09/01/2025
Shedding season is here. Do you have a dog that is needing that undercoat removed and you're afraid it is going to be clipped?
Fear no more! I will only clip double coat breeds where absolutely necessary such as skin tight mats that I cannot get scissors into or for medical reasons.
Over the last couple of months, I have seen an increase of border collies with severe matting around the neck and pants area.
Did you know - during these hot, humid and wet conditions, there is an increased risk of hot spots forming on your dog's skin. This can be made worse where the undercoat is left to allow to mat, trapping moisture at the skin and allowing bacteria to grow.
Surf dogs - if your dog is a regular swimmer, salt water and sand is great for drying the coat, forming and tightening mats. If your dog is a regular beach goer, it is important to rinse them down in clean water after their swim. Adding conditioner or using a conditioning spray after their rinse to pants and other thick areas can also help in reducing mats in these areas.
Photos:
a dog recently presented with mats in the body and rear from unremoved undercoat plus daily surf swimming.
A full hand deshed of border collie showing the amount of undercoat removed.
