Shihzu matts everyday - does anyone know?

[bwpatches]

Hi everyone: I am hoping someone can help with my wee ****zu, she is one year old and I keep her hair fairly short..but it does not seem to matter. She gets groomed ( comb/brush/matt comb) every day) The next day she gets matts right back. In the spring I had her shaved right down, my husband hated it, said she looked like a rat!

Any suggestions how to keep the matts down. I have tried a dematter, the only problem with the one I tried, is you use it when you bathe her. That's another story.

Erma

[Plummy16]

Hi bwpatches, I have a lhasa apso pup there pretty similar in coats i think. I get him groomed every 6 weeks and just get him shaved all off, he looks like a rat haha but a cute one. I don't know how to help as he doesnt get that matterd especially as he is getting his grown up coat. Do you have a groomer? you could ask them for advise on products and things. Good Luck

[lassie]

Hi you can buy a detangler grooming spray. have you tried it?

[bwpatches]

Thank you for your answers, I have asked the groomer, she reccomended the detangler spray I have been using, that is not working.
Another friend said that maybe the pup needs an oil or vitamin to make her coat more oily. I intend to ask the vet about that.

[Doberman's]

Welcoem ot Dogforum.org. :)


There are detangles you can buy that are for horses but work wonders. Try one called Cowboy Magic, it is expensive but it works and you use very little at a time.

[lassie]

Forgive me im not suggesting that you don't do it, but as with all long haired breeds you must groom right down to the skin.

Pity you didn't post a day earlier as i saw a friend yesterday who breeds shih tzus.;)

[dlambertz]

i was told there are two hair types...cotton type and stiffer, courser, more human hair type. my groomer told me molly has the more human hair type. matts are a lot let likely. the suggestion of cowboy magic is a good one. my groomer also told me to make sure to always spritz molly's hair before combing. she said to mix a capful of condtioner with a cup of water to use as a spritz.
hopefully you will find a solution... i am in the process of letting molly's bad haircut grow out.

[bwpatches]

Thank you all for your responses, I will look for Cowboy magic and also sprtz her hair before I comb her. My daughter also reccomended a special comb called personal Groomer that she has been using on her persian cat with great results. Apparently it is a fine comb on ones side and a rake on the other. She is in California and I am here in Ontario Canada, so I hope can find both the Cowboy magic and the comb. I will let you know how it all works out.
Brandi is one year old, blonde, with people hair which is fairly straight.

My last wee dog had curlier hair and never matted.

:) Erma

[jeff]

hi i have a 9yr old westie when she gets clipped and bathed the day after she is in a right state with sensitive skin and scraches and rubs her self all the time i have used special shampoos but still get the same result.this lasts for a few weeks then alls back to normal but for the two weeks she goes demented you only have to put your hand on her back and she is flat out on the floor thats how bad it is so is there anybody got any ideas how to stop this.at this moment at 0253 am i.am trying to get her to settle to go to sleep hope theres somone who can help me.

many thanks jeff.

[kkmclaren]

i have a lhasa apso who is not keen on grooming but i have tried all detangling sprays to no avail. i have found that if you dilute human hair conditioner, a good one, one part conditioner to 10 parts water in a spray bottle and LIGHTLYmist the coat before grooming the brush/comb will not snag the coat.keep it away from eyes

[bryony]

with whw they r pron to problem skin and if u r having her shaved short then it srtips out the natural oils and makes there skin itchy and so sensitive, i u could try havivng her trimed up with the scissors rather than having her shaved and also an everning primrose shampo is grate for dogs with sore skin and if u r going to keep her short i would recomend u try using an aloe vera spray im in the uk and i have one for my lhasa when he gets bitten it cools and sooths the skin its called aloe veterinary formula by forever animal care and it is really good. u could try giving her some everning primrose or codliver oils pills or try adding some oily fish to her meals lke macral or pilcids mine like it in tomarto sauce :)

my lhasa is kept in full coat nearly i have is belly and groin shaved with a 7f and his armpts ahved out then evry day i stand him and mist him with a grooming spray then i use a pin brush and groom throgh him this lossens any tangles from the dag i brush him up and down side to side then i brush it down and with my metal comb i comb trough him from nose to tail and he hardly ever has big knots unless he has been scratching lots that could be a reson for ur dog knotting up if it is scratching a lot


xxx

[jeff]

many thanks for your advise with my dog hollys problem it only lasts about two weeks then i settles down again .
i will try the things that people have said to do and see how she is after each one many thanks to every one

cheers jeff:cheers:

[katsnk9s]

WHAT are you FEEDING your dogs ??? DIET has almost everything to do with the condition of your dog's fur/hair and skin. If you're feeding a low quality diet ( supermarket / pet warehouse type foods ) you're going to have lots of mats and coat problems. On a high quality diet that's rich in omega fatty acids , meat proteins and quality oils like salmon, fish or chicken fat you'll get a smoother, shinier, healthier coat. It also helps if you feed supplements like brewers yeast and garlic tabs which also help tremendously with shedding.

It helps to use a good conditioner and a wide tooth comb to get through tangles. A smoothe, silky coat though doesn't tend to tangle or mat.

[goldendoodledo]

I have a Goldendoodle and her coat mats up pretty quickly. I came across this grooming site for doodles but anyone with grooming issues can be helped by it. I use a grooming rake on my doodle and it helps to pull out the mats but I also have to use scissors to cut the clumps out. I had my dog clipped at the beginning of last Summer but the groomer cut her like a Poodle after I told her not to. I was mad. Since then I refuse to have Sunny clipped so I have to groom her myself. It isn't difficult, it's just time consuming but it's a wonderful way to bond with your dog and check your dog's body for anything unusual.

http://www.dotcomjunkies.com/members/Filly/Grooming.shtml

[dlambertz]

how old is your shih tzu? has she blown her baby coat yet? when that happens you are going to not be able to keep up with the matts. how about hair texture? if she has good straight almost humane texture hair as her adult coat she will be easier to keep up with than the cotton wavy hair type.

shih tzu regardless of hair type need to be groomed every day. the joys of keeping a lh dog in full coat. make sure you are using the right grooming tools and allow enough time out of every day to keep you pet comfortable. matts hurt as they pull the skin when the dog moves