Safe and Proper Use of the Mat Knife in Dog Grooming

Your mat knife should be used when your dog has mats in his coat that can’t be pulled apart and brushed out.

Mats are caused by hair that has gotten tangled and then wet. The hair starts to mat at that point and as more and more hair wraps around the it, the mat becomes bigger and tighter. This is the time you need your dog grooming tools to get the mat out.

When you run into this in dog grooming it’s easier for you and the to clipper the mat away, but if you prefer to save the coat you will want to demat your dog. The coat will be thinner but it will still be there.

It’s a simple process where you will slide the knife between the mat and the skin and with a sawing motion you cut through the mat always keeping the sharp side of the blade pointing away from the dog. If you have a single blade knife you will want to cut through the mat several times at quarter inch intervals. When this is done you should be able to brush out the coat.

There is a curved short bladed knife that you will find available at your dog grooming supplies store or from your pet supplies catalogue that will enable you to work through the matted coat a little at a time from the skin out.

Hopefully this is a tool that if you keep in your dog grooming equipment you will never have to use. It is much easier on your dog and on yourself if you keep your dog brushed out.

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