Severe matting

F

flynn

New member
I actually hate myself for having to ask this, but any advice on getting out severe matts at home? I have a Pekingese poodle with like mildly wavy fur that’s currently extremely matted because my mom promised to keep brushing her out while I was away at college. Last time I was home I spent 3 days brushing her out and getting out the matts because we can’t afford to take her to a dog groomers right now. I’m considering selling some of my stuff to take her in but I’m really hoping there’s something I can do at home?

The matting is very close to the skin and worst around her legs, neck, face and ears. So almost everywhere. I’m trying to brush her out in small increments but I only have until Sunday before I have to go back to school. I really want to do this in the least painful way for her but the only products we have are old dog shampoo and conditioner and I don’t even know if they can still be used because they’re like 6 years old at this point. I’m really at a loss right now. I can’t take her to school with me. Please send advice on how to get these matts out.

Update: we got her groomed, our family groomer was kind enough to do it and let me pay her back when I have the money to and shaved her as short as she could so there could be more time in between grooming
 
@flynn unfortunately it sounds like the only option is to shave the mats off if they’re that tight and close to the skin. call around to places and explain the situation, some places might be willing to waive the matting fee for her first appointment and try and get your mom on a grooming schedule with her that she can afford
 
@sunee1 Thank you, I didn’t know there were places that did that. We definitely can’t get her on a grooming schedule because my mom’s unemployed but I’m working on finding a job on campus so that I can at least afford to get her groomed for the summer.
 
@flynn once you get the mats removed, you could possibly learn to trim her up yourself too. if your mom can’t keep up with brushing it will be safest to keep her at a short length to prevent matting
 
@flynn you would probably want to get dog clippers and keep her in a tight clip, there are some inexpensive ones that will probably do until you’re able to get her into a salon regularly, but PLEASE make sure to do a lot of research on clipper safety before you do that. I also would not recommend that you try and clip off the mats yourself because that can be more dangerous.
 
@flynn i really want to emphasize that you should never cut out matts with any kind of scissors - it is really easy to end up cutting your dog’s skin that way.
 
@flynn Buy a better quality clipper second hand. You can get them relatively inexpensive. You need to get those mats off, they hurt your dog.
And then keep the fur short and brushed. When you have clippers at home, use them at least every six weeks, rather sooner.
 
@kelly76lorien Thank you. We genuinely just don’t have the money for that right now. Someone else mentioned calling around and trying to find a place that would waive the de-matting fee for the first appointment but we don’t have the money to get her on a grooming schedule and I’m really struggling to find a job rn.
 
@flynn Are there any resources in the area that help low-income pet owners? Some shelters and rescues will help people who want to keep their dogs but can't pay for needed care. In my area there are also low-cost vet clinics who might help with something like this, since severe matting can be a real health concern.
 
@flynn If you do not have the money for grooming your dog, than you do not have money to take care of your dog. Matting is negligence and painful and can cause serious medical problems. I do not recommend “buying your own clippers” as others suggested. You will end up with a vet bill you cannot afford
 
@matthewchapter7 Im borrowing money to get her groomed until I can get a job. Im trying bro idk what to tell you. If I knew she was getting matted I would’ve gotten a job sooner to pay to get her groomed. My mom promised me she’d brush her while I was at college and definitely sounded like she had it under control. I’m trying to make it right now that I know. I’ve been living 40 mins away for the last 6 weeks and haven’t been able to come home to see her bc of gas prices. I know she needs to get groomed, I know not to try and shave her myself and that I’m definitely not qualified for that, and I know it’s negligent. I made a few phone calls and found a place that does it pretty cheap and is on the way to my college so they only have to make one extra trip when they take her in. I know it’s a shitty situation but I’m working on it. I’m gonna look into getting her registered as an ESA to take her on campus next semester too so I can make sure she’s actually getting cared for
 
@flynn I’ve given discounts to people who can’t afford to have their matted dogs shaved. It’s worth calling around to ask.

There is also the option to see if your vet can do it and then maybe you can get care credit and pay it off in increments. This is not the most ideal option but it does sound like this needs to be taken care of asap (ideally before you go back to school).
 
@flynn If they’re tight and close to the skin you run a very high risk of cutting her badly if you try and remove them yourself… and the vet bill would be much higher than the grooming bill too. Washing her will make them worse too.

If you get her shaved in a 7 (buzz cut) you can go at least 12 weeks between appointments. A lot of groomers will tell you 6-8 weeks, which is true if you want to keep her long. However it’s truly not necessary for dogs who keep a short length and it’s not very sensitive to people in lower income brackets to insist on that. Even 4 months is definitely doable if you do some maintenance at home.
 
@flynn It may be worth looking into vet clinics. If it’s that severe, it’s painful and sedation will make it easier for the dog and easier for those shaving her (and she needs to be fully shaved). It will be more costly, but you would be able to use payment methods like care credit or scratch pay to make monthly payments.
 
@flynn For her sake, shave her . There's no point in torturing her with brushing to shave a quarter inch of hair . It'll grow back

Some groomers would be willing to help. Tell them you don't care what it looks like , they don't need to do a full groom you just want the matting shaved off . Most of us aren't heartless assholes and will do that for pretty cheap as it'll only take 20-30 minutes to do an ugly rough cut
 
@flynn The least painful way is to have them shaved off and start again. There is no painless way to brush out matting and you are just damaging already damaged fur more. Compassionate groomers aren't going to tell you to put your dog through the pain of dematting.
 
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