16/11/2025
NOT MY POST JUST SHARING
I need to say something, and I need people to actually hear it!
Today I had someone tell us, āPlease donāt shave if possible,ā while their dog was so severely matted that the entire coat came off in one sheet. One solid, felted blanket of hair. This isnāt a ālittle knot.ā This isnāt āoverdue.ā This is a dog who has been living in constant discomfort for months.
People are getting doodles and poodles and every curly-coated breed out there without any understanding of what their grooming needs actually are, and the dogs are the ones paying the price. I am not saying this to shame anyone. Iām saying it because this level of matting is painful, dangerous, and completely avoidable.
When a dog is this matted, their hair doesnāt just tangle, it FELTS. It becomes a solid mass that pulls on their skin every time they walk, scratch, lie down, stretch, or even breathe. It restricts blood flow to their legs, tail, armpits, and ears. It traps moisture against the skin, creating the perfect environment for bacterial infections, yeast, sores, and wounds no one can see. The skin underneath becomes fragile and sometimes even bruised from the constant pressure. Dogs donāt cry about it. They donāt complain. They just live with it, and that should break your heart like it does mine.
And hereās what people donāt understand: when the mats come off, thatās not the end of it. When the coat is removed, blood flow rushes back into areas that have been restricted for so long. The skin can be red, irritated, swollen, or extremely sensitive. Some dogs get itchy or uncomfortable because their skin is finally able to breathe again. In some cases, especially with the ears, the sudden return of circulation can even cause hematomas. This isnāt ājust a shave.ā Itās the first moment of relief theyāve had in a long time.
Groomers do NOT want to shave your dog. We donāt enjoy it. We donāt choose the easiest option. We choose the safest and most humane one left by the time the dog arrives in this condition. If there was any way to save the coat without hurting the dog, we would. We ALWAYS would.
I am begging people: brush your dogs. Keep a regular grooming schedule. Understand the coat type you chose. Curly-coated, long-coated, and high-maintenance breeds require upkeep... at home AND professionally. If you want the fluffy, cute doodle look, it takes real work. You cannot skip months of grooming and expect a miracle.
This isnāt about looks. This is about your dogās comfort, their health, and their quality of life. Please, please, donāt let them get to the point where theyāre living inside a sheet of felted pain. They deserve better, and groomers are trying our best to give them that relief. But we need people to understand whatās at stake.
