FACT: When you have
a dog with matts in his/her fur, the matts will not come out without brushing
or clipping.
Each time you bathe your dog with knots in his/her fur,
when dry the knots become tighter. It is similar to loosely knotting a piece of leather, getting it wet, then letting it dry.
The knots then become 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/her, the soap is very difficult to rinse out. If soap is accidentally left behind it can irritate the skin.
Scratching these areas can cause further irritation along with cuts and scrapes from the nails.
If the dog has a wound from scratching all sorts of things can then happen.
The area can become 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.
Sever 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.
