# HELP! Havanese has HUGE mats!



## moepurple (May 14, 2012)

My Havanese has HUGE mats! There is a huge clump by her booty that won"t come out! I've brushed at her for HOURS! She is 10 months old. My parents are on vacation and I feel horrible, they are so attached to her long beautiful coat. Does she have to get shaved?


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## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

Possibly, depending on how bad the mats are. Don't worry, hair grows. Maybe just the bad matted sections can be trimmed out? 

You came to the right place, we all understand. She may be blowing coat, so there may be many more mats to come. How often is she combed out?


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Call your folks. It happens quickly with those mats!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I would slice through the mat, by dragging sharp scissors through then remove


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

The mat is VERY close to the skin.


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## moepurple (May 14, 2012)

She is combed out at least 2-3 times a week. And the mat is so big, if I cut it out she will have a short patch, it will look weird. It covers her entire right booty area, it's sort of above the leg and next to the tail.


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## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

I'm confused, is it your dog or your parents' dog? I agree about calling your parents if it is their dog. What to do about it is really up to them if it is.

Some people regularly trim the heiny for cleanliness. Maybe a groomer can trim it out and make it all blend in, depending on where the mat is.

Are there mats forming anywhere else? If she is blowing coat she'll need combed every day, with a comb, not a brush.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

If she has mats there, look behind the ears too. If you drag the scissors through, you are loosening up the mat so some knots can be removed.


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## Pipersmom (Jul 27, 2009)

Try cornstarch before cutting if it's only one area. Really work it in to the mat and then comb. It really helps!


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## moepurple (May 14, 2012)

She is OUR dog. I am 15, so she belongs to my parents, my sister, and me. A family friend is staying with us while my parents are away. My parents are usually the ones to brush her and bathe her, so we've been doing that, but I guess we failed since she has the biggest mat I have ever seen! 

Will the scissor trick cut her fur? It's so big that cutting will make her look horrible!
I tried testing my parents and they said they'd look when they get back, which isn't for two more days.


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## moepurple (May 14, 2012)

Oops I mean texting*


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## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

try the cornstarch and combing thing. at least that's something that doesn't require cutting, and something to try before they come home that's not going to harm her if it doesn't work, either.


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

I have really good luck getting mats out when the hair is wet. You could use a conditioning spray or just get her butt wet and put conditioner in it and comb it out. Then rinse the conditioner and blow it dry.


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## Izzy-bella (Mar 26, 2011)

I agree the corn starch has saved me many a time. Rub a lot into the matted area working really well. If you take scissors to it don't try to cut it all off, just cut into it at various spots (a blunt tip scissors works well so you dont cut her skin) clipping here and there and comb a little at a time. Hopefully the mat will come out a little at a time and not leave a bare spot. Good luck


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Don't be too hard on yourself. This is coat blowing stage and it's a nightmare for many of us. I'm fighting a huge booty mat on Ruby right now too (second time around). The only good thing about it is it does eventually go away.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

((HUGS)) yup, definitly coat blowing (losing puppy coat) ... when your parents get back be sure to let them know your hav NEEDS to be combed at LEAST once a day preferably twice and down to the skin for now. Coat blowing is NO joke!! We have to stay ahead of those matts, cause they happen FAST!


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

Oh I forgot. Start from the bottom of the mat and work your way up to the skin. I agree with Tammy, you will need to line comb while the coat is a blowin'.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Don't cut the mat out.


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## FancyNancy (Oct 7, 2009)

I would leave your dog alone at this point. Combing her for "hours" sounds like torture for both of you. Just give her some rest (and yourself) and wait for your parent to come home and get her to a groomer. Don't start cutting - you could end up cutting the poor dog and then you'll have a real problem. Mats are not the worst thing in the world. Coming home to a traumatized dog and an even more traumatized 15-year old would be much worse than some silly mats! Sit, down., take a deep breath, and give the little puppy some cuddles.


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## tootle (Jun 19, 2007)

Do you have any detangler that you use for your own hair or something like BioSilk. If so, rub that into the mat and leave it in for a while. Working a little at a time, for your sake and the pups (lol), work with your comb and try to pull away a few hairs at a time. You may end up with some clumps where the loose hairs have wound around the other hair but those hairs had fallen out anyway so no loss. I agree that you should take some deep breathes and work on it a little at a time. When a Hav is blowing coat, this can happen overnight!!!


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