Hair cutters for dogs: description, purpose, instructions for use and reviews

How to comb out dog mats

The best way to deal with cleavers is to prevent them from appearing.
But what if they have already formed? Read this article about how to comb out dog mats. Mats most often form in long-haired breeds. They need special care - regular washing, daily brushing and the use of special cosmetics. Without this, dead hair gets tangled in the growing fur, rolls up and forms unpleasant tangles. They not only look unsightly, but also tighten the skin, sometimes even cause pain and can make movement difficult.

But the enemies have already formed. Prevention will no longer help; you need to get rid of them quickly. Let's find out how.

Advice

You already know how to comb out dog mats. But what to do if she doesn’t give in, she’s nervous, and you somehow can’t “agree”? In this case, you should definitely seek help from a groomer, who will be able to solve the problem of matted fur as quickly as possible and without harm to the emotional state of your pet, and will also show you simple techniques for combing and removing problem areas of fur.

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The problem of mats is of great concern to owners of dogs with long hair. It is important not only to correctly remove the stray lump, but also to establish the cause of its occurrence. This will make it easier to choose preventative measures. For example, when combing your pet, you need to use a special comb - this will prevent the occurrence of hairballs.

How to comb out dog mats: step by step

Take care of your pet's peace of mind.

Trying to get rid of clumps of hair when the dog is active or irritated is useless. Matted clumps of fur can actually be very painful, pulling and irritating the skin. Therefore, the animal must first be calmed.

Use a special product

Before you start getting rid of it, use a spray to untangle such tangles, or at least just for combing. Wait a few minutes. If there is nothing, it is recommended to rub starch into the resulting clump. It softens the wool, making it easier to untangle.

Brush the whole dog

This way you will see the boundaries of the tangled lumps, and perhaps discover a few more tangles. They most often form near the ears, on the abdomen, lower neck and hind legs. Use a slicker brush to brush at this stage. This will help avoid new formations.

Loosen the mat

Grab the base of the tangled bun and loosen it with the sharp end of a comb or a special tool. Help with your fingers. This will loosen the tangle and make it easier to comb out. Start from the middle of the hair towards the center; do not try to untangle the tangle from the center right away - this will confuse it even more and cause pain to the animal.

Take a flat comb

When you have untangled the tangle as much as possible with your fingers, start combing it with a flat comb. Again, follow from the middle, gradually moving towards the roots.

Brush your dog as usual

How to comb dogs?

The comb is selected based on coat type and needs. For quality care, several tools are combined. If the dog has long, flowing hair, then first of all you need to use a massage brush. Brush your short-haired pet with a brush with soft bristles. To process thick wool, a slicker is used, the working surface of which is made of metal.

All dog combs have teeth that are not sharp, but blunt and rounded. This way you don’t have to worry about scratching the animal’s skin. Manufacturers offer tools in different sizes. It is worth choosing so that it is convenient to comb even hard-to-reach areas. For medium-sized dogs, slicker brushes with a working surface of 6-7 cm are suitable; larger models are suitable for large pets.

Combs are also called rakes. The grooming tool is very convenient and allows you to process the wool efficiently. When choosing, you need to pay special attention to the length of the cloves. Their size is selected according to the length of the coat. The device not only removes fallen hairs, but also cleanses the dog’s skin of old epithelium.

A convenient and modern device is the furminator. The work surface is made of stainless steel, and the plastic handle is rubberized to prevent slipping. The tool combines a comb with a small blade. During processing, most of the dead hair is removed, and the living wool remains untouched.

The big advantage of the furminator is that it does not come into contact with the skin of the animal. The device is not used for breeds without undercoat, because in this case it simply will not be useful. Only dry wool can be processed. You need to scratch smoothly, following the growth of the hair.

A smooth-haired dog should be combed with brushes or special gloves made of silicone and rubber. The tools are only suitable for breeds that do not have an undercoat and are used during shedding. Short dog hair can also be treated well with a piece of natural suede fabric.

The combing procedure can bring discomfort to the animal if it is in a neglected state or is not at all accustomed to grooming. Expert advice will help simplify the task of preventing tangles.

1. If the coat is long or medium length, start processing by using a wide-tooth comb. It is important to guide the tool correctly. Move along the fur at a slight angle.
2. Particular attention should be paid to areas with soft fur. For most breeds, these are the muzzle, ears, and hind legs.
3. After combing, it is necessary to re-treat the hair with a massage brush. Move from head to tail.
4. The slicker should be used for dogs with medium length hair. If the hairs are very long, the tool will cause discomfort.

To learn how to comb dog mats, watch the following video.

Mats that form on a pet are a real scourge for owners of dogs of long and wire-haired breeds.

The luxurious flowing mane, which is the pride of a show animal, requires daily combing and qualified care.

This is the only way you can avoid the appearance of areas matted into difficult-to-disassemble clumps.

The main reasons for the appearance of tangles

What are the most common causes of hair curling?

1. Kneading wet, clean wool. This happens if a bathed dog with long, thick hair is not dried with a hairdryer after washing, leaving the hair to dry naturally . In addition to tangles, this drying method also risks overheating the cover.

2. The formation of so-called “water mats” on a pet is considered a frequent occurrence, which appears due to the fault of inexperienced owners who wash and scrub the dog too hard . To avoid this trouble, the detergent should be applied gently as the fur grows, gently driving it in with the pads of your fingers , and not tangling the hair, trying to better wash your four-legged friend.

3. Dog clothing can also cause bunching. Most often this happens in places where the body and the seams of the product come into contact. To avoid this, try to buy onesies that are lined with slip fabric.

4. Burrs and thorns , which are found in abundance in walking areas, also lead to tangles. It is quite difficult to deal with them - when you try to pull them out, the prickly ball breaks up into small segments, which are difficult to pull out of the fur. Some owners recommend examining the dog several times during a walk in order to pull out burrs immediately, or, when going to a forest or field, putting a duster on the pet .

5. Most owners, not having any special experience or knowledge in caring for the fur of their four-legged friend, believe that lightly smoothing the hair with a massage brush is quite enough for the good condition of the coat. A comb with short teeth , without penetrating all the way to the body, leaves under the top, well-groomed layer, a dense, knitted felt, which, in especially advanced cases, even experienced groomers do not dare to touch. The only way out in this case is to cut the animal bald.

If the tangles cannot be untangled

If you are unable to deal with the scraps yourself, there are three options:

• Use a tangle cutter. This is quite a dangerous thing for beginners, since it is a comb with blades. It is easy for an inexperienced person to injure a dog.

• Shave the mat. This method is possible if you agree to shave the entire coat, or a certain area. Otherwise, the resulting “bald spots” will not look aesthetically pleasing.

• Visit a groomer. This is the simplest and most painless option. It will be much easier for a specialist to rid your pet of unpleasant tufts.

Finally, never cut out mats with scissors! This is, at a minimum, unsightly, and at a maximum, you can seriously injure your pet.

Proper use of webbing cutters

The main rule when working with a tool is not to harm the animal. If you mindlessly scratch your pet, it will not lead to anything good. After all, tangles already cause pain, and there is also inconvenience when combing. So how to use a mat cutter for your pet correctly? First you need to prepare the dog. It is necessary that it lies depending on where the tangles are. If necessary, turn it over yourself. And slowly, with care, carefully move the device so that the balls of hair are cut off. Let your dog know that the procedure will not harm him. But if the pet breaks out, then the process can be carried out even if the dog is standing. In this case, you need to fix it between the owner’s legs. If, for example, you need to remove tangles on the dog’s back. No sudden movements. After all, the described device has blades. There is no need to forget about this.

Reasons for appearance

The formation of tangles can be the result of a lack of care or its excess. We list the common causes of their occurrence.

1. Wet, clean wool clumps together. This happens to people with long and thick hair if they are not dried with a hairdryer after bathing. In the process of natural drying, not only the condition of the coat deteriorates, but also the skin.
2. There are special “water tangles” - the result of improper washing . This phenomenon occurs among inexperienced owners who try to actively soap and wash dirt from the fur. Prevention is simple - apply detergents carefully and according to hair growth, without tangling them.
3. When wearing dog clothes, hair can get tangled at the seams and in contact with the body. To prevent it, you need to use things with pads made of special sliding fabric.
4. A dog can pick up burrs and thorns while walking. It is difficult to pull them out of the wool; when moving, the ball breaks up into small spines. It is recommended to inspect the animal while walking so that all plants are removed immediately. You can put a duster or other clothing on your dog that will protect its fur.
5. Combing with the wrong tools. Inexperienced owners believe that a massage brush is enough for care. However, short cloves tidy up only the top layer, and the undercoat clumps together. Even professional groomers cannot always cope with the consequences of such mistakes; the dog has to be cut bald.
6. The owners' excessive love for ruffling fur during games leads to disastrous consequences. You should not stroke the dog against the growth of the hairs or ruffle them.
7. Health conditions can affect the appearance of the coat and the formation of mats. If you notice not only the hairs being knocked down, but also their dullness and lifeless appearance, then you should consult a veterinarian. Fleas, helminths, kidney and liver diseases can affect the condition of the coat.
8. In dogs, the condition of the hairs may worsen during pregnancy and childbirth . This is due to a number of factors, including a decrease in the number of cosmetic procedures. Dog breeders recommend cutting your dog's hair as short as possible before pregnancy, or at least removing the hair near the mammary glands. If this is not possible at all, tie your hairs with elastic bands or put them in curlers.

Where do they come from?

Mats appear mainly due to insufficient care of the animal.

Clumped hairballs usually occur in the summer or fall. At this time of year, small twigs, thorns, tenacious grass seeds, etc. get on the wool. It is very difficult to deal with such a problem. Firstly, small thorns and twigs become entangled in fur within a few hours. Secondly, even when you pull out these thorns, they begin to crumble into small fractions, which will significantly complicate the problem. The way out of this situation is to eliminate small objects immediately after they come into contact with the animal’s body.

Another reason for the appearance of hairballs is frequent swimming in bodies of water. Water causes the fur to clump into clumps even after the next home bath. Owners of these animals need to remember that after each wash of their pet, its fur must be thoroughly wiped with a towel and dried with a hairdryer. Otherwise, overheating occurs, which contributes to wool matting and the appearance of an unpleasant odor.

At the same time, during the bathing process, owners of shaggy pets should not be overzealous with rubbing their fur. The shampoo should be applied using gentle movements smoothly and evenly. By not following this rule, owners risk creating tangles with their own hands.

The cause of tangles may also be insufficiently frequent combing. This problem is especially relevant for fluffy and long-haired dogs during shedding.

How to get rid of tangles using products?

If the fur has bunched up in clumps, then you should try to resolve the situation with the least possible losses. You need to try to untangle everything, and not immediately cut it off. To comb tangles, special means are used that greatly simplify the task. Let's look at the most effective methods.

1. Mats often appear in the area of ​​the ears and armpits - where the fur is especially soft. Immediately after combing, treat your hair with zinc-based baby powder and go through it with a slicker. This can easily prevent tangling.
2. When using anti-matt shampoo, be sure to read the instructions. Some of them strip out the undercoat too much and are not suitable for some breeds. This can have a particularly bad effect on the condition of the coat of Pekingese and Shih Tzu.
3. Conditioners will help make the wool softer, making it easier to untangle tangles. Use them after shampoo and immediately comb the animal.
4. To treat hairballs, it is not necessary to wash your dog; you can use a mat removal spray. This product contains oils. The wool becomes oily, so it detangles better.

You need to purchase care products from a veterinary pharmacy. Many of them are aimed at the fur of certain breeds of dogs, so read the information on the packages carefully. Give preference to well-known brands.

Before first use, apply a small amount of product to your dog's belly and make sure there is no allergic reaction.

Purpose

They will help you remove tangles that cause inconvenience from your animal without pain.

If the dog has fluffy fur, then the device will definitely be needed.

A comb cutter is a special device that resembles a comb for removing hair. The tool has no more than two blades, which are completely safe and will not harm the pet.

Using this device, you can relieve your dog of physical pain. Because the mats get tangled in the fur, and if the animal catches them with a fingernail, it experiences pain. Hair cutters are necessary because the dog can become covered in a layer of hair and become helpless. And he will be in a state of stress all the time, which does not have the best effect on the emotional state of the pet. As a result, the animal's appetite may even be impaired. Or it will refuse to eat at all.

Most reviews of dog mat cutters are very positive. After all, such a device really makes life easier for your pet. Tangles are difficult to remove without tools.

Prevention of tangles

In order to eliminate tangles with minimal wool loss, you need to do this immediately after they are discovered. It’s even better if combing is done regularly, which will form the basis of prevention. You need to wash and comb your pet's fur as often as necessary. It is advisable to brush some breeds daily, for example, collie, chow-chow. Almost all long-haired breeds need to be combed every day if they roam freely on the street and get caught in burrs, puddles or sand.

In the process, you need to eliminate tangles, only as a last resort by cutting them off with scissors; as soon as they begin to appear, you can easily untangle them. This will avoid causing pain to the animal. Key attention should be paid to the armpits, ear and belly areas, where hair is most prone to matting. For a high-quality result, you need to choose a good slicker, which will minimize discomfort for the dog.

Anti-tangle shampoo is an effective preventive measure that prevents their formation. The product is ineffective against already formed tangles. In this case, shampoo should be used in parallel with combing. After taking a bath, you need to dry your pet’s fur with a hairdryer, combing out tangles as you go. A dog should not be allowed to run around with wet fur, as it will quickly become tangled.

Types of welt cutters. How to choose the right model?

Most new dog breeders are slightly perplexed when they realize that choosing the right tangle cutter is a whole science. The tool should be convenient for you, not cause discomfort to your pet and not put a strain on the family budget, so which one should you choose? Start by “screening out” tangle cutters by type:

• Vertical
  - a comb-comb with sharpened blades instead of teeth. The back side of the teeth is rounded and safe; in some models, the tips of the blades are curved with a hook.

Secrets of removing tangles

If the tangle is caused by burdock or string getting into the fur, it can only be removed by first thoroughly soaking the plant. In this case, the hooks from the plant will soften and become more amenable to removal.

When chewing gum gets tangled in the fur, do not immediately run for scissors, as the problem can be eliminated with the help of another one. You need to chew the gum and apply it to the previous one, pressing a little to get a homogeneous mass. Next, you need to carefully pull the lump. This method will eliminate the lump almost completely, and it is recommended to wash off the remaining residue with warm water.

If a dense tangle has formed that cannot be untangled, there is no need to cut it out immediately. First, you should use products containing fat. When none of the methods help, it is recommended to cut the lump lengthwise several times and try to untangle it again. This will help keep not all the wool, but at least some of it intact.

How to properly scratch at home?

What distinguishes the Spitz from other breeds is its thick undercoat. It supports the guard hairs and gives the Pomeranian the appearance of a fluffy pom-pom. Spitz coat care has some peculiarities.

To prevent the dog's hair from splitting, it should be slightly moistened with a special product or water before combing. It is better to start combing from the stomach, gradually moving forward. The tail should be scratched from the base.

What do you need?

The most suitable comb for a Spitz would be a soft comb that gently processes the coat, does not pull out hairs and at the same time gives pleasure to the animal by massaging the skin. Hard brushes can both damage the coat and cause discomfort to the dog and cause scratches and microtraumas.

The teeth of the comb should not be too frequent, so that in addition to untangling the hairs, you do not pull out excess hair. An important point is the preservation of the undercoat, which ensures the maintenance of guard hairs and gives the fur coat fullness.

It is necessary to comb against the growth of hairs, but in all directions and reaching the skin with teeth. This is an excellent way of massage that provides nutrition and hair growth. It is best to comb your pet by sitting him on your lap or on a special table, after placing a rubber mat so that his paws do not slip.

Important : areas with soft skin (behind the ears, under the chin and in the groin) deserve special attention - because tangles most often form here.

The final stage of combing is using a comb. It serves to collect the remaining fluff, stretch out the fur (this is especially important before cutting) and give the pet fluffiness.

At the end of the procedure, you can run the brush from the tail to the head - this will make the Spitz’s hair rise beautifully. And fluff it up a little with your hands - this way it won’t roll up longer.

Tangles

Spitz hair rarely gets into tangles, only in the most delicate places with the softest skin - around the ears, armpits, between the fingers, in the groin area. If this happens, you need to carefully remove the tangles with your fingers and then comb them out with a comb.

Attention : severely tangled areas that could not be sorted out with your hands and combed out with a comb can be cut off with tongs - but only in an adult dog.

How often is it necessary?

Spitz dogs have a coat structure that does not require daily brushing. They very rarely develop tangles. Therefore, two to three times a week will be enough for your pet.

If you comb your Spitz more often, there is a risk of removing the entire undercoat and the dog will no longer be so fluffy, and the guard hair will remain without support and fall.

The dog must also be brushed before and after bathing. When wet, the fur that has bunched up in shreds will become harder and then difficult to comb out. Brushing before bathing will prevent excessive tangling and tangles.