Although tangles may appear cosmetic, mats can pose a real health concern to dogs.  Failure to thoroughly brush out the coat can lead to the build-up of mats close to the skin that cannot be brushed out without causing the dog distress and pain.  Matted coats can cause the following problems:

• Skin irritation caused by dirt and dander
• Parasites such as fleas, ticks and even maggots may become trapped under the hair and cause skin infections
• Sores and hair loss – as mats become tighter, they can pull on the skin, causing lesions and hair loss
• Mats can obstruct the skin and hide conditions such as hot spots, sores and other skin issues.  These can only be revealed once the hair has been clipped off and may need treatment.
• The skin beneath tight matts is usually raw and inflamed
• Ear bleeding – if the ears are heavily matted, circulation can be restricted.  Once the mats have been removed, the dog may feel ‘tingling’ as the circulation returns and may shake their heads excessively, causing bleeding.
• De-matting of younger pets tends to make them dislike grooming to the point that they become VERY difficult to work with, and may even become biters, requiring them to be muzzled in order for them to be groomed at all.
• When a dog is severely tangled or matted, it causes greater stress on the dog to be de-matted. Since your pet has no way of telling us that we are hurting him/her, their only alternative is to bite.