Tips for Preventing Matting in Dogs

I don't think there's any pet owner who enjoys it when his dog leaves fur all over the place. It's a very annoying habit but luckily enough it can be curbed. If the following tips could be applied, the issue of matting may be a thing of the past.

Examine your dog's habits from time to time. Dogs love rolling in mud, grass and on carpets. In the case of grass your dog's fur may mat as the grass is wet and has waste matter from other animals this causes it to clump. In relation to this also look out for his licking habits. Try to prevent your dog from licking his fur excessively as this leads to matting too.

Give your dog regular baths. This will aid in reducing your dog's natural oil accumulation. If the oils are allowed to accumulate they will clump his fur and thus lead to matting. However you need to be cautious not to wash your dog excessively as this will strip his natural oils and leave his coat very dry.

The simplest way to prevent matting is to brush your dog's coat daily. This will constantly remove tangles, debris and any other things that may cause your dog's hair to mat. Treat scratches seriously. This may be a small thing that causes matting but it causes it all the same. Constant scratching in the same place may cause the fur to mat there. Make time to check the cause of the itch and treat it.

Trim your dog occasionally. Having a short fur coat is easier to maintain and harder to mat. Another seemingly unlikely cause is wearing clothes. As you put on and put off your dog's clothes it raises the fur in some areas leaving it without brushing it will lead to dead hair in the fur getting tangled with the unkempt hair and all this leads to matting.

Never attempt to wet matted fur as this will worsen the problem. The fur around the mat will be pulled and this is painful as it can lead to ulcerations on your pet's skin. To detangle matted fur it is advisable to start out using your fingers instead of immediately using a comb. Divide the mat into sections then use a brush to smoothen out each one at a time. You can also use a detangling spray which will help make the detangling process tolerable.