Take the tangles out of your dog's coat

Very often you find dogs in dog shelters with matted hair. Usually, if it is a good shelter, these dogs would be new arrivals, if not the shelter is probably short on manpower.

You'll find dogs with matted hair in homes as well. (Unfortunately not all dog owners are conscientious about their pets.)

Dogs with such problems are usually ones with long-haired coats. Sometimes, you'll find dogs with short-haired coats also have similar problems.

The problem needs to be taken care of. While this condition is harmful to the dog, it is also unhealthy for the humans and other dogs who live in the vicinity.

How is it harmful to the dog? Matted hair is a great hiding place for fleas, mites and ticks. Dandruff (yes, even dogs are affected by dandruff), has a chance to thrive in the matted coat. Last of all the odor accompanying matted coat is unbearable.

One doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that a dog with a matted coat is not comfortable and certainly not happy. How do you deal with such a problem? Read on...

1. First things first. Assess the extent of matting. Is it all over the coat? Is it dirt streaked? Is it only at the ends of the hair? Has the matting extended to the roots?

2. If the matting is all over the coat, dirt streaked and has extended to the roots, the best way to get rid of the problem is to cut away all of the dog's coat. You have to take care while sniping away the hair that you don't hurt the dog's skin.

Having done that it's time to groom the dog, treat it for ticks, mites, fleas and dandruff (more often than not such dogs will have all these infestations). Take care that the dog is regularly groomed, so that the condition does not recur.

3. If the matting is restricted to the ends of the hair, measures are not as drastic as the previous one. However, it is going to be a tedious job. Get the dog to lie on a table. (Keep some tidbits to tempt the dog to stay there. Of course if you have a way with dogs, you don't need the tidbits.)

You'll need a pair of small scissors as well as a good sized one. The small scissors are for difficult places like the paws, the ears and eyes. Carefully snipe off the matted parts.

After you are done with delicate areas, use the other pair of scissors and snipe off the rest of the matted hair. Next, thoroughly brush the dog down to remove small tangles. Once again check the dog for infestations and treat those conditions as well.

4. What happens with dogs with short hair but a badly matted coat? More often than not the matting is due to dirt. So, very simply bathe the dog down, groom it and you are rid of the problem. Once again check for infestations and treat the dog for them.

There is only one way you can avoid this problem from recurring. You have three guesses! Anybody?! You are right!
1. Regular grooming, 2. Regular grooming, and 3. ... You fill in the blanks.