How can I get the matts out of my Springer's ears?

Question

My springer spaniel is always getting filthy and loves dirty puddles unfortunately his coat often gets matted and especially his ears - he is not keen on being groomed and makes it very difficult as he wants to grab the brush etc all the time. He is 2 years old and full of mischief. I dont want to take him to a groomer as I prefer to learn to do it myself any ideas

Answer 1

The solution to this problem really depends on the degree of matting you're dealing with. And on the ears it's a particularly delicate issue.

If your dog already dislikes the grooming process, yanking those mats out with a greyhound comb isn't going to endear him to the situation. I work as a groomer, and when my spaniels come in with matted ears I choose the hard slicker brush for little pin knots and the matbreaker followed with Greyhound comb for full-fledged mats. Of course, you have to be careful--in spaniel ears the mats tend to "hug" the bottom of the earflap and the inexperienced brusher is likely to injure this delicate area. Sometimes I start by forcing air from a high-velocity dryer *down* the ear, which helps separate mat from skin in some cases. In severe cases it is better to cut your losses and SHAVE with a #10 blade, inside and out (do NOT scissor mats out! It is WAY too easy to severely cut your dog, especially when dealing with mats! Skin-deep mats make in nearly impossible to tell where mat ends and skin begins!).

There are a couple of good detanglers out there. I like D-Mat--you apply it generously and can literally watch most mats just fall out on their own. I also use Eqqys Avocado--it smells terrific, conditions beautifully, and works pretty well. But in severe cases shaving really is your only option.

Good luck--I have a cocker and know that keeping spaniels in beautiful coat is a full-time job!

Answer 2

Get a k9 comb, get a good pair of sharp scissors. Work the comb n between the knot & the skin. This way you want cut the ear. Then take the scissors & cut out the knots, you will be cutting above the comb.. If you dog is jumpy, have another person hold him.
Alot of dogs if not started at a young age of proper grooming are scared of sounds (clippers)this gets knots out w/o sound.

Answer 3

This works well to give before grooming, and before traveling, or anything when you need him to settle down and relax..such as nail trimming, or a trip to the vet's office..If he is too fidgety to pay attention while traing him, this works well to give before training sessions, too..
Chamomile tea works very well, and is safe for him.
Dump it out of the teabag, and use 1 teaspoon for small breed, up to 1 tablespoon for a large breed. A Springer would be somewhere in between..Mix it in a little canned food, such as Mighty Dog, or Cesar's, and give about 30 minutes before he needs to relax. It will keep him happy, but reduce stress. It can be given as needed.

to remove the matts..clip with scissors in the direction the hair grows..so that you are splitting it in several strips of matted hair..then they easily pull apart with your fingers..then brush or comb with a metal comb, and the excess hair will brush out..

Answer 4

I know you want to learn to groom your pet which is a good idea, but I think it would be better if a proffesional groomer groomed him. That way someone else is the bad person not you. However, if you're insistant on learning to groom him yourself find out from the groomers where they learned to groom dogs. Good luck.

Answer 5

wash the ear leathers first to loosen the mud
use a greyhound comb.
do not comb or brush dry hair, lightly mist with water or leave in conditioner (the people kind if fine - cut it half and half with water)
the conditioner will also make the hair a little more slick
use de-tangler for kids (no more tears)
look into ear wraps like used on show dogs for when he is going to be in an area where you know he will mess up his ears. try cherrybrook.com or petedge.com

Answer 6

Personally its not worth the hassle doing it yourself. I would take him to a professional to have him clipped. Just make sure you have it done regularly. Once he as been clipped groom him regularly, if needed put him a muzzle on so he can't grab the brush.

Answer 7

I have to brush my Australian Shepherd daily or else his ears get matted as well. They got bad one time because I thought my bf was brushing him and wasn't...so I had to cut the mats out. Once you brush your dog every day, he will get used to it, but it must be done, and bathe him every two weeks, otherwise you can dry out his skin.

Answer 8

If the mats are really solid you have to cut them out and let the hair re-grow. It's not painful or cruel.

Answer 9

you can get something called a matt splitter from the mikki range, made by a company called interpet, it retails at £4.37 and its 5 hooks all lined up in a J shape, run it through its fur and it'l eliminate it...last resort just shave it off

Answer 10

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