sometimes have to
be removed.
Removing matts means slow down,
don't rush. It takes patience and
compassion for the pet. Detangling
tools are available to make the
procedure as efficient as possible in
the shortest possible time without
rushing. De-matting is typically done
before the pet is bathed as matts
worsen when wet. Even if you are
taking the coat off it is a good idea
to de-matt before the bath as you can
reach and clean the skin better
without matts being present.
You should have a slicker brush,
steel comb, a matt splitter and
sometimes scissors. One of the most
important aspects of dematting is
handling the pet. Tugging and pulling
on matts can stress pet joints, even
dislocate joints when not done
properly. Don't fight the dog. Try to
lay them down when possible. You
reduce tugging and pulling by taking
the matt between your fingers and
breaking it up. The more you break a
large matt down into several smaller
pieces the better, and then work to
remove each smaller separated piece of
the larger matt. A brush makes this
chore fairly easy. This makes it much
easier to hold the matts between your
fingers and not carry the tugging and
pulling motion to the pet. What a
difference for the pet!
Very dense and large matts are
usually best split of with a dematting
tool, and if you don't have one you
may need to resort to using sharp
scissors to cut the matt up. Be
careful. Don't point the scissors
toward the pet but outward away from
their body. Be sure your scissors are
sharp.
You will know when you have fully
removed all matts when you can use the
steel comb to fully comb the pet
without obstructions. Remember we
recommend limiting each session of
detangling to no more than 30 minutes.
If you find suspect conditions such as
severe skin rashes, bleeding or sores
you may have to stop and recommend
veterinary attention and approval
before you continue. In most of these
cases the coat usually must be removed
for the benefit of the pet. Confer
with the veterinarian in severe cases.
The Solution
The more educated
pet owners become
about their
responsibilities for
regular brushing and
combing, and the
benefits of regular
professional
grooming, the more
likely groomers will
face less tangled
and matted. Wherever
your grooming
business is you can
spread the word
about maintenance
grooming and offer
short classes in
brushing and
combing, and sell
related products.
The pet
industry continues to do its part to
inform new pet owners to learn about
their responsibilities for coat care
before they choose a particular breed.
We are doing our part too. In the
column to the left there are links to
over 130 breeds with grooming
profiles. We hope that thousands of
pet owners will use these resources
and others we recommend to research
the grooming responsibilities they
accept by owning dogs.
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