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, “Please don’t shave if possible,” while their dog was so severely matted that the entire coat came off in one sheet. One solid, felted blanket of hair. This isn’t a “little knot.” This isn’t “overdue.” 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. I’m saying it because this level of matting is painful, dangerous, and completely avoidable.
When a dog is this matted, their hair doesn’t 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 don’t cry about it. They don’t complain. They just live with it, and that should break your heart like it does mine.
And here’s what people don’t understand: when the mats come off, that’s 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 isn’t “just a shave.” It’s the first moment of relief they’ve had in a long time.
Groomers do NOT want to shave your dog. We don’t enjoy it. We don’t 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 isn’t about looks. This is about your dog’s comfort, their health, and their quality of life. Please, please, don’t let them get to the point where they’re 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 what’s at stake.
