The goal is to unknot tiny portions of the mat at a time.
Jow to demat a horible mat.
Starting with a separated section of the mat use your non dominant hand to hold the base of the mat down with thumb and forefinger so the comb won t pull hair out.
By slick we mean use a slicker brush to break up the mat.
Yes rub cornstarch into the mat from the scalp to the free hair end of the section.
The bristles should not touch your dog s skin even so we suggest holding the mat in your hand and brushing it that way.
Be aware that some rakes can cut away your dog s fur rather than comb it out this is a good temporary solution but often results in hair growing back unevenly which is especially problematic for styled breeds dematting combs are just the thing for those tough thick knots.
If the mat is one large clump sometimes pulling it apart allows the brush or comb to better untangle the hair.
Brush out small mats as soon as you find them.
Needles to say this biting can discolor the hair and cause skin infections.
When working on the mat it helps to hold the base of the mat with one hand while working on the end of the mat with your other hand or brush.
When this happens the dog bites at its skin or tries to scratch causing the mat to grow in size and the hair to get even more tangled.
Slicker brushes have wire bristles that are bent at the ends.
This helps prevent painful pulling on the skin.
Using a fine toothed flea comb gently start combing through the mat piece starting at the very tip of the hairs.
Don t wait for them to get worse.
Mats not only make the coat look disheveled they actually add to a dog s distress and cause skin irritation.
Also known as dematting rakes these combs are specifically designed to pull apart mats.
When you re working on the armpits it s much easier to use a triangular shaped slicker brush.
If the brush doesn t seem to work use both of your thumbs and index fingers to pull apart the matted fur.
Work your way down to the base of the mat as you untangle the top.