How to help protect your dog’s fur from winter weather

What harm does the winter weather do to my dog’s fur?

Long hair can become tangled together and form matts and knots over time – however certain weather such as wind, rain and snow will cause matts, knots and tangles to form quicker – something that is more common on Poodle crossbreeds. Matted fur is stressful for your pet – it retains their body heat making them itchy and traps dirt next to their skin.

Well groomed coat, free from loose hair and matts

Tangles starting to form from lack of grooming and shedding

Matts starting to form at skin level, not always visible from the top of the coat

What can I do to help?

Often when on a walk there is nothing you can do to protect your dog from these elements. However, with the Mikki Doodle Coat, you can provide a comfortable and stylish way of keeping your dog’s coat covered from the elements that cause tangles.

What does the Doodle Dog Coat do differently to other coats?

The inner lining of the Dog coat is made from polyester-silk which helps prevent friction between the coat and your dog’s fur, which is often an unseen and unknown cause of knots and tangles when wearing a coat. The coats are designed to cover as much of your dog’s fur as possible as knots and tangles can form all over the dog’s body – so having full leg and neck cover keeps the fur as much as possible from the elements

Smooth polyester-silk lining to prevent the formation of knots

What do I do if my dog does get knots and tangles?

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.

Long, dense and strong pins to help get all the way through the thick coat. Using this slicker frequently helps smooth out the coat helps break up the tangles in the fur before they become knots & matts.
– Suitable for daily grooming
– Ideal for novice & experienced groomers

Stainless steel with a mix of course and fine tapered pins. Use this comb to help identify where any knots and matts might be and ease through them. If the knots and matts are too big, then use the De-Matter to cut through them.
– Suitable for all long and thick coats
– Ideal for novice & experienced groomers

Micro-serrated precision cutting blades effectively cut through knots and matts by using a sawing action.
– Suitable for larger knots and matts
– Ideal for novice & experienced groomers
– For several large knots and tangles, take your dog to the groomer

How to painlessly clear a matt or 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.

Find out more about our full Doodles range here: https://mikkipet.com/doodles/

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