Matted Knots - Please Help

[Mommy2Stella]

Please Help

I am new here, and so glad to find that there is a website just for yorkie Talk.. YAY!!!

My little Stella has horrible knots in her legs. I have been trying to get them out for weeks.. I finally got them all out of her back with the help of this new pink conditioner I found at Walmart just for Yorkies but it doesn't help with the legs because they are so horribly matted. DH and I had to shave her belly this morning because it was all matted up from where we hold her all the time and she never lets me brush her while she is on her back.

Any suggestions on how did get these bad knots out of her legs??

Thanks, Britney

[Jacksmom052709]

Welcome to YT! I have had to cut a couple of the mats out of Jack's coat (specially on his belly). Remember the best way to avoid a matting coat is to brush your pup daily.

The best way I have found to get to Jack's belly (he hates laying on his back for me) is I put him on my bathroom counter and hold wrap my arm around him just under his front paws so he is basically standing on two legs and brush his belly that way.

Good luck!

[Patti]

I find when the legs get badly matted the best thing to do is cut them out. It grows back pretty quick and with the long coat you can't really tell to much.

[Mommy2Stella]

Thank you both so much for the response.. I work during the week and my husband is currently unemployed.. So he was giving her a bath during the week and not brushing her. I think this was the problem.. Now I have gotten to where I brush her every day... i was hoping someone would have a miracle idea because I knew the only way would be to cut them out and I was hoping to spare her the embarrasment.. She is still a pup and HD says she looks like a mut because of her hair.. She is gray and black on her back and with the changing of the colors she looks like she has gaps cut out of her hair but she doesn't... I was thinking about taking her to groomer so they could fix and then me make sure I brush her daily and groom her correctly.. Stella seems like she gets dirty soo quick, like I have to bathe her every 2 to 3 days... Is this bad for her? how often do yall bathe??

[YorkichonBella]

Hi & Welcome to YT! So glad u found the site. I dealt with this over the weekend & have been working diligently to get them out. Just mainly on her back end & legs also. She went to the groomers on Sat & thank goodness they got out the rest. She is a good friend.
One of the things that work for me is if you can't brush or comb out the mat, take small scissors & cut into the middle of the mat. Then with yr fingers work on one side by gently pulling & working it out to be able to brush. I also read on YT about using corn starch. I tried it once & it did work really well. Using a small amt on each mat to work out with yr fingers.
Hope all goes well!

[Mommy2Stella]

cornstarch? This one maybe I should try.. she has had these almost the whole time we have had her because stupid me always wanted and yorkie and never did enough research on how to groom .. I have been trying to get these out for a while now, I even went to Petsmart and got this stuff called Perfect coat detangling grooming spray.. It doesn't seem to work too too well and when I spray on Stella's feet she just wants to lick it off.. I feel like I am just hurting her more than I am getting the knots out.. Poor baby, it almost makes me cry until she bites the heck outta me almost - so I just stop for a little while..

[YorkichonBella]

Originally Posted by Mommy2Stella

cornstarch? This one maybe I should try.. she has had these almost the whole time we have had her because stupid me always wanted and yorkie and never did enough research on how to groom .. I have been trying to get these out for a while now, I even went to Petsmart and got this stuff called Perfect coat detangling grooming spray.. It doesn't seem to work too too well and when I spray on Stella's feet she just wants to lick it off.. I feel like I am just hurting her more than I am getting the knots out.. Poor baby, it almost makes me cry until she bites the heck outta me almost - so I just stop for a little while..

I know.....it is very frustrating for both of you. Remember to work on one mat @ a time. Slooooow process, but it can be done. Taking breaks is a great idea & remember "treats". If she has been given several baths with these matts, then they might be @their worst......so give the cornstarch a try. It has a very silky feel on their hair & does help to pull apart the matting. I used a large towel as it can get very messy. I wish your baby all the best. Let us know how it goes.

[Mommy2Stella]

Oh I meant to ask.. how do you do the cornstarch?? I was thinking it was a spray but just found out it is a powder.. I just want to make sure I do it the right way.

[mimimomo]

If the mat has been there for quite a while now & she's also had a bath...it's probably really knotted up. I don't think you'll be successfull in getting it out w/out hurting her & you do not want her to associate grooming time ='s ouch time at this age. The best would be to just cut it off (I use small blunt nosed mustache scissors), it will grow back (sorry to say). It's puppy hair anyway, they tangle & mat easily.

The cornstarch is the powder form. Just put some on the mat (doesn't matter how much, it won't damage the hair), work it in w/ your fingers. W/a slicker brush or comb, gently brush it apart. Make sure you're holding the hair closest to her skin so it won't get pulled. Good luck & let us know how it goes.

[Mommy2Stella]

You are all great!! I will get some cornstarch tomorrow and try it and let you all know how it goes.

Thank yall soooo much!!!

I'll keep you posted!

[kalina82]

if you decided to cut the mats out please be careful. i've seen many pups come into the vets office because the owners didn't realize how close they were to the skin. its very easy to cut our little ones and their skin is like paper. just recently someone on YT tried to cut a mat out of her shih-tzu puppy and ended up cutting her puppy so bad she needed to have the vet anesthetize her and stitch it up.

puppy coats mat like crazy and since she's gotten a few baths with a matted coat its going to be very hard to get them out. honestly i'd let the groomer shave them out. this way she won't associate grooming with pain and you won't have to worry about possibly hurting her. puppy coats are hard to keep untangled and many people shave the pups at a certain age just to get rid of the puppy coat and start fresh with the adult one.

[Mommy2Stella]

OH.. I did not realize that.. I really don't want to make her suffer from the knots any more.. It makes me feel just awful.. I wish I could take a picture so yall could see how bad they are... I even trimed the rest of her hair up some Sunday she absolutly hates the razor thing I use. I think it is more or less the sound and vibration. Do they make silent ones?? That would be nice..

I just recently moved and noticed there is a new groomer that has opened down the road from me but I am liery of taking her somewhere I know nothing about. But then again I dont know anyone who takes there dog to the groomer around here to ask for any good referrals. Anyone from Birmingham or Cullman, Alabama??

[J-nine]

Did you have any luck with the corn starch remedy? I'm trying everything and could use some advice!

[guliverandmaya]

Originally Posted by Mommy2Stella

Please Help

I am new here, and so glad to find that there is a website just for yorkie Talk.. YAY!!!

My little Stella has horrible knots in her legs. I have been trying to get them out for weeks.. I finally got them all out of her back with the help of this new pink conditioner I found at Walmart just for Yorkies but it doesn't help with the legs because they are so horribly matted. DH and I had to shave her belly this morning because it was all matted up from where we hold her all the time and she never lets me brush her while she is on her back.

Any suggestions on how did get these bad knots out of her legs??

Thanks, Britney

Like everyone said: brush daily. I use a metal comb as well to take out newer mats. They are great.
Just a small funny tip: your bright pink font is killing my eyes LOL

[guliverandmaya]

Originally Posted by kalina82

if you decided to cut the mats out please be careful. i've seen many pups come into the vets office because the owners didn't realize how close they were to the skin. its very easy to cut our little ones and their skin is like paper. just recently someone on YT tried to cut a mat out of her shih-tzu puppy and ended up cutting her puppy so bad she needed to have the vet anesthetize her and stitch it up.

puppy coats mat like crazy and since she's gotten a few baths with a matted coat its going to be very hard to get them out. honestly i'd let the groomer shave them out. this way she won't associate grooming with pain and you won't have to worry about possibly hurting her. puppy coats are hard to keep untangled and many people shave the pups at a certain age just to get rid of the puppy coat and start fresh with the adult one.

So true, their skin IS like a paper. I put a comb between their sling and the matted hair and cut close to the comb, like that I never cut their skin.