Dog grooming help please!

S

sarahbethcole

New member
I got my dog, almost 1 male, Shih Zu-Toy poodle mix, from my parents (not a good situation) and me and my husband noticed a ton of matting. We cut a few patches of it because he was super uncomfortable, but we don't feel comfortable bringing him to a groomer with the rest. Does anyone have any tips on how we can safely demat/groom him ourselves?

Edit: We feel more confident to reach out to groomers and vets (I didn't even think they might be able to remove the mats, so thank you guys) and we will be getting him an appointment ASAP. If it isn't soon enough, we will take your guy's wonderful advice on, if it's ABSOLUTELY PLAN Z, home shaving him, but it won't be our first attempt. Thank all of you guys!

Update: It's been 5 days since I made this post, and we took all your words to heart. We got him in with a good groomer that specializes in small dogs, have regular appointments now, and is feeling MUCH better. Thank you all for the hard advice. It very much needed. It isn't letting me post a pic of him in the post or comments
 
@sarahbethcole Do not cut mats out especially if they are close to the skin, very risky you will cut the skin on accident. Why do you feel uncomfortable bringing him to a groomer? He will need to get groomed every 6-8 weeks for the rest of his life he has to get use to it. If you plan on grooming him at home for the rest of his life i would recommend going to the vet for a shave down if he is very matted if youre uncomfortable with a groomer...
Safest is to shave in a #10 blade but again i wouldnt recommend shaving yourself mats are a huge safety risk.
 
@sarahbethcole As a groomer myself, no one will judge you on the condition of the dog if you‘re honest about the reasoning behind it. The dog has been passed on like that into your care.

I really wouldn’t risk trying to demat the dog yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s hard to see the skin underneath the matting and it’s easy to just chop away. Even if using clippers, it’s possible to mishandle them and cut skin. A lot of mats take more than just cutting out, they need shaving out.
 
@sarahbethcole what makes you uncomfortable bringing him to a groomer? genuine question, i understand there are valid concerns. a shihtzu/poodle is going to need grooming for his entire life. im not against home grooming but it isnt easy or cheap to groom at home.

without any other information i really would recommend taking him to a professional even if thats not what you want to hear. it is very easy to accidentally cut a dog when removing matting. matting can and often does pull on the skin, so if youre using scissors theres a very good chance you will accidentally get skin, and the wound is going to be a lot bigger than you would think due to the way dogs skin works. even using clippers with a short blade, you need to be careful to not tug on and irritate skin; maybe technically not as bad as a cut but a good way to make your dog associate clippers/being groomed with pain and hate it in the future even when it isnt actually physically uncomfortable simply because of the association
 
@sarahbethcole if you explain the situation and keep the dog on a schedule, you wont be judged. its the people who go out of their way to buy a designer mix and then refuse to take care of it, bringing it in twice a year for shavedowns and never listening to advice about home maintenance or booking regular appointments. the dog would likely only be refused for health concern reasons ex if the matting was tight enough to the point it needed to be removed with a surgically short blade or sedated.

i can think of several dogs who come into my salon regularly where the first time they were brought in they were a hot mess and left absolutely naked because the owner took them in from a bad situation and that has been the only time because they knew the shape they were in was not okay, but out of their control, and now that it is in their ability to fix it they are committed to doing what is right. we have never judged these people and in fact the transformation from scared, shaky, bald puppy to a cute and happy dog thats excited to come in is some of the most rewarding work we get to do.

as long as you let them know you are trying to keep him from getting in a rough shape again and are understanding that the first haircut might not be perfect due to both the condition of his coat and him probably being wiggly and nervous, no decent groomer should look down on you. youre doing the right thing
 
@sarahbethcole You can't let fear of judgment prevent you from seeking care for your dog. There are going to be so many future situations where life gets in the way, or something out of your control happens to your dog. You will still need to do what is right.

If it makes you feel better, when I first adopted my rescue in 2016, I couldn't touch him for the better part of a year without him trying to bite me. Well, he sat on a piece of velcro, which got tangled in his butt hair, which he proceeded to go diarrhea all over. I had to go to the vet for Velcro Diarrhea Butt Shaving. Boy, was it embarrassing! But he needed it. Groomers and vets see all sorts of crazy stuff, and there's minimal action they can take legally towards actual neglect and abuse, anyway.
 
@sarahbethcole You need to bring him to a professional to have him shaved. Matting is tricky and can pull skin up into it. If you're worried about his behavior talk to your vet about having a sedated groom. Dematting large portions of a dog is painful and not fair to the dog. I also don't recommend trying to shave him at home without the proper table/restraints, as you CAN injure him, especially if his behavior is bad.
 
@sarahbethcole Take him to a groomer to get cleaned up and please BOOK YOUR NEXT APPOINTMENT for 6-8 weeks later and keep doing that. Forever. If you’re not a fan of the first groomer, try another. You’re not doing any favors (except for your pocketbook) by grooming at home, dog won’t be accustomed to grooming and may be more difficult to groom safely in addition to the difficulty of removing mats. If you don’t mind sharing location, I’m sure there are plenty of people who would give you some names of great groomers in your area.
Groomers aren’t fans of matting because of the safety hazard and discomfort for the dog. We’re happy to see the dog leave clean and comfortable and even more happy when you rebook and stay on a schedule to prevent this in the future.
And I don’t care how careful you are, I’ve seen the wounds created by “careful mat removal” it’s scissors at home and TRUST ME, feeling a little judged or ashamed to take them to the groomer is NOTHING compared to the pain and shame you feel when the vet is stitching up the gaping hole of skin on your baby’s body that you caused. Nothing.
 
@sarahbethcole I only judge the people who habitually bring in matted dogs or the ones who make it evident that they don't care the dog is matted. I've had soo many people who bring in a matted dog because xyz and they feel bad and then make changes to their grooming routine. Life happens, we completely understand. As long as you care about your dog and are trying, we will work with you too!
 
@sarahbethcole As a groomer as long as a client isn’t bringing in matted/pelted dogs every single time I don’t judge. I don’t know their situation and I don’t know whether they rescued that dog recently. But please do take him to a professional or at the very least buy some clippers because it’s super easy to accidentally cut skin when you’re cutting mats out with scissors. Good luck!
 
@sarahbethcole If not a regular grooming salon you can always ask around and see if a vet's office has a groomer that can sedate for this initial groom. It really depends on how severe the matting, and how cooperative your pup is. Dog groomers are professionals, they will most likely be able to get the job done in the most efficient and safe way. Plus, your dog is going to need frequent grooming appointments to maintain even a short coat. It would be very beneficial to establish a relationship with a groomer soon and get on a regular schedule. I really commend you for taking in this dog and wanting to do the right thing. If you are 100% set on doing the first groom at home you're going to need clippers with a #10 blade. It sounds like the matting is very tight and this is the safest blade to use. It'll be very short all over, but hair grows back, this is about comfort. Don't bother with clip on combs or any other blades to try to save the length. Shave in the direction that the hair grows for an even cut all over, and check the temperature of the blade frequently by pressing the flat part to your wist. If it's too hot for you, it's too hot for the dog. Take breaks to let the blade cool, or get cool care spray, just wipe it clean before resuming. There are a lot of good youtube videos that go in depth about safety and how to hold and navigate trickier areas. If any of it is too overwhelming for you or your dog please seek advice from your vet.
 
@evaler I'm not worried about his temper, as he's done really well with the parts we did earlier, but I'm worried they would turn him away because of the severity and malnutrition (he is being regularly fed NOW and nutritionally fed NOW). We do intend on establishing a good rep with a groomer, but I know getting an appointment can be tricky, especially in this town, but we know he needs the relief. We did TRY to get him an appointment, and even one with the vet, but we couldn't get one till April. Thank you for the advice
 
@sarahbethcole You can try letting the groomer know it's a matted shavedown/comfort cut and ask to be put on their cancellation list. I personally will come in on off days to get matted dogs in quicker

Edit to add: if you're in southern Ohio, I'll do it!
 
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