# Matted fur!!



## ricecake (May 16, 2013)

Hi everyone! Are there any tips for dealing with and preventing matted fur? I comb my Havanese mix fairly regularly but random knots will appear. When they are too big to comb through, I just cut them off. Will that create more knots in the future since the fur is growing in unevenly? I am just using a brush to comb through it. Will detanglers help? I generally just cut them off because I don't want to torture my poor dog by trying to pick through the knot. I will find an unmanageable knot once every few months. 

Thank you for reading and looking forward to your responses!


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## Cody010414 (Mar 23, 2014)

I switched to just using a comb rather than a brush after I read Deacon Blue's post about how he had to shave his puppy Rory after using a brush. The brush does not get all the way to the skin like a comb does and then mats develop. Do a search on "learn from my rookie grooming nightmare." Thank you Deacon Blues for a very informative post. Also, I have read that corn starch helps get a mat out. I decided to keep Cody in a puppy cut.


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

I would say that combing instead of brushing is a MUST. I just got Mae cut for the first time last week, she'll be a year the end of August. I line combed her every other day about 45 minutes and then did a quicker comb out in between concentrating on potential matt areas like underarms, lower belly area by back legs and behind ears. She never blew her coat or was matted but I wanted to trim off her baby hair which was getting ratty looking. I use both Coat Handler and Chris Chritensen Ice on Ice which I spray before combing both are awesome products. Don't spray the Ice on Ice around a hard surfaced floor it's SO slippery once it dries. I am planning on growing her out now, she's about 3 inches long now, but I am enjoying my new found free time. Get your pup used to combing especially feet, legs and under chin you'll thank yourself later.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

I brush and comb the fur kids daily. I have struggled to keep Scout mat free because he has a thick coat. The last time the groomer was here I tried her slicker, the Original Universal. I found it to be the best one I have used and ordered two of them online. It is a great slicker brush for working on mats before combing. I really like the Pure Paws Hydrating mist before brushing and combing.


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## ricecake (May 16, 2013)

@Cody010414: I just looked up that thread and WOW!!! That's crazy how it was so matted underneath but looked perfectly fine on the surface! Cody is adorable, btw  

@jabojenny and @Heather Glen: I did not realize there was a difference between brushing and combing! Is there a comb that either of you can recommend? 

Thank you for your replies!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

I really like the Chris Christensen combs. I have the #000 and #006 for face and feet.


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## ricecake (May 16, 2013)

If I can see the pink of his skin when I part his fur, is there still a risk of it being matted below the surface?


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

ricecake said:


> If I can see the pink of his skin when I part his fur, is there still a risk of it being matted below the surface?


You're good if you can see the pink of his skin. Just be sure you can see skin all over him anywhere you part the hair including his legs, feet especially at the base of the paw pads, behind ears, under chin, sides of face, behind knees, etc..
Line combing involves working the comb through the coat, down to the skin in lines as a way to ensure that you are combing the entire coat down to the skin and not just skimming over the surface.

If I'm not mistaken, Deacon Blue said in another post that he was using a comb not a brush when he ran into the matting issue with Rory. He just wasn't using a combing technique that got down to the skin.

The trade off we have with our Havs is that they don't shed much but that we have to learn how to groom them properly and then be very diligent in seeing that their coats don't mat. This is a lifelong commitment with these dogs because if we slack off on the grooming then mats are likely to form and can get out of hand quickly.


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

I'm a CC fan too. I have the Chris Christensen - BUTTERCOMB #000 FINE/COARSE, the Chris Christensen - ALL FINE #008 TAIL COMB (which is great for parting while line combing) and the Chris Christensen - Pin Brush with Wood Pins (which I use before combing to loosen hair up and in between comb outs to fluff.


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## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

CC comb is worth every cent.


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## ricecake (May 16, 2013)

I will definitely look into the CC combs! Thanks everyone!


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