HELP!!! Matted hair.
 

I really need help. I've had Bella since Sept. Her hair was just beautiful when I got her and clear up to the first of Dec. So here's the scenerio. We have hard water and heat with wood (which leads to dry air). I've noticed her hair is not as silky as was and we have been dealing with really bad mats. I don't have a clue what to do, but this is what I have been doing. I've been using an oatmeal blend shampoo and a leave in puppy conditioner. I have also been using my leave in when I don't use hers. Monday when I went shopping I bought a bottle of pethead condition which is suppose to be a moisturizer and detangler. I haven't used that yet. I also bought some Johnson and Johnson baby leave in detangler and moisturizer. It's been a week since I've given her a bath, which I usually give her one about once a week or 10 days. One of my friends suggest to not give her a bath for a month. I cann't do that. But I was wondering about waiting till her hair does get oily and let it set for a couple of days. My husband even suggested that I should rub her down with baby oil. I have thought of that.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Loretta

you should be using something like petsilk liquid silk serum or Chris Christensen Ice on Ice spray whenever you brush them. You should NOT brush a dry coat as it will become static-y (is that a word?)

A slicker brush is a must for the longer hair. It gets those mats out, but you need a really good conditioner. Be sure to brush her each day as well.

Along with a slicker brush you need a comb. Slicker brushes tend to brush surface tangles out and don't get down to where the mats actually start near the skin. This is the main mistake I see people make with the long haired pups. They brush with good intentions though! Also, be sure to brush and detangle before the bath as water tends to tighten them up.

Slicker brushes aren't intended for single coat breeds. You should be brushing her frequently which helps distribute her natural oils and obviously keeps mats at bay. You can buy a dematting comb to work through mats or I use a chris christenson wooden pin brush. It is the best money I have ever spent and glides through mats. Use the wooden pin brush, then a regular pin brush and finish with a greyhound comb. A terrific conditioner is made by summerwinds...

here's links to the products.

Pin Brushes

Summerwinds - Coat Care Products

I find you have to be careful with some leave-in conditioners, they can coat the hair and make it matt easier. I also like the petsilk serum to help keep the coat in great condition.

Just thought of something...how old is Bella? When puppy coats are transititioning to adult coats...mats can become a problem....if she has a true silk coat once it comes in completely....it gets easier again. If she has a cotton coat...mats will probably always be a problem to deal with. I have two which are walking mat balls. They stay in puppy cuts. The two which have silk coats are much easier.

I know this is a stupid question, but I hear of cotton-coat and silky coats alot and I don't know how to tell what type of coat Belle has. She seems to be a mix of both (perhaps it's the transition to the adult coat??). Her "top coat" looks like traditional Yorkie, silky I guess and straight and under that is where she gets mat problems, next to the skin under her arms and where anything rubs on her. When I look at the mats and get them out it's like cotton-wool. I thought that Yorkies had a single coat and it's becoming very hard to manage the knots.:confused:

Could be her adult coat comming in, Rosie had a very thin coat when we got her but she seams to be growing in layer after layer, first black, then about 2 months ago steel now more dark coat, with so many different layers and lengths so matts easy too. Here in the U.K the cottony coat is called a wooley coat. They're really dark, thick and hard to manage,it's not unusal for them to knot under their forelegs, I try to keep it trimmed short there to avoid the discomfort.

She is 19 months old. She has a thin silky coat. She is my first yorkie. I got her in Sept. so she was 16 months old then.

She did come with a pin brush. But it seems to harsh and pulls alot. I try to comb her every day, if not that every other day. Her hair is about 2 inches long. I do try to comb out before a bath. Will be more persistant on that.

My Harley has a very fine and silky coat. However, she's an active little bugger so I still have to deal with the matting. I agree, that the key is to comb her everyday. As long as I stay on top of it, it doesn't get unmanageable. When I find a mat, I pinch her hair as close to the skin as possible so that when I'm picking through it, it doesn't pull on her as much. Very rarely am I able to actually work out the mat without the hair breaking off....I end up just pulling the entire mat out when that happens. I just ordered the Petsilk shampoo, conditioner and serum but have not received yet. I've heard wonderful things about it though so I'm hoping that maybe it will help to where the hair doesn't brake off when I comb. I'll let you know how it works :)

I have four Yorkies and I went through the "mat" stage many times. These dogs mat so easily - even when you groom them every single day as I do. A little walk and you take off the harness and there they are again!! Pulling with a slicker brush will damage the coat and hurt their tender skin. I never use a slicker brush.

Now I have two 5 month old puppies - which is the worst stage possible when dealing with the coats. They have the old coat growing out and the new coat coming in and it'll be another month or two before they look really, really nice. Six to 7 months is my favorite age.

I finally found something that works like magic. Seriously. My breeder told me about this product and I LOVE it! Go to WalMart or Target or to a drug store and buy olive oil root stimulator in the jar and olive oil spray for hair. The brand I am currently using is the Organics brand, but any brand will do. Wash and condition the dog as usual and then rub the root stimulator in the palms of your hand and work it gently through the coat. Rinse off most, but not quite all, of the root stimulator and then pat dry and blow dry as usual. Yes, your dog will look slightly greasy but less so as days pass. When she is completely dry spray a gentle amount of the olive oil spray on her coat and comb thru.

My puppies have not had a mat problem since I started using this stuff. You will find it in the ethnic hair section. It smells fantastic and it really works. You can spray some of the spray through her coat mid-week if you want to keep it looking good.

Wow, thanks for the info Sookie! I haven't come to this stage yet, but Wookie's hair grows like crazy. I can only imagine what I am in store for :D

thats funny that you said that brand as i was reading it before you stated the brand i was thinking hey i use that for my hair its an african american hair company and i love the way it makes my hair feel and the oil sheen dont weigh my hair down but anyway i never thought to use it on Denzel because i use john paul also known as paul mitchell and i love it for denzel hair

oatmeal dries out there skin also you shouldnt use johnson and johnson on a dog its not good and it also says not tested on animals. babyoil will weigh the coat down its too heavy i use john paul known as paul mitchell for pets its great they have foam tearless detangler they have a whole line of products i get them from petco. hope that helps Denzel hair is sooo soft becuase of the john paul and his diet. his coat is beautiful i get that a lot from people they ask anout his coat what do i use on it and i give him a bath every week except the week that he goes to the goomer which he see's her once a month good luck!!!

When I'm combing and run into a mat I hold it close to the skin also. I know how she feels, from when I was little and having tangles in my hair with my mom pulling and yanking. LOL I look forward to read your review on the petsilk. Can you buy that in a pet store?

Here's exactly what I am using right now. Joh Paul Cleanse Oatmeal Shampoo. I've been using that for about 2 months every week to ten days. The next item came with her, LuLu Pink Leave in Detangler. It seemed to work really well until all the mats showed up. This past Monday I purchased the PetHead Furtastic Creme Rinse for Curly and Long Coat. I haven't used any of it yet. But I have been using the Johnson and Johnson leave in off and on this week just so the hair is wet to comb out and to help with the tangles. The baby oil was just one of those things my husband and I pulled out of the air. I wouldn't use that. I just cann't imagine what a mess I would have. I will most diffently have to check out the Olive oil products. I cook with extra virgin olive oil. I wonder it that would work?

I have no idea if it could be her adult coat coming in. LOL I'm not sure when that would happen. I just assumed she had her adult coat. I'm learning something every day here. LOL

I've tried a million shampoos and conditions - some for dogs, some for people, some I love, some I don't care for - but strictly speaking of mats, this stuff works the best for me. And I love the smell! :)

Yorkies can take 1-3 years to grow their full adult coat! But they tend to change coats in between when they're adolescent age and adult age. Even then I've heard of some changing colors even after a few years due to hormones and such.

So Bella could loose her silver-blonde hair?

Matts are painful for any dog - I've found in the years of having my 2 girls - clean hair and brushing every day is the only way to prevent tangles from turning into matts.

Clothes (and harnesses) are the biggest culprit. So is persistant scratching (which is another issue all together)

Never let them wear clothes for long periods of time. If you do have to keep them warm - take off the clothes and brush them at least 2 times a day and again - clean hair will stay tangle free vs not bathing them. When the hair is dirty, it's stickier and will tangle then matt faster than clean hair.

Watch out if you use any kind of 'leave in conditioner' too - It coats the hair and will cause tangles/matting much faster if you don't stay on top of it.

She gets a bath at least once a week. I don't wait any longer than 10 days. So her baths are quiet regular. I did see in another post that someone had posted that they were having the same problem and corn starch was recommended. So I have been using that and so far I'm amazed.

Great ! :thumbup:I remember when my 2 were puppies - they did tend to tangle/matt quickly no matter what I used - when yorkies 'change' coat - the transition seems to cause hair problems. Then as they grow older - it does get easier to manage.

I've been using Chris Christenson Shampoo and conditioner for years now on my oldest Chanel who has cottony long hair (she's the one with the braid in my avatar) - and for Cheri, who is silky - Plush Puppy works great on her.

Both smell wonderful too and I've really never noticed it making them itch....(oh - and just an FYI for new people - when bathing - always rinse very very well. Residue can cause them to itch will in turn - cause tangles.

Good luck ! Matts suck !

I always recommend corn starch! A good friend recommended it to me, and I've used it ever since. It works great, is inexpensive, actually absorbs oil instead of leaving an oily residue (which will attract dirt) like all of the detangling products.

Btw, like Villette mentioned clothes and harness wearing will tangle/mat a yorkie quickly, so be sure to comb/brush out after using them.

I've never tried it but it sounds great -

Another way to help get matts out is COWBOY MAGIC - you can slather it on the matt and work thru them - then bathe. It really helps slick down the hair to get tangles out - but if you leave it in - it attracts dirt which will cause more tangles.

oh and ps - HI JEN ! Good to see you girl

Try this
 

My two yorkies will be two in March and they are currently going through the same problem. I use Perfect Coat Clear Choice Detangling Grooming Spray (which works wonders) first and then I give them a bath with Pro-Pet Moistrizing Oatmeal Shampoo and olive oil (sounds crazy but works) once a week. I only have to brush them lightly between baths. A co-worker suggested I try this and so far it has worked for me.

*****
YAY someone else is sharing the 'secret' (smile)
I have been forever suggesting ethnic products as the pH is lower as hair isn't required to be washed everyday. They have the can spray and the "oil" spray. You can find more of the products in Sally's or Ethnic/African-American hair stores as well. I'm speaking from much experience - LOL!

Some things to note:
1. When using sprays or oils make sure you are coating the roots. You don't need to do the whole hair unless using to get out knots. Spray twice a week.
2. Leave in conditioners should be in addition to regular "wash out" conditioners. Some not all tend to dry hair and create dandruff.
3. If using a leave in conditioner make sure it is a oil or cream base and dry hair after applying. Don't leave hair wet to air dry.
4. I have many great things that work. When we take Kikyo to doggie spa my groomer is always impressed. I basically take her simply because I can't cut her nails or trip her paws as she won't be still for me. So if I'm gonna take her she might as well get the full treatment.

I have some names of specific products that work wonders for folks that I have suggested and they are shocked. If you want me to give you a suggestion, just let me know your issue your furkid's hair and I'll be glad to help. All I want in the end is an update!

Blessings!

I would love to know some of the specific things you use. If you want to PM me that's ok or you can just post here. Thanks. I love the Olive Oil spray - it has saved my sanity! :D