my shitzu's hair is long and matted. I can't afford groomer's right now. Best method shaving at home

Answer 1

its probably cheaper to have her shaved then buy clippers

im a groomer and from time to time i run into this problem with clients, i think the best thing is to just be honest with your groomer and ask them to set up a payment plan

if you were closer i would do it for next to nothing to get your dog looking and feeling better

good luck

Answer 2

be VERY careful, the skin can be pulled into the mat if it is close to the skin. Try a set of clippers with a LONG guard, beard trimmer or a pair of scissors with short rounded blades (like kiddie scissors). Bath the dog, lots of conditioner (for a dog), rinse WELL, then start combing, tip to root - comb the tips, then comb about 1/2 way up, then right from the root, work out what ever mats you can. The ones that you can't SLOWLY cut through the mat, always keep your other hand/fingers between the scissors and the dog's skin. you don't want to hit skin here, Once the mat is cut in half (or out if its small and not close to the skin) you should be able to loosen it a bit with your fingers.

Keep going until you've softened up the mats a bit and can be sure there is no skin pulled in. If you find one that IS pulling the skin, keep combing, cutting and working it with your fingers GENTLY until the skin loosens. At this point you should be able to shave the dog with clippers with littler worry about cutting the skin. Don't shave the face, if you have to, use the small scissors, don't shave the ears, they cut easily and be VERY careful of the paws. I'd use scissors for the paws, face, ears and tail.

Good luck, I hope this helps a little, feel free to message me if you have other questions.

Answer 3

If you have never shaved your dog before, you are in for trouble. Groomers have to sometimes loosen mats to even shave a dog to prevent harming the dog. Also, unless you have professional clippers, your clippers will get clogged all the time even when there aren't mats.
I'd say mow a few lawns (if you are in the south) or shovel a little snow (if you are in colder country) and get your dog's coat shaved professionally. It will be worth it and then just keep up with brushing your dog or keep it trimmed.

Answer 4

Are you sure you've tried to comb them as best you can?

There is a conditioning spray called "Miracle Coat" that works great with the long haired breeds. I use a 3 row "teasing" comb that I buy at Sally's Beauty Supply on my Yorkies and with the spray it works great at breaking up matts. You just have to be patient and work through them carefully. Definitely don't try to comb or brush while they are wet after a bath, that will make the matt worse.
If you can't afford the spray, mix a little of your human condition with water in a spray bottle and try that. I know they say don't use the human stuff, but if shaving is your only other option it can't hurt to try.

Good luck.