3/11/2023 0 Comments Dogs knotes![]() ![]() This happens when a mat grows completely around the leg, causing blood supply to be cut off. More severe hair mats can cause strangulating wounds, which are most often seen on an animal’s limb.Mats around the anus can cause an accumulation of feces, and in severe cases, impede defecation.As we saw in the pictures above, parasites like fleas and ticks can infest a dog by living deep in the hair mat and out of the owner’s sight.A wound that is left unattended can accumulate maggots. Even very mild hair mats can cause skin irritation, bruising, and progress to acute moist dermatitis (“hot spots”) or infected lesions.Not only are hair mats super uncomfortable for dogs, tight matted dog hair can cause various and severe health and medical issues. Health and Medical Problems From Matted Dog Hair Take that feeling of discomfort and apply It to your Doodle…except imagine now that your Doodle feels this ALL OVER HIS BODY. And no matter how much you scratch it or try and relieve the irritation and pain, it just won’t go away. Imagine a tightly wound knot of your own hair, pulling tightly at an entire area of your scalp, all day, everyday. Imagine for a second if YOU had something like in the above pictures on your own head. While matted dog hair is unsightly and unpleasant to the touch, there are some actual physical risks of not taking care of matted dog hair, as well. Risks of Not Taking Care of Matted Dog Hair If you dare, you can see more pictures of this matted Goldendoodle here. If you look closely, you can see the flea infestation within the pelted hair. ![]() This is a matted goldendoodle who was very obviously neglected in terms of coat care. This is what a severely matted dog looks like… Photo used with permission (Click the image) What Does Severely Matted Dog Hair Look Like? At that point, you get a severely matted dog – or worse, a completely pelted dog. As Doodles are already prone to matting, a lack of proper coat care and brushing will only exacerbate the issue. This snowball effect is exactly why proper and frequent brushing is essential if you have a Doodle. Once there’s a small knot in the hair, a snowball effect happens where more friction in that area creates a bigger and worse knot, which eventually turns into a full-on mat. Water also contributes to matting and acts as a sponge, making hair mats tighter. The friction could be from rough play, or being pet or scratched in a specific area frequently. Matted dog hair usually starts out with just a couple of strands of hair becoming knotted due to shedding or friction of some sort. But oftentimes, these immovable clumps of hair are embedded somewhere within the coat, and are typically left unseen until they can no longer be easily managed and removed. You can typically see the larger ones because they tend to create parts in the hair, with an obvious clump of tangled hair in between. And no matter how hard to try to pull the hair ball apart, it just won’t budge. You’ll be petting your pup, running your fingers through their beautiful coat (just minding your own business), when suddenly a finger will get hooked into a hair ball. Regardless of a mat’s size, they are almost always noticeable to the touch. As such, Doodles are especially prone to matting. Mats occur frequently in dog breeds with curly, fine, or double coats. A mat is different from a surface-level knot or tangle in that it commonly involves the hair going all the way down to the skin. Matted hair occurs when a large clump of a dog’s hair becomes tangled and knotted around itself. ![]()
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