I have a Chow Chow with VERY matted hair. Is it better to shave her down completely or just shave the matts?

Question

She's very old and her coat doesn't seem to grow in the way it should. She has terribly matted fur and does not tolerate bathing or brushing. I will have to sedate her to shave her down. After reading some information about Chow Chow coats, I am unsure now if shaving her all the way down is in her best interest. Thank you in advance for any helpful information.

The dog actually belongs to my mother-in-law and there are no groomers in our area that will groom chows. That is why we were going to try to do it ourselves. I think once we have her shaved down it will be easier to keep her brushed, but as of right now it is impossible. Thanks for your answers!

Answer 1

A total shave down may be best. Then as the hair regrows try and do a little brushing in the area where she matts.
They are prone to matts becasue of the hair texture. Try bribing her with a food she like just to get in a few brush strokes in the bad areas as the fur grows in.
Good luck.

Answer 2

Bring her to your vet. Mats are tangled fur that occurs at the skin. It is more of a health condition than a cosmetic one. A matted coat will retain wetness and bacteria near your dogs skin. This can lead to skin conditions and uncomfortable bruising as the mats pull on the skin.

Getting rid of mats is a hard thing to do. There are only two ways to go about it. Either by brushout out the dogs coat, or by shaving them down.

Both procedures have their downsides. Excessive brushing out of a matted dog can be both physically and psychologically difficult for your dog. The simple reason is because it hurts the dog. Imagine brushing out tangles in your hair and then remember that the dog has solid mats all over it's body.

And bathing a matted dog is not a good idea. Before each bath, a dog's tangles must be brushed out BEFORE the bath. Otherwise the mats will become tighter and tighter, causing your dog more pain.

I don't recommend that you sedate her yourself. Too many things can go wrong. Your vet has many more resources available to them if something should go wrong, or if the shaving uncovered a serious problem.

There should be no reason why the vet cannot help you with the matting. They are specially trained to deal with all sort of pet issues, including matting. Your dog may not look 'professionally' groomed, but I'd think that her health and wellbeing would take precedence.

Answer 3

Be kind to the dog and get a vet to shave her.The vet will know what kind of sedation she will tolerate. Matting is bad for the dog's health. She can get any number of skin infections from mats. They pull the skin and are very uncomfortable which may be why she is resistant to any grooming. Many groomers are afraid of chows but I find females less agressive than males.

Once she is shaved, try gentile petting and a soft touch with the brush on the rear part of her back. If she allows this, work with her a little every day. Even if she never tolerates grooming, keeping her coat short will help her overall health and well being.

Good luck and give her a hug for me.

Answer 4

Why is your dog so matted? If you can't brush her, you should take her to a groomer. You may have to shave her, cuz having matts can be very painful for the poor girl. And keep up on the brushing somehow after she is shaved...!

Answer 5

I would suggest taking her to a professional--maybe even to the vet (some do grooming also). At her age, I would want to make sure I did the right thing for her and if it is that matted, it could still be painful for her if you are not trained (even if she is sedated).

Answer 6

I would shave her down. It seems the best, even for shedding. PetSmart won't groom her?? That surprises me. Good luck.