How to tackle Knots and Tangles
Matted fur is stressful for your pet – it retains their body heat making them itchy and traps dirt next to their skin. Whether your pet has small matted areas or just the odd knot and tangle, removing these needs to be done gently or your pet will grow to dislike being groomed and it will become harder to keep on top of.
Regular grooming is the best advice, little and often to prevent knots occurring and progressing into matts. However if you come across a matt you need to make sure you have the right tools in your grooming collection to tackle them without pulling your pet’s skin and hurting them.
Mikki has a wide range of de-matting products ranging from the Matt Splitter for smaller knots or the Matt Breaker or Matt Master for bigger problem areas and for more experienced users the De-Matting Comb. For best results these should be used with a comb that is tailored to your pet’s coat type – wide tooth for double or wool coats and fine tooth for silky coats and medium tooth for anything in between!
Follow these steps to painlessly remove the tangle from your pet’s coat:
- To begin, brush or comb around the area to be treated, separating the good hair from that of the knot or matt – this will reduce hair loss and make it easier to locate the matts.
- When you have located the matt, hold the hair at the root, this will help you avoid pulling the skin.
- Using your chosen de-matting tool, use short strokes to cut progressively, working from the outer ends towards the roots using short strokes. Keep the de-matting tool parallel to your pet’s coat and avoid plucking upwards as this maybe painful.
- If your pet has very dense matts it may be necessary to rotate your wrist to produce a sawing action. Never force the de-matting tool through the coat, as this not only causes discomfort to your pet but is ineffective.
- Delicate areas may be better clipped as they will be more sensitive.
If your pet is excessively matted or you are new to using de-matting products it is wise to seek professional advice and/or assistance from a qualified groomer.
