Most matt removal tools are little blades that cut through some hairs which breaks up the matts and loosens them so you can brush them out. I would only do this as a last resort since you will be leaving behind shorter cut hairs that will cause the hair to matt even more easily in the future. If you are not getting anywhere brushing her dry I would try to wash an area (say a leg) and saturate it with good conditioner and work on it wet. The conditioner will make the hair slippery and you may be able to brush out the matts that way. Make sure you have a good brush and comb. Cheap brushes have steel pins that are cut on the ends and are sharp and can really irritate the dogs skin. Try to find pin brush with polished ends like a Chris Christensen brush. They really go thru the hair nicely and are not as likely to scratch the skin. Get some little clips to hold the already brushed hair out of your way so you can get to the matts without having to brush thru the other fur. Use a metal comb to check after brushing that you have no hidden matts that you missed.
Of course, you know better than me just how bad the matts are. If they are really bad and it's going to take hours and hours of dematting to get them it out it would be better for Jewels to just shave her short. Dematting is not fun for the dog and can be painful if you are not really careful. Cutting out chunks here and there will look horrible and matt more easily later. If you have matts in her armpits, inside of thighs or on her belly I would just shave those out since you really can't see those areas anyway and they would be too tender to brush.
__________________ Dawn (Brandy & Titan's mom)  |