Our De-Matting Policy
The Bow Wow Barber Shop
Here at The Bow Wow Barber Shop, we groom humanely and we follow the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Under this Act, it is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal. This includes prolonged 'de-matting', which can be painful and detrimental to the welfare of your dog. We may be able to brush out small matts from your dogs coat (up to 5% of a dog, which equates to a 50p sized patch behind ears, armpits or groin area, for instance), but if we feel that your dogs coat is too matted to be able to do this humanely, it may be necessary for your dogs coat to be clipped short.
In order to shave off matts, the clipper blade needs to go between the matted coat and the skin, meaning that your dogs coat will have to be clipped very short. It will grow back, but some owners can be shocked by how short the coat is when this happens. We are bound by the Welfare Act to ensure that we do not cause unnecessary discomfort to your dog, and shaving a dog is the best way to deal with a matted coat safely and humanely.
When your dog is assessed, we will notify you if we believe we may have to shave off your dogs coat due to heavy matting. You will be asked to sign a De-Matting Waiver. This means you have given us permission for your dog to be clipped short on this occasion and your personal preference to how the dog should be groomed may not be able to be taken into consideration.
A matted dog can suffer many conditions, such as; sores, yeast infections, flea infestation, moist eczema, mites, lice and maggots, infections and severe itching.
Once a matted coat has been removed, the skin underneath may be red and sore to due to lack of air circulation. You may need to consult your vet if this persists.
Please note that extra charges will occur with a matted coat. This is to cover the extra time needed and the wear and tear on the clipper blades.