# Help! Dreadlock ear



## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Oh dear, the rest of his coat where it is longer (head, ears, tail) is acting weird too. It's starting to stick out funny in bunches and doesn't feel like normal, which was the first thing I noticed when I picked him up.

Could they have used a different shampoo or conditioner or something? It has never looked or felt like this before. He is 7.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

carefully use a pair of scissors with a sharp point. Pierce the mat/deadlock with the point as close to the skin as possible without piercing the skin. carefully cut along the length of the mat to the outer end making sure not to cut the ear. Do this a few times or as needed to separate the strands. Dust with talcum powder and brush out the separated strands. Reading the second post it sounds like his coat has become matted. Contact the groomer and ask what to do. If it is a short time since grooming the groomer should fix it if you trust them.
Eric


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

He came back from the groomer matted? Oh wow if he did! I would totally want a refund & a fix it!!! Take pictures! The only thing I can think of how he got matted so bad and his coat looks funny, is that he was dried in a cage dryer/box dryer without being combed out before or after his bath...... or that someone used a HC dryer without knowing the correct way and the hair was 'whipped' into a matt???? Sometimes if the matt isn't like a solid mass, you can soak it with detangler or conditioner and work the matt out gently with your fingers, but if he is 'felted' all you can do is shave it out.....if you try to shave it out yourself, be sure to get a comb under the matt so you do not accidentally cut his skin! I feel so sorry for you!


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

OH no, his ears are so gorgeous, everyone always comments on them. I am frantically busy for the next few days but will have to do something as I can see other clumps start to form. Now his tail is getting funny.

I will call the groomer 1st thing tomorrow, Tuesday. I should have written here for advice as soon as I noticed this Saturday as today, Monday, was a free day.

Thank you so much for advice, I have never had to deal with anything like this as I have always used Earthbath Green Tea shampoo and never had to do anything, not even a conditioner, and he has never had one matt. 

His hair feels so weird. I thought at first maybe it was because my hands were sort of dry and I had used a different hand lotion. NOT.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

I agree, sounds like he was not hand dried and was dried in the cage, I would ask the groomer and get my money back, that is stupid. I had a groomer do that to my dogs, luckily they were cut short, but the hair was all in tight curls. I wet them down and blew they dry and the cut was also awful.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

For a non-show Poodle, the handiest tool I ever bought was a mat rake. It teases them out fairly quickly. 

Still, I wouldn't expect Tonka to have mats when I pick him up from the groomers.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

I am sorry you are having to deal with this. It almost sounds as if some sort of product, conditioner or shampoo was left in his coat and not rinsed out well.

Hope you can get this resolved easily.

Cathy


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## Caddy (Nov 23, 2014)

I would be livid if my well cared for poodle came from the groomer in worse shape than they went in, and I'd definitely let them know that when I asked for a full refund. I hope he didn't suffer more than a bad cut and dry from this incompetent groomer. I would work conditioner into the knots and do my best to remove them, then rinse him really well before shampooing, conditioning and blowing him dry. If that failed the only option is to cut and trim them out. So sorry this happened to you and him.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Reading this made me so sad. I have Babykins fur growing long for the winter and I'm just loving petting her and combing out her fur etc- it's such a joy. I completely understand how you feel about your dog's fur. (((HUGS)))

I hope you were able to get the mats out without losing or damaging the fur. Did you contact the groomer and find out what the problem was? I hope you got your money back.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Oh gosh! I agree with Molly. Something very overt had to have happened if he wasn't very matted before he went in. I'd be really po'd. Definitely go back in and show her and ask for a refund. I would not let her touch my dog again. I think cage drying in the first place is very scary. Irresponsible groomers have left dogs in them to die. So, more important than getting your money back is finding a reputable groomer who does poodles for shows...who really knows what she/he's doing. If you need help or advice making things right, I would not get it from this groomer. It may cost more money, but you might want to get the opinion and/or help of a competent groomer instead.

I would get that shaved down and start over, at least on the body. It grows back fast. I guess you'll just have to pick and work at the ears. Gosh, what a shame. I'm sorry you have this to deal with. But it will get behind you.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

I called Monday, they said she had just left and would call back Tuesday. When I hadn't heard anything by 4 Tuesday, I called again, and they said she had just left again and would call back today. I got rather upset, especially when the lady I was talking to said something in a brush off manner like "oh well its just a few hairs and will only take a few minutes". Grrr.

I said "NO - yesterday they said she would call today, and it is not a few hairs, it is a dreadlock almost an inch thick by now and I discovered there is 1/2 inch long clump hanging off his jaw where it was missed!" 

The manager called me back about a half an hour later and said I could bring him in at 8:30 Wed am (today), but they would only have a few minutes. So this morning I took my own Earthbath shampoo, as apparently they couldn't get that one anymore. 

The owner met me and worked on him herself. It took them almost an hour and a half to get that matt out of his ear hair, and then shampooed and dried his head and tail again. Thank goodness he looks and feels like my dog again. 

I will take my own shampoo from now on. Amazing the difference shampoo of a different kind can make. I know it sounds crazy but I asked the owner how much I owed her, just to see what she would say. Fortunately she apologized and said I didn't owe them anything. Whew! If they had asked for money I would have had to find a new groomer. Which I didn't want to do as he likes this one far better than who he was going to before.

After having to do a free 1.5 hour redo they will be more careful next time. Thank you everyone for your support and suggestions. I can't stop running my fingers through his once again soft and tangle free hair. He's loving the extra attention, which is almost hard to do as he is spoiled loveable (I was going to say spoiled rotten but realized that term makes no sense) and gets attention almost constantly.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Awwww....so happy for you and your baby. It's amazing it all came out so well. I hope this doesn't happen again and that the groomer or groomers know how to do poodles correctly. I hope they don't use a cage dryer! :afraid: Maybe to be on the safe side, you could brush him out completely before taking him so any tiny tangles don't stay in when bathed. Good luck. You're brave to go back to this groomer.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Hey I just came back from the University. I was in a restroom and a student came in and commented on how well groomed he was (he is my Service Dog so was with me), and that back home she was a groomer I told her what happened, and that he had just been re-groomed and re-shampooed, and was marvelously improved from a few days ago. She said her fave dogs to groom were poodles. He heard her and marched right over for attention. He seldom does that. 

She actually said she loves dogs so much that in her previous grooming place she had been given the most difficult dogs that no one else wanted to work with, aggressive, etc. and that she got along really well with them. (My dog is the opposite of aggressive, he would probably kiss a burglar.) She said she is looking for a part time job while she is at the university, even if it is just shampooing.

I gave her the name of the parlor and the name of the owner and told her to call them! It is only a few blocks from the University and she could walk. She said she would call and say she had met this poodle and was so impressed and asked where he was groomed. 

I may end up with a new groomer (or assistant groomer) with someone my dog already likes at my own groomers! Maybe good will come from this whole problem


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