# Could it be? The blowing of the coat?



## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Well I'm not sure if it's possible for coat blowing to start at 7.5 months or if the last few days of post-neuter cone wearing and less grooming are taking a toll, but Archer's coat seems to be matting like crazy all of a sudden! I keep finding more and more mats! I am able to comb them out but I am getting quite the impressive clumps of hair coming out... And if I don't get them right away they start growing in size. There is only so much he will tolerate what with his neuter incision and cone and general lack of exercise due to restricted activities... but I'm slowly attacking these mats as I find them. It is becoming a strange obsession...


----------



## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Molly got her share of mats after her spay. I did't want to bother her as much with combing as well as trying to avoid her tummy area and incision. As soon as she could be bathed after surgery I took her to the groomer and had her clipped a little shorter. I thought the shorter clip might help me when she blows coat as she tends to normally mat very easily. Also don't you think the anesthesia might effect their coat somewhat?


----------



## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Definitely going to be bringing him to groomer for a trim after this but need to keep the mats from taking over in the meantime!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

It's POSSIBLE that he's blowing coat, but it's a bit early. A lot of them DO mat after spay/neuter surgery, though… and I know that Kodi has lost coat a couple of times when he's been sick. The vet told me that's pretty common.


----------



## Naturelover (Nov 30, 2013)

Holy crap I am getting a taste of the hell of matting coat!! I cannot wash Archer until 6 days from now and OMG. I think it is matting worse because he is dirty, and I am trying so hard to get these out but I am removing like 8-10 small fur clumps a day! And he is starting to be unhappy about this despite the help of my BF in feeding him treats while I am working on sensitive belly & ear areas.... I am trying to find the mat, grasp the base of it, brush it slowly, spray with CC ice on ice, then use flea comb to comb out... it is hard! And the mats spread like a brush fire. I love the length of his hair now (its like 4") but I booked a grooming appt for Thursday. Gotta just do damage control until then, try to get the mats out as much as I can. I think I will ask them to take him down to half the length he is now... gonna lose the black tips, and I love the handfuls of hair, but I just don't know if battling this is worth it, and my original intention was to keep him in a longish puppy cut...


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Naturelover said:


> Holy crap I am getting a taste of the hell of matting coat!! I cannot wash Archer until 6 days from now and OMG. I think it is matting worse because he is dirty, and I am trying so hard to get these out but I am removing like 8-10 small fur clumps a day! And he is starting to be unhappy about this despite the help of my BF in feeding him treats while I am working on sensitive belly & ear areas.... I am trying to find the mat, grasp the base of it, brush it slowly, spray with CC ice on ice, then use flea comb to comb out... it is hard! And the mats spread like a brush fire. I love the length of his hair now (its like 4") but I booked a grooming appt for Thursday. Gotta just do damage control until then, try to get the mats out as much as I can. I think I will ask them to take him down to half the length he is now... gonna lose the black tips, and I love the handfuls of hair, but I just don't know if battling this is worth it, and my original intention was to keep him in a longish puppy cut...


Even if you NEVER cut him at all, he would eventually lose most of the black tips. You're just hastening a process that would happen anyway. And since you were thinking of a longish puppy cut, it would happen sooner. 

The good thing about Havanese is that even with blowing coat, hair grows!!! If you get him cut shortish now, he'll be "longish" again by the time he's done blowing coat. I managed to hang on through blowing coat, but I don't think Kodi was as bad as some I've read about on the forum&#8230; I anted to keep him in long coat, but I made the decision early on that if it became a problem for either of us, the coat would go!


----------

