Mats cut off the air flow in your dog's hair and can trap moisture, which can cause irritation and sores on your dog. Even mild matting can be painful, but in severe cases, matting can cut off circulation to your dog's skin and cause hematomas.
What do I do if my dogs hair is matted?
- Never bathe your dog if he has mats or tangled hair. Water acts as a sponge and only makes them tighter.
- Use corn starch to help loosen matted dog hair. Rub some into the mat to help loosen, then brush out.
- Don't assume that conditioner will remove or loosen mats.
- NEVER try to cut out matted dog hair.
Why does matted fur hurt dogs?
Mats cause severe pain in dogs when they begin to pull up on the skin and tighten around tails and limbs. His lumpy coat gets in the way of his getting comfortable. Tangled fur harbors feces and urine, as well as any purulent material from an infection, so not only is it painful, but the irritation causes itching.