Matts

Many dogs do not like being brushed and for this reason their
owners do not brush them. Sometimes trying to find the time for
brushing in our busy schedules can be difficult.  If you have a
dog that gets knotted and you do not brush them or give them a
hair cut on a regular basis this is what can happen.

FACT: will not come out without brushing or clipping.

Each time you bathe your dog with knots in his fur, when
he dries, the knots become tighter. It is similar to loosely
knotting a piece of leather, getting it wet, then letting it
dry. The knot becomes tighter and close to impossible to get
out. At this point a dog hair cut is in order.

After a period of time the knots become so tight that the hair
is actually ripped from the skin a few hairs at a time.

When a dog becomes matted all over and you bathe him, the soap
is very difficult to rinse out. If soap is accidentally left
behind it can irritate his skin. Scratching these areas can
cause further irritation along with cuts and scrapes from his
nails.

If he has a wound from scratching all sorts of things can
then happen.

The area can get infected or flies can lay eggs in the wound.

When a dog is matted to the skin it is difficult if not
impossible to see the skin and any problems that may be
occurring.

Severe matts between the toes and on the pads of the feet can
cause lameness. Just imagine if you had a rock in your shoe that
you could not remove.

Matts under the armpits and between the back legs can hinder
the range of motion your dog has with his legs.

Around his mouth and lips, matts can create a wonderful
breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and yeast.

Severe matts on his ears can create excess weight, especially
when wet, and can contribute to chronic ear infections.

The best advise:

A dog hair cut. Groom your dog on a regular basis, weather you
take him to a shop and have him groomed, or you groom him at
home.
  For those of you who have dogs that do not like to
be brushed, try giving them a clipper haircut every 4-6 weeks.
Usually this amount of time can prevent too many knots from
forming. If however you find your dog getting knotted in a
shorter period of time, shorten the time between grooming.