# Help...mats...shedding...



## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

Okay, Gracie is losing hair and getting mats...is she too young to be blowing her coat? If so, what is happening? I went two days without brushing her and wham...mats on her legs and behind her ears. Thank goodness for the buttercomb, but even with that, we got some yelps. 
She is 6 1/2 months...
What is the earliest they can start blowing coat?


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Welcome to the drrrreaded blowing coat stage!!!! :faint:


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

Michele, isn't she too young to be blowing?


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Karla, it could be, but usually it's between 8-12 months, but perhaps some have been earlier? I know that there were a couple of days when Kubrick was around 7 months that I thought he was blowing coat (same thing as you, waited a couple of days and TONS of mats) but each time it only lasted 1-2 days and then was gone, so it was sort of like a preface, LOL! He actually blew coat at 10 months and it lasted almost 2 months to the day, so it's possible that Gracie is going through something similar.


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## Redorr (Feb 2, 2008)

Yes - you could be just having a PREFACE of coat blowing. Lola had some serious mats at that age when I left her with people who didn't really get the brushing thing. If you can manage them, then it is probably a preface and you'll know when the real thing hits - the tsunami of mats. Suddenly. Everywhere.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Karla, I think they all start at different times. Smarty went from no matts to one big matt in no time, she was around 7 or 8 months.


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

I'm tempted to cut her body and leg hair down during this time...


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*Just wait Karla, you haven't seen anything yet*

Daisy would mat as the seconds ticked on the clock between nine months and a year. Even right after a bath. And she has the slickest coat.

Riki was about the same during that time. I had a matt remover comb that I shouldn't have been using on his coat...but I didn't know any better back then.

That is why I am the great groomer I am today. If you let them go two hours, you have a mess!

Now Riki hardly mats if I brush him daily. Daisy only matts when she chews on herself or around the ears or under the arms. As long as they have one good daily comb and brush out.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I think we may be entering that stage too. This is the first I've noticed matts and he's 10 months old. He's getting them in strange places. DH cut a few out near his pee-pee, the hair was so short and he was squirming so when we tried to brush him. When I brush him I'm getting good size clumps of hair in the brush when we're done. I guess it's time!


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

I really don't know if Cicero has blown coat or not. :suspicious: There have been times when I think "okay, this is what blowing coat is" but it's been when I missed a day of brushing and he had some mats to work out and more hair in the brush. One time I left his collar on for two days and he had some mats to work out, but I'm sure that was just from the collar. I have never had mats like some people explain - so I'm not sure that he has actually been through the blowing coat stage. He was 1 in Dec and maybe he is late with the 'big mat stage'. I have never had a time when I thought I might need to cut him or mats lasting for a month or two or mats showing up each day -- so how can I tell if he has or not??? Could it happen after they are over a year old for the first time?


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