Locally-Owned in Oakdale and St. Paul, Minnesota

How to Untangle Matted Pet Hair

Matted hair can be difficult to overcome, but with the right tools and knowledge, it will be less frustrating to handle.

Before beginning the dematting process, look at how close the mats are to your pet’s body. If you can’t tell where the mat ends and where your pet begins, it is going to be much more difficult to safely remove the mats without injury.

How to Untangle Matted Hair 
If the mats are not tight to the skin and the degree of matting covers less than half of your pet, brushing them out may be a feasible option for you. Here’s how:

  • Tools needed: A slicker brush, a comb, and detangling spray.
  • Use a slicker brush to break up the mats. Start small–focus on one area at a time and individual mats.
  • For tougher mats, use detangling spray in addition to the slicker brush.
  • Finally, run a comb through your pet’s hair to make sure you untangled all of the mats.

In addition, your pet’s temperament and tolerance will greatly affect whether or not you can brush mats out. Sometimes, pets will only let you brush out one mat and no more. Take into consideration your pet’s experience; if he or she is very stressed during this process, your pet will be less likely to allow you to brush out mats again.

What to Do with Tougher Mats
Never leave a mat in your dog’s fur. If you don’t untangle a mat, it will only get worse. Shaving is the safest option for those tougher mats; attempting to cut them out with scissors can result in severe injury to your pet.

  • Use a clipper with a #10 blade (example shown in the image above) to shave tough mats off of a pet. Remember, the groomer is always available to help, and hair grows back.
  • Leave it to the professionals. A pet groomer will get your pet back in tip-top shape, and you can restart the brushing process at home when the hair is growing back out.

Once your pet is mat-free, make a goal to frequently brush your pet to avoid having another difficult case of mats.

We wish you the best of luck with the dematting process! If you find yourself struggling, leave it to the professionals and set up an appointment with your local pet groomer.

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