Dematting a Dog

Long hair matting can frustrate Fido and his owner.

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Feisty, long-haired dogs can be fun and loving pets. One of the challenges of owning these dogs is when they come to your porch with heavily matted hair. Dogs, like humans, feel the pain of a brush and react unfavorably. Follow some important steps to remove these mats and get your pet's coat back to a manageable condition.

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Train your pet to allow brushing and de-matting the same way you taught him to be obedient in other areas. Give him rewards for allowing grooming and offer negative feedback for reacting poorly. Before you begin the de-matting process, do the best you can to brush out your dog's hair, skipping the matted areas as necessary. After brushing, bathe your dog completely with shampoo, then with a commercial product designed to help you comb through mats such as silicone-based lotions. Begin de-matting while the hair is still wet. Waiting until he dries might reduce the effectiveness of your grooming.

Basics

The key to removing matting from your dog's coat is breaking large mats into much smaller ones, either with your fingers or with a tool available at pet supply stores. This is a time-consuming process because your pet's skin might be sensitive and he might respond in anger if you merely jerk out the mats. Pinch a small amount at a time and separate it from the rest of the mat, holding below where you pull to prevent the hair-pulling sensation. Work in some corn starch or a commercial equivalent as needed to make this process easier.

Advanced Technique

Hold your fingers below the now smaller matted areas, then pick through the areas with a pick to further separate the hair. You can also use a grooming comb for this application. Just be sure to hold the hair with one hand and brush with the other to reduce yanking hair. Some pet owners use forced air to help remove these mats once they have worked through these steps. If this doesn't work well, however, you might need to apply a lubricant or re-bathe your dog to begin the process again since his hair will be dry.

Other Considerations

Daily maintenance is critical the dematting process. If you do not allow your dog's matting problem to get out of hand through infrequent grooming, you will have far fewer problems in this area. Many owners also shave a long-haired dog periodically to prevent matting from getting to be a big problem in the first place. While this dramatically changes his appearance, it does make maintaining a mat-free appearance much easier. Alternatively, use thinning and blending shears, which are available at pet supply stores. These shears let you cut some of the hair in a way that does not leave large clumps of missing hair or unsightly bald spots on your pet.

ReferencesBichon Frise Information Station: De-matting TechniquesDog Breed Info: Grooming, Long Haired BreedsAndrea Arden : ResourcesDog Breed Info: Grooming Do's and Dont'sOh My Dog Supplies: Dematting CombNet Places: Demat or Shave?Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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What Is a 1970 VW Beetle Dual Port?

Volkswagen introduced the 1.6-liter dual port air-cooled engine that featured a dual intake ports on top of the cylinder heads in August 1970 for the 1971 model year. Some late 1970 models received the dual port engine instead of the standard version...

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How to Be Assertive With Dogs

Your dog has to know what she's done wrong, or else the behavior will continue.

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As a dog owner, it’s important to strike a balance between the roles of companion and disciplinarian with your four-legged friend. Jumping up on visitors, stealing food from the kitchen and chewing on shoes are common dog habits that should be curtailed as soon as possible. Whether you and your new puppy are getting to know each other or you’re trying to break an older dog of some undesirable habits, the same rules of communication apply.

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Salary for an Anesthesiologist for Animals

If you’re interested in becoming an anesthesiologist for animals, you’ll need to study to become a veterinarian. Administering anesthesia to animals typically falls under the duties of the veterinarian, rather than a dedicated doctor. However, if you choose a career in veterinary medicine, due to your interested in anesthesiology, you can expect many benefits. Veterinarians earn generous salaries and have one of the fastest growth rates for jobs, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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How to Set Up Split DNS

Most homes or offices with an Intranet or internal browser network use the same Domain Name Service to resolve a single hostname (the dotcom name) on the network for internal machines and computers that access the network from the outside world. Usin...

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How to Hang a Deer Feeder From Two Trees

Feed local deer by hanging up a deer feeder.

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When you have a lot of deer in your yard, you may enjoy watching the deer feed on the grass and plants. One way to help feed the deer in your yard is to hang up a deer feeder full of food that can help nourish the deer. When you buy a deer feeder from a wildlife store or specialty shop, you can select one that hangs from a single tree or a larger feeder that can be stretched between two trees. If you choose the larger deer feeder, it is helpful to know how to properly hang the feeder.

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Place a large deer feeder on its side on a flat surface, then screw a 2 inch wide "O" ring into the wood on the top and bottom of the feeder. Twist the rings so that they are both vertically facing relative to the front of the feeder.

2

Turn the deer feeder onto the opposite side, and insert an "O" ring into the wood on the top and bottom of the side, as before. Position the rings vertically.

3

Cut a piece of heavy twine with scissors to measure 48 inches long, and thread the twine through the two "O" rings on one side of the deer feeder. Place the ends of the twine together, and tie a square knot close to the feeder, allowing the long ends to hang freely.

4

Cut a second piece of twine with scissors to measure 48 inches long, and thread the twine through the "O" rings on the other side of the deer feeder. Tie the twine into a square knot, as before, allowing the ends to hang freely.

5

Wrap the ends of the twine on one side of the feeder around a tree, then tie the ends of the twine tightly into another square knot.

6

Wrap the ends of the twine on the other side of the feeder around another tree, then tie the ends of the twine tightly into another square knot. Keep the twine taut so that it lifts up the deer feeder for use.

Tips & Warnings

To tie a square knot, bring the two ends of twine together and cross the right piece of twine over the left piece of twine. Bring the ends together at the top of the form a second time, then cross the left piece of twine over the right piece of twine. Pull tightly to finish the square knot.

Keep sharp scissors out of the reach of children.

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ResourcesTroop 824: Tying a Square KnotPhoto Credit Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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Corns on Horses' Hooves

are prevented with routine trimming and proper shoes.

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The value of a horse depends, in large part, on the health and condition of its feet. A horse’s feet and hooves are subject to various ailments, including corns. Horse hooves and human toenails and fingernails have similarities. They are made of a keratin substance that makes them hard and protective and allows them to grow continuously. Horse hooves, like human nails, require regular grooming. With horse hooves, though, grooming has more than aesthetic value. It is essential to the animal's well-being.

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Corns are the result of bruising or impact injury to a horse’s hoof. A corn appears as a red or pinkish area in the heel of the horse’s hoof. The area subject to corns is actually called “seat of corns.” Horse’s hooves should be inspected periodically for early detection and to prevent exacerbation of problems such as hoof corns. Hoof corns may be dry or wet. Either type of corn requires immediate attention.

Grooming

Horse hooves require routine grooming. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, horses’ hooves should be trimmed or shod every six to eight weeks in the summer and every six to 12 weeks in the winter. The interval between treatments depends on the horse; hooves grow at different rates from animal to animal. Improper shoes or leaving shoes on too long may result in corns.

Balance

The goal of routine hoof maintenance is to keep the hoof balanced. With proper balance, the horny part of the hoof protects the softer, more vulnerable parts of the horse’s foot. Ted Comston, a farrier from eastern North Carolina, explains that a horse’s hoof has an outer hoof wall, a pad – called a frog – inside, and a bar between the two areas. “When the bar is not trimmed down enough,” states Comston, “it presses against the sensitive sole every time the horse takes a step. In time, a tender place, called a corn, develops.”

Treatment

The first sign of a corn may be limping or favoring the foot, with the horse not putting its full weight on that hoof. Any sign of lameness calls for immediate attention from a farrier or veterinarian. If the horse is discovered to have a hoof corn, the treatment is immediate and simple. According to Comston, a corn is cut out. This gives the horse immediate relief in the same way removal of a splinter from under a fingernail relieves a human being.

ReferencesHorseman Magazine: Horse Corns -- Common Hoof ProblemsUniversity of Missouri Extension: Unsoundness and Blemishes of Horses: Feet and LegsUniversity of Minnesota Extension Service: Hoof CareTed Comston; Farrier; Eastern North CarolinaPhoto Credit Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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