PET GROOMING MAGIC -DEMATTING A TAIL

How many times are pet groomers faced with the dreadful decision to clip down a tail that is supposed to be a plume? The pet owner begs, "PLEEEZE don't clip the tail!" We get the dog on the table and the tail looks something like this:

This is a Maltese tail. It could just as easily be a Bichon Frise.
What do these begging owners expect? Magic? This looks like a solid mat. The reaction of most pet groomers is to get out the clippers and snap on a #10 blade.

Now if I told you that you could not only save this tail, but it could be done in six minutes and the owners would be forever grateful, you probably would not believe me. But that is exactly what happened in this case. I don't call myself a "Master Dematter" for nothing!

THREE MINUTES

The solid mat has been loosened and broken apart. The main tool that I use for this procedure is the Mat Breaker.

The product that saved this tail was Eqyss Survivor. Survivor was originally developed for dematting horse's tails. Now that's some serious work, and this stuff is up to the challenge!

The expression, "A little dab'll do ya", applies to these gel detangling products such as the Survivor. You only need an amount the size of your fingernail rubbed onto a mat the size of your thumb.

After loosening the matting with the Mat Breaker, a metal comb is used to gently pick apart the tangling. Voila!

SIX MINUTES

The tail is a bit scrawny looking, but it will fill in a whole lot faster than it takes to regrow a shaved tail.

Here is a picture of a Bichon tail that had that shaved about 3 months previous. (By another groomer, I should add...)

How long do you think it will take for this tail to ever resemble a bichon plume? I'd say 9-12 more months.

IMPORTANT POINTS:
Not all dogs can tolerate even the most gentle dematting. It an animal is extremely distressed by the tugging involved in picking apart mats, the matted areas should probably be clipped out, not combed.

ANY sharp-bladed instrument has the potential for accidentally cutting the subject. Matted skin tends to get drawn up into serious matting, so the groomer must be extra vigilant. Be sure that you are attacking the hair not the skin. It sounds like a no-brainer, but accidents happen (especially when the brain is disengaged.)

A animal's skin can be compromised by poor health, mild dehydration, or advanced age. Cats, in particular, have thin fragile skin that can actually tear during strenuous (or not so strenuous) dematting. On either dogs or cats, as you work on a matted area, pay particular attention to the condition of the skin as well as the hair. If the skin is not healthy and elastic, you may be better off clipping out mats. On unhealthy skin, even the clipper can be dangerous.

The point of the story is that a badly matted tail can be saved. For six minutes of dematting work to save this tail, the client was very happy to pay an extra $10. Magic costs more!

Not a professional? Well, then you should expect to take a little longer - say 15-20 minutes.

For more information on the techniques of dematting, click here for my full article.