The Importance of Maintenance Grooming to Prevent Painful Matting

Dog owners of long-haired or curly-haired breeds, such as Poodles, Doodles, Maltese, or Shih Tzus, understand how vital grooming is for their pets. Regular grooming not only keeps your dog looking grrr-eat but also enhances their overall health and well-being. One often overlooked aspect of grooming is maintenance grooming, which are sessions that can prevent painful matting between full grooming appointments.

Understanding Matting in Long-Haired and Curly-Haired Dogs

Matting happens when fur tangles and intertwines, forming clumps that can pull on your dog’s skin. This issue is particularly prevalent in long-haired and curly-haired breeds due to their unique hair texture. Unlike short-haired dogs, whose coats tend to lie flat, long-haired breeds require consistent grooming to keep their fur manageable.

Matting can lead to serious issues for dogs. Mats can trap dirt, moisture, and debris against the skin, heightening the risk of skin irritations and infections. Additionally, severe matting can result in painful pulling on your dog's skin. Regular maintenance grooming is important for ensuring your furry friend remains happy and healthy.

What is Maintenance Grooming?

Maintenance grooming refers to the regular grooming sessions between full grooming appointments. This process involves brushing, combing, and minor trimming to keep the coat free from tangles and mats.

For long-haired and curly-haired breeds, these sessions should occur every 4-6 weeks, depending on the dog's coat type, age, and lifestyle. For instance, if your dog plays outdoors frequently or has a dense coat, more frequent maintenance grooms may be needed.

The Benefits of Regular Maintenance Grooms

1. Prevents Matting

   Consistent maintenance grooming can significantly reduce the risk of matting. By brushing the coat regularly, you can remove loose hair and untangle knots before they become a problem.

   
   

2. Promotes Healthy Skin

   Regular grooming stimulates the skin and supports natural oil production. This contributes to a shinier coat and fewer skin problems. With proper grooming, you can also minimize the chances of skin irritations as mats can inhibit airflow and trap moisture.

   
   

3. Increases Comfort

   Mats can cause discomfort for dogs as they can tug at the skin. Regular grooming sessions can improve your dog’s comfort, reducing stress and irritability often linked to matting.

Maintenance Grooming at Brentwood Bubbles 'N' Barks

Who better to sum up how maintenance grooming works at Brentwood Bubbles 'N' Barks than our very own grooming guru, Jade?

"Maintenance grooming is perfect for long or curly coated dogs whose owners like to keep the coat longer. Going weeks and weeks between grooms, especially in the current weather, can lead to your dog becoming matted if not brushed regularly enough at home. We can only brush out knots for a certain amount of time before your dog becomes uncomfortable, not to mention it will pull the skin, which is not very nice for your pooch.

Having a session in between grooms helps to prevent long/curly coats from becoming matted. (Matted fur cannot be brushed out as it's too close to the skin and will be too uncomfortable for your dog). Just as a disclaimer, if you do book a maintenance grooming session and we feel that the matting is too much for this kind of groom, then we will have to discuss a full groom that might have to include a coat restart. We will, of course, chat with you on this once we've seen your dog. Do get in touch if you would like more information, advice or to make a booking. With our 5-star reviews we are very proud to be one of the best groomers in Brentwood, and we can't wait to meet you and your best friends."