Your Pet's Comfort Always Comes First

At Petit Saucisson & Co Pet Spa, your pet's health, comfort and wellbeing will always come before appearance.

Matted coats are much more than a cosmetic issue. Tight knots can pull painfully on the skin every time your pet moves, causing discomfort, irritation and, in severe cases, sores, bruising, infections and restricted movement. Mats can also trap moisture, dirt and parasites, making it difficult for the skin to breathe and stay healthy.

Why Does Matting Happen?

Even with the very best intentions, matting can happen quickly, especially in breeds with curly, long or double coats. Common causes include:

- Lack of regular brushing.
- Friction from harnesses, collars or clothing.
- Swimming or getting wet without being thoroughly dried and brushed.
- Seasonal coat changes.
- Puppies learning to enjoy grooming.
- Senior pets who struggle to groom themselves.
- Medical conditions that make grooming uncomfortable.

Some coats can begin to mat in just a few days.

What Happens During Your Appointment?

Every pet receives a thorough coat assessment before grooming begins.

If only a few small knots are present, these may be carefully brushed or safely removed where appropriate. However, when mats are tight against the skin, brushing them out can cause significant pain and unnecessary stress.

In these situations, the kindest and safest option is often to clip underneath the matting and allow the coat to grow back healthy.

Our Welfare-First Promise

We will never put your pet through unnecessary pain simply to preserve a longer hairstyle.

Attempting to brush out severe matting can be extremely uncomfortable and may even cause skin damage. For this reason, a shorter clip may sometimes be the most humane and compassionate option.

Although it can be disappointing to lose a long coat, your pet's comfort will always come first. Healthy hair will grow back, but your pet only has one skin.

What You May See After a Matted Clip

Once the coat has been removed, hidden skin issues may become visible. These are usually caused by the matting itself rather than the clipping process and can include:

- Red or irritated skin.
- Small sores or scabs.
- Bruising.
- Moisture-related skin infections.
- Fleas or ticks that were hidden beneath the coat.
- Warts, lumps or bumps that were previously covered.

If we notice anything concerning, we will let you know and recommend a veterinary examination where appropriate.

How to Prevent Matting

Keeping your pet's coat healthy is much easier than removing severe mats. We recommend:

- Brushing regularly using the correct tools for your pet's coat.
- Paying extra attention to ears, legs, armpits, tummy, tail and behind the collar.
- Booking professional grooming every 4–8 weeks, depending on breed and coat type.
- Thoroughly drying and brushing your pet after walks in the rain or swimming.
- Booking maintenance appointments before knots become difficult to remove.

We're always happy to demonstrate the best brushing techniques and recommend suitable grooming tools for your pet's coat.

Additional Charges

Severely matted coats require extra time, specialist handling and additional wear on grooming equipment. Where possible, any additional charges for matting will be discussed before grooming begins.

No Judgement – Just Kindness

We understand that life gets busy and matting can happen to anyone. Our role is never to judge, but to help your pet feel comfortable, healthy and happy again.

If you're unsure whether your pet's coat is becoming matted, please contact us. We'd much rather help early than have your pet become uncomfortable.

At Petit Saucisson & Co Pet Spa, every decision we make is based on one simple principle:

Your pet's welfare always comes first.

Additional Charges for Matted Coats

Removing a severely matted coat is significantly more time-consuming than a routine groom and places considerable extra wear on professional grooming equipment.

Tight mats often contain trapped dirt, grit and debris, which quickly dull and damage clipper blades. In many cases, a severely matted shave-down can permanently damage a blade, and replacement blades cost approximately £50 each.

For this reason, an additional matting charge may apply to severely matted coats. This charge helps cover the extra time, specialist equipment and increased wear involved in carrying out the groom safely and humanely.

Where matting is severe, a full shave-down may be the only safe and compassionate option. Attempting to brush out tight mats can cause unnecessary pain, skin trauma and significant distress. While it can be disappointing to lose a longer coat, your pet's comfort and welfare will always come first.

We will always assess your pet's coat before grooming begins and discuss any additional charges with you wherever possible.

Thank you for your understanding and for helping us provide the safest and kindest care for every pet.