# Suddenly have an 80 pound poodle with matts



## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

Charlie is 18 months old and I never had problems with matts or grooming. I brushed him with a pin brush and a slicker brush, and bathed him regularly with lots of conditioner. His hair was sleek and shiny right down to the clean, smooth skin. We lived in BC and Ontario, both have damp climates. We travel alot with our Trailer. 6 weeks ago we were in Arizona for several weeks, super dry. Charlie got very dry skin, scratching constantly. A new thing. Also, camping off the grid in the desert means sponge baths for humans, no baths for dogs. Then we had to rush back for a medical family emergency that resulted in dumping poodle with our daughter in BC for 2 weeks while we rushed to Calgary. Poodle was well treated with his own big yard to run in, family he knows well and who like him very much and a delightful neighbour with his best friend Wolf who invites him over to play in the yard for hours.

But new Mom with fussy baby has no time to groom a poodle with a 4 inch long body coat and 10 inch long hair plume of a tail. Tail is natural length. We returned to an itchy skinned dog who is solidly matted down to the skin and now hides whenever he sees the grooming brushes. 

While I was away I got my daughter to add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to his food daily. His stools are still normal. I bought some coconut oil and have started rubbing it into his skin, as my daughter,s pediatrician recommended it for the baby and it worked wonders. We can't get Charlie shaved down while here, as we spend hours a day outside snowshoeing, hiking, or just letting dog play in the huge fenced yard and Revelstoke BC is mountain country. 

I'm considering damage control until we are ready to leave for Arizona in a month. I will have Charlie shaved down and we will then leave.

1. Can anybody recommend a good leave in conditioner that will help with itchy skin? Just picked up Chi For Dogs 
2. I own a straight comb and a pin brush and a slicker brush. Any other suggestions? I hesitate to tackle the coat because Charlie used to be good with grooming, and now he hides. Don't want to traumatize him.

We have a terrific groomer in Malakwa, BC. If anybody can gently shave him down next month it will be Megan.

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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

The only suggestion I have is to not wait to shave him down. If he is deeply matted near the skin then he is probably very uncomfortable. I know you are thinking he will be cold, but he should be okay with a coat on.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I agree with Lily as matting will only make his skin worse. Go ahead and get him shaved for his own good!


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

I live in a warmer climate and I still am a big believer in a shorter coat for a pet dog. So much easier to take care of, and more comfortable especially as you are on the road. For the burr cold up in Canada, a coat would be in order.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

It really is a tough situation ! If he has a good winter coat, maybe you can shave the body only and leave the paws and other non-matted areas longer ? He will look funny but who cares ?

Or else, maybe buy one of those brushes that cut through the mats. They have teeth like little knives. His coat will be ruined but he will get shaved anyways.

I know how cold it is in Canada and I would not want my dog in a short coat either.

Good luck !


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## Mysticrealm (Jan 31, 2016)

A bit of dry weather and a few weeks without a bath should not make a dog with otherwise good skin suddenly become extremely itchy. I would check for dog lice. I'm fairly certain bc has dog lice, not sure about california(may not be able to find them until the matts are shaved off).
A tightly matted dog will be colder than a shaved dog plus it will be very painful. Shave now.


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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

Asta's Mom said:


> I live in a warmer climate and I still am a big believer in a shorter coat for a pet dog. So much easier to take care of, and more comfortable especially as you are on the road. For the burr cold up in Canada, a coat would be in order.


It's a tough call. Charlie loves staying outside for hours. Today it is -14 C, and I had to force him to come in after 2 hours playing in the snow. Last year Revelstoke got 32 feet of snow. We snowshoe for hours, and my friend who has a short haired dog has a big coat for him, has knit a special hat with ear flaps and has to put boots on him too. He is still miserable and begs to go into the house. Probably remembers getting frostbitten ears last winter. Charlie drags his feet and tries to sneak away when ordered into the house after hours spent in the yard. If I clip him, he can't go hiking on the mountain with us, his favourite thing 

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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

Mysticrealm said:


> A bit of dry weather and a few weeks without a bath should not make a dog with otherwise good skin suddenly become extremely itchy. I would check for dog lice. I'm fairly certain bc has dog lice, not sure about california(may not be able to find them until the matts are shaved off).
> A tightly matted dog will be colder than a shaved dog plus it will be very painful. Shave now.


I am slowly working Hair detangler through his coat and coconut oil massaged into skin. Making some progress. He is on all of the anti-flea, tick, parasite pills, and endless inspection has not yielded any signs. Am going to contact my groomer for advice. 

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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

Since you already know he is matted to the skin, for his comfort and well being I would not wait to shave him down. The pulling on his skin from the mats can cause itching, pain, redness and eventually bruising. I am sure you don't want him to be any more uncomfortable than he already is.

Someone suggested a dematting tool with razor like combs. I would be afraid to use that on a dog who is already matted to the skin. It is very easy to cut the dog or yourself using tools like that on a coat matted to the skin.

While rubbing oil into his skin is meant to relieve his itching, it may cause his coat to mat even more by adding topical oil to already formed mats.

Hopefully, your groomer can offer some helpful advice.

He can always wear a coat while his hair is growing back.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Strip the coat off and start over. That way you can give a proper bath with soothing ingredients and know you are reaching the skin. As far as going out hiking and the like, you need a doggie snow suit. Plus at 18 months, your dog is probably going through coat change, which is likely making this a whole lot worse.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Please, shave the coat down asap. It can not only be itchy and painful for your pup, with the hair pulling the skin, it can be a source of skin infection if any moisture gets trapped under the matting. And imagine the what can happen at the rear. I'm not suggesting that your pup is in this state, but time matters greatly. I haven't seen info yet on how long it takes to hit worst case scenario, but I'm you don't want to find out the hard way.


Quoted from Cuteness.com:

Reason One
Most mats occur around the anus, in the armpits, behind the ears and thighs, and in the groin area. Not all dogs get mats, certainly short-haired dogs are not plagued with these painful and ugly masses. But dogs with long, soft, silky coats or curly coats, or dense undercoats, are prone to them if they are not groomed regularly. 

Reason Two
You can't leave mats on dogs because mats cause the skin underneath to become red, inflamed, moist and yeasty. Severe mats pull and pinch, and they affect hair growth. All kinds of nasty infections, such as candida, can form under mats and cause the dog great pain as the skin underneath is unable to heal itself from the onslaught of infection. With no exchange of air, the skin underneath the mat oozes with all kinds of disgusting matter that soaks into the mat, which in turn causes the mats to smell really bad.

Reason Three
The bad smell emitted by the irritated skin and mats, as well as the moisture provided by the yeast and pus, attracts a host of pesky varmints who live and work in the mats and the skin underneath. Insect larvae, including maggots, thrive in the environment created by the mats. These bugs feed off the decaying skin and bring infection into the mix. If the infection gets into your dog's bloodstream, it could be fatal. Insects and pathogens multiply under the mats where you cannot see them, so you wouldn't know just how bad it is until the mats are removed.

Reason Four
Mats cause severe pain in dogs when they begin to pull up on the skin and tighten around tails and limbs. His lumpy coat gets in the way of his getting comfortable. Tangled fur harbors feces and urine, as well as any purulent material from an infection, so not only is it painful, but the irritation causes itching. The situation worsens when the dog, in his attempt to gain relief, bites and licks at the area, leaving saliva which further dampens the mat and ingesting filthy matter.

References
WebMD: Dogs Shedding and Grooming
American Kennel Club: Puli
American Kennel Club: Komondor
Chetek Veterinary Clinic: Does Matting Matter?
Thoughtful Paws Grooming: The Matted Dog

From ASPCA.org:

According to ASPCA Veterinarian Dr. Julie Horton, matted hair can lead to severe medical problems for pets:

Even very mild hair mats can cause skin irritation and progress to infected lesions. A wound left unattended can accumulate maggots. 

Fleas and ticks can live deep in the hair mat—out of the owner’s sight—and infest the animal.

Mats around the hind end can cause an accumulation of feces and in severe cases impede defecation. 

More severe hair mats can cause strangulating wounds, most often seen on an animal’s limb. The mat can grow around the leg in a circumferential fashion causing blood supply to be cut off. In severe but reversible cases, the mat cuts into and sometimes through the skin which can be surgically and medically treated over a long period of time typically weeks to months. In severe but irreversible cases, the mat can cut down to the bone and /or become so tight that blood supply is cut off on that limb requiring amputation.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Charlie's Person said:


> I am slowly working Hair detangler through his coat and coconut oil massaged into skin. Making some progress. He is on all of the anti-flea, tick, parasite pills, and endless inspection has not yielded any signs. Am going to contact my groomer for advice.
> 
> Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk



Please stop delaying. Just shave him down. The more you fuss over this the more you will make your dog uncomfortable with grooming all around. Haven't enough people said shaving his coat is the best solution to convince you? Remember Mysticrealm is a groomer. She wouldn't tell you to shave him if her experience didn't say that was the best way to proceed.


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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

Viking Queen said:


> Since you already know he is matted to the skin, for his comfort and well being I would not wait to shave him down. The pulling on his skin from the mats can cause itching, pain, redness and eventually bruising. I am sure you don't want him to be any more uncomfortable than he already is.
> 
> Someone suggested a dematting tool with razor like combs. I would be afraid to use that on a dog who is already matted to the skin. It is very easy to cut the dog or yourself using tools like that on a coat matted to the skin.
> 
> ...


I appreciate your concern. I have received several responses, some of them quite sharply worded via Private talk,, and am trying to find a way to get him shaved. If anybody out there has a groomer who will offer to travel several hours to my tiny mountain town which has had the only highway closed in both directions several times due to avalanches and accidents, two days before Christmas please contact me. Anybody closer than 8 hours, drive one way on dangerous roads is closed for Christmas.

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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

Thanks, a very thorough explanation. Luckily he's only gotten matted during the 10 days I was gone, our son and wife were flown back from a hospital in Thailand after a serious road accident and once several emergency surgeries were completed we had to care for them in Calgary. Just got back, dealing with this in a tiny mountain town with no local groomer and nobody who is even within hours of driving over roads prone to avalanche closures is working this close to Christmas. Gently massaging dog with coat detangler seems to be helping until we can find a groomer with space. I may just cut any stubborn matts out with tiny scissors


Rose n Poos said:


> Please, shave the coat down asap. It can not only be itchy and painful for your pup, with the hair pulling the skin, it can be a source of skin infection if any moisture gets trapped under the matting. And imagine the what can happen at the rear. I'm not suggesting that your pup is in this state, but time matters greatly. I haven't seen info yet on how long it takes to hit worst case scenario, but I'm you don't want to find out the hard way.
> 
> 
> Quoted from Cuteness.com:
> ...


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Charlie's Person said:


> I may just cut any stubborn matts out with tiny scissors
> 
> Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk


This is definitely what I would do in your situation. Just go slowly and carefully. I'm sorry about your family situation. This sounds incredibly stressful. Hang in there!


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## doditwo (Nov 7, 2017)

Is there a local veterinarian? They could shave down your dog.


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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

zooeysmom said:


> This is definitely what I would do in your situation. Just go slowly and carefully. I'm sorry about your family situation. This sounds incredibly stressful. Hang in there!


You are so kind. My "local" groomer is excellent, and says she will fit me in asap 2019. Prerequisite to get to her is our 4 wheel drive pick up truck with aggressive snowtires, hemi engine and enough torque to climb the logging road to her farm. Only 2 hours away...assuming the highway is open

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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

Do you have any clippers?? I’m sorry but I would definitely disagree with clipping out matts with scissors. This is where most pets are injured during home grooms. Please find a pair of clippers and try to get those matts off as soon as you can. If he is really matted to the skin, this is a very urgent situation. (Just fyi I used to be a groomer - just so you don’t think I am making this stuff up.)


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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

chinchillafuzzy said:


> Do you have any clippers?? I’m sorry but I would definitely disagree with clipping out matts with scissors. This is where most pets are injured during home grooms. Please find a pair of clippers and try to get those matts off as soon as you can. If he is really matted to the skin, this is a very urgent situation. (Just fyi I used to be a groomer - just so you don’t think I am making this stuff up.)


Hi, and thanks. Was thinking of my baby manicure scissors. Blunt tips. No clippers but at 11 am I am calling the feed store to ask for help

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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

Calling the feed store is a great idea! Someone also suggested having a vet shaved down which is also a good idea. 

So when you scissor off matts it’s not usually the tips that matter. Most people will pull up on a matt and try to scissor at the base of it. But the skin pulls up too when you pull up the matt (and could be pulled up even higher in the middle of the Matt) so when you cut straight across the bottom of the Matt you can easily slice the skin. It is hard to explain in words but whenever the matts are next to the skin it is very dangerous to use scissors or any kind.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

I am sorry you ar in such a troubling situation with weather, avalanches and such. I hope you find a reasonable solution. Have a peaceful Christmas. I know first hand how troubling family emergencies can be....been there a few times myself. Hang in there.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I’m sorry you have such a serious family health issues to deal with on top of dealing with the mats on your dog. Such a stressful time for your family. I hope 2019 is a better year than this 

If you do decide to cut the worst mats off with scissors always put a comb in between the skin and the mat and cut on top of the comb. The comb will act as a barrier so you don’t cut the skin. Don’t cut unless you can see no skin is being pulled into the scissors. I’ve never had to cut mats off my poodle but I did shave my elderly ragdoll cat last summer because she had some bad mats underneath. I found it easier to do with trimmers and not scissors going very slowly making sure nothing was pulling on the skin.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Oh dear the family medical situation sounds very scary. I hope both of your dear ones have excellent prognoses now.


It is a sad day that people chose to blast you on PMs. This is one of the shortcomings of social media. It is easy to be mean to people who your aren't face to face with.


I get it better now about how complicated things are with the grooming, but if you continue to work on those mats yourself please be super careful. It would only deepen misery all around to have Charlie get hurt.


Peace and smooth hair to you and Charlie. Full health to the patients.


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## HeritageHills (Sep 4, 2017)

You can use people clippers to some effect. It'll look bad but it should work. So sorry that everyone is giving you a hard time when you're just trying to do what you can under such extenuating circumstances.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

I hope your son and daughter-in-law recover fully and uneventfully, and that the planets align so Charlie will feel better soon, too. And, don't forget to take care of yourself


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Just wanted to say I am sorry for your situations and I hope everyone recovers quickly . I am sure Charley will be fine, you know what you have to do you just have to get to that spot which you will. At some point in our lives we all get to a point where things go haywire for a time, you will et past this. I have scissored a cat in the past to just cut o ut nasty mats. I use a comb and small scissors and just do a little piece at a time moving from the upper side to the lower side of the mat and going across. Its tedious but you can get anything bothersome out until you can get to a shave down. My thoughts are with your family and hope things get better.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Praying that all of your situations resolve quickly. It sounds like everything is going wrong at the same time.

Let this be a lesson to all of us to possibly have some clippers and learn how to use them to at least some extent. It doesn't matter if it looks bad, a groomer can always fix it. I agree, if you need to use scissors put a comb between the skin and the mat.

As to poodles being cold in the winter.... I keep mine shaved down all of the time. He is now in a 5 F, and I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Our weather is like Alaska. The only fluff is on his head, ears and tail. He absolutely loves to romp and run in the snow, and refuses to wear a coat. If your dog is used to being hot I would do this gradually. We never see poodles here in jackets/coats, except those little bitty pocket ones. Mine is miserable when his coat gets even as long as a 3, and pants and lays in the coldest spot he can find preferably on bare cement. I have never seen any poodle up here with a long coat. 

I am so sorry so many unfortunate things have happened for you recently. Sending best wishes for all of you!


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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

kontiki said:


> Praying that all of your situations resolve quickly. It sounds like everything is going wrong at the same time.
> 
> Let this be a lesson to all of us to possibly have some clippers and learn how to use them to at least some extent. It doesn't matter if it looks bad, a groomer can always fix it. I agree, if you need to use scissors put a comb between the skin and the mat.
> 
> ...


You are very kind. Thank you so much for your encouraging words. Things are looking up. Our kids are healing well, and even some deep wounds that became infected after surgery are improving. I bought some hemp oil for dogs and horses, full of omega oils, etc. Adding a tablespoon or two per day to his diet. It has improved skin very much. No change in stools. Also bought very good quality detangler, both dog and human, and Poodle's hair is improving and he no longer scratches. I have been very gently teasing out the worst of the matts, and Charlie 's excellent groomer is willing to take him when she returns to work Jan 3rd. Let's hope the road to her farm is passable that day! She is going to shave him down. If Charlie seems cold, our neighbour has a big Weimaraner with an extensive wardrobe and she will loan us a coat for the 10 days until we head out to Arizona. We're outside hiking and snowshoeing for hours every day and Charlie won't be left behind. I will be watching carefully, and was very interested reading about your dog's love of cold. That's our Charlie. We have to drag him inside even after two hours at -15C. Appreciate the good advice from everybody. Might even get around to posting before and after pictures. 

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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

lily cd re said:


> Oh dear the family medical situation sounds very scary. I hope both of your dear ones have excellent prognoses now.
> 
> 
> It is a sad day that people chose to blast you on PMs. This is one of the shortcomings of social media. It is easy to be mean to people who your aren't face to face with.
> ...


Things are improving all round! Charlie will be shaved in a few days, the detangler has eased the worst of the matts, family continues to improve. Your kindness is so appreciated. 

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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

I am glad things are getting better for you. I was sad to hear you got PM's from people blasting you. I always say no one know what one is going through until they walk in their shoes. And fact is anyones dog can get matted at any time, stuff happens. And of all things you looked for advise. In any event I am glad things are looking up and wish you and your family, including Charlie a Happy 2019.


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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

Mufar42 said:


> I am glad things are getting better for you. I was sad to hear you got PM's from people blasting you. I always say no one know what one is going through until they walk in their shoes. And fact is anyones dog can get matted at any time, stuff happens. And of all things you looked for advise. In any event I am glad things are looking up and wish you and your family, including Charlie a Happy 2019.


Your kind words made me smile. Things are improving, both kids healing nicely. Got good advice, poodle coat getting better. At least he is comfortable and no longer scratches until he gets his coat shaved next week. 

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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

Skylar said:


> I’m sorry you have such a serious family health issues to deal with on top of dealing with the mats on your dog. Such a stressful time for your family. I hope 2019 is a better year than this
> 
> If you do decide to cut the worst mats off with scissors always put a comb in between the skin and the mat and cut on top of the comb. The comb will act as a barrier so you don’t cut the skin. Don’t cut unless you can see no skin is being pulled into the scissors. I’ve never had to cut mats off my poodle but I did shave my elderly ragdoll cat last summer because she had some bad mats underneath. I found it easier to do with trimmers and not scissors going very slowly making sure nothing was pulling on the skin.


This is good advice, thank you. I used the comb and baby scissors technique on a cat, and several standard schnauzers too. It works well and is safe. Have carefully worked on Charlie until he is comfortable and we are only days away from the groomer,s first available appointment 

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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

chinchillafuzzy said:


> Calling the feed store is a great idea! Someone also suggested having a vet shaved down which is also a good idea.
> 
> So when you scissor off matts it’s not usually the tips that matter. Most people will pull up on a matt and try to scissor at the base of it. But the skin pulls up too when you pull up the matt (and could be pulled up even higher in the middle of the Matt) so when you cut straight across the bottom of the Matt you can easily slice the skin. It is hard to explain in words but whenever the matts are next to the skin it is very dangerous to use scissors or any kind.


You are right about care with scissors. I put either my fingers or a comb next to the skin, then start snipping in stages from the outside, working my way closer. So always a barrier between scissors and skin. Thank you so much 

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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Charlie's Person said:


> Your kind words made me smile. Things are improving, *both kids healing nicely*. Got good advice, poodle coat getting better. At least he is comfortable and no longer scratches until he gets his coat shaved next week.
> 
> Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk



I am happy to see a things improving update, but especially happy the peeps are improving. And Mufar is right, stuff happens in life that can end up with a matted poodle. Compared to the other stuff you have had on your plate that is an easy fix. Down the road when things come together maybe get clippers that you take when you travel and practice doing clipping yourself so you can take a messy coat down yourself.


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## CharlieA (Oct 11, 2018)

Charlie will be feel so much better and be more healthy with the matted coat removed now. The skin can be treated so much more easily. I especially like Click-N-Treat's suggestion a dog snow suit so Charlie can spend lots of time outdoors.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

I am glad everything is going much better for you all. Have a peaceful weekend.


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## doditwo (Nov 7, 2017)

I’m happy to hear things are better for your family and dog.
Kudos to you for putting scissors in hand & doing things yourself to take care of those matts. You’ve crossed the fear barrier, I’m still too nervous to groom my own pup. 


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## JenandSage (Mar 9, 2018)

Hi Charlie’s Person. I wasn’t on here over Christmas so I didn’t read the thread until now. What a stressful time! I hope you got to the groomer’s. 
I am sorry you got unhelpful messages and that you had to explain so much to get advice. I am from BC and totally get your weather situation. I don’t have Revelstoke cold but I think Charlie will be just fine with a short coat in winter. A coat or suit would be good too and just monitor it and see how it goes. I too have had a moment with Sage, when he was about a year old, when I realized “oh dear” he is matted. It wasn’t terrible but the groomer charged me an extra dematting fee This BC weather is a constant barrage of mud, twigs, dirt, snow and slush on the dogs! Never dry feet or legs. I have even found small rocks stuck in their leg fur Always tight wet dirty curls that are so hard to brush! The rain here just splashes dirt up on everything all the time. I’d almost rather have your snow but then I’d have to shovel it. The snow here is heavy and wet like cement...
I did get some of my own grooming supplies to kind of keep up in between professional grooms, and keep them somewhat short. 
I am sorry too about the family emergency. Thinking of you, Jen and Sage and Saffron (Squamish BC)


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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

JenandSage said:


> Hi Charlie’s Person. I wasn’t on here over Christmas so I didn’t read the thread until now. What a stressful time! I hope you got to the groomer’s.
> 
> I am sorry you got unhelpful messages and that you had to explain so much to get advice. I am from BC and totally get your weather situation. I don’t have Revelstoke cold but I think Charlie will be just fine with a short coat in winter. A coat or suit would be good too and just monitor it and see how it goes. I too have had a moment with Sage, when he was about a year old, when I realized “oh dear” he is matted. It wasn’t terrible but the groomer charged me an extra dematting fee This BC weather is a constant barrage of mud, twigs, dirt, snow and slush on the dogs! Never dry feet or legs. I have even found small rocks stuck in their leg fur Always tight wet dirty curls that are so hard to brush! The rain here just splashes dirt up on everything all the time. I’d almost rather have your snow but then I’d have to shovel it. The snow here is heavy and wet like cement...
> 
> ...


Dear Jen and Sage
We used to own a condo in Whistler so I know exactly where you are! Thank you for your kind words. Another huge snow dump overnight here, the plows have now pushed the snow into walls that are 6 feet tall beside the roads. Tricky when walking! 3 of us tossed our dogs into the back of Jen,s truck and we went for a brisk 1.5 hour snowshoeing hike next to the Illecillewaet River last night. We wore headlamps and the dogs wore LED collars . Two Standard poodles and a big Weimaraner racing and wrestling all of the way. Cougars have been spotted nearby but they won,t tackle 3 big loud dogs and 3 chattering women with lights. It was Charlie's first walk after getting shaved that morning. I was worried that he would be cold, but he was like a furnace any time I checked him. So nice not to have to deal with golf ball sized ice chunks frozen into his long fluffy leggings!
My excellent groomer did charge extra for the de-matting shave down. She says the hair came off in a big single piece like a sheep fleece! I gratefully paid and added a nice tip. She is worth it. He looks gorgeous, I had been carefully massaging in ShowSheen horse skin and coat conditioner n preparation and Charlie's skin was smooth and glowing , with no Matt's close enough to injure the skin. He has no flaking or itching, and was not scratching or uncomfortable before his shave down. I,'ve also been giving him 2 tablespoons organic hemp oil per day ever since we returned to Revelstoke, and his skin is really good. 

Well, time to strap on the snowshoes and have a daylight adventure. Good hearing from you! 

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## Charlie's Person (Dec 9, 2018)

doditwo said:


> I’m happy to hear things are better for your family and dog.
> Kudos to you for putting scissors in hand & doing things yourself to take care of those matts. You’ve crossed the fear barrier, I’m still too nervous to groom my own pup.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I now have a beautiful poodle with a 1/2 inch coat that resembles a Persian Lamb fur coat! Fluffy ears and a plume of a tail, cute puffy 'hat'. we just returned from a 1.5 hour snowshoe trek with our friends Jen and Wolf. Since it is totally dark here by 4:30 pm we wore headlamps (people) and collar lights 
(dogs) Charlie is exhausted but did not get too cold

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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Woah... that is quite an image! "She says the hair came off in a big single piece like a sheep fleece! I gratefully paid and added a nice tip. She is worth it. He looks gorgeous,..."


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I wanna see a picture!!!!!


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

1/2 inch is a wonderful length for a poodle. It doesn't get very tangled and yet looks so poodley. I'm glad to hear this worked out. And I want a picture, too.


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