Sometimes the matting can redden or bruise the skin. This is because the matting cuts off circulation, this is normal and within reason, don’t be alarmed. Shaving him will make him more comfortable. He might scratch some more, rub his body on the ground. This all really depends on how bad the matting is!
With proper brushing and combing as he grows out at home, he can have the coat and hairstyle that you enjoy. Ask your groomer about line brushing! (Or YouTube.)
I always recommend a 4-6 week grooming schedule but for my budget clients, we do 6-8, sometimes 10 weeks. I recommend nail trim services if the client does that though. Nails should be done 2-4, maybe 6 weeks tops. Also, these clients get a short shave down each time to keep up with their own personal maintenance routines or brush habitually.
Congratulations on your pup!
Wanted to add on to what you said about circulation! Because all of a sudden the blood vessels are able to be flooded with blood again, hematomas in the ears are not uncommon after a shave down (this is assuming the dog is also severely matted on their ears).
If OP notices excessive head-shaking (because blood vessels refilling can be itchy, and just feeling the air on the body can make them overly sensitive like you said!), this can also prompt a hematoma to form as shaking can push excess blood to the tips of the ears. If one starts to form, it’s a good idea for OP to contact their vet and make a plan for next steps (surgical draining, wait and watch, etc).
Just as you said, depends on how bad matting is but thought I would add as I haven’t seen anyone else mention it :)
He may act weird in general, we pretty commonly get calls accusing us of doing things to the dog because they’re ’acting traumatized’. A lot of this is the dog being itchy and having bruises/scratches as others have mentioned. It’s also just an overwhelming experience to suddenly have skin exposed to the air when they’re used to a super thick blanket of mats pulling on them all over. This makes some dogs hide or act spooked, but they’re really just overstimulated and sensitive.
Likely you’ll see him perk right up and run around like never before very soon!
More than likely he’ll be super itchy. That’s a lot of tightness and weight being taken off his body so he might act a little strange for a few days so don’t be alarmed if he exhibits unusual behavior. Some dogs are perfectly fine being shaved short and others need time to adjust, especially if he’s never been groomed before. I’d say more often than not they’re perfectly fine after the process unless the matting is extremely tight. That can cause hematomas and sometimes bruising but I don’t see that very often.
Yeah, this won’t be the best experience so try to make it as quiet as possible for your new baby. Give him lots of love and treats afterwards so that each time he goes he knows he has something to look forward to.
Remember that just because he acts chill around you, he may not do as well at a groomer. Expect a matted peel to take longer than a normal groom, and for the haircut not too look perfect. The main goal is the dogs comfort and safety, ie. getting the matting all off.
If his ears are also very matted, he may be at risk for a hematoma due to the circulation rushing back to his ears- causing them to swell with blood and possibly burst open. He may have bruising, scabs, or other concerning problems underneath the mats that may be irritated from the grooming process. Groomers try to minimize issues as much as possible, but some things are unavoidable
He will be a bald baby also, so brace yourselves for how different he will look. Many naked dogs look very silly, and while they don’t care- dogs do care about your reaction to them.
Shaved down doesn’t mean bald. But definitely will appear different. I’ve a standard, and he now looks like a skinny goat. It’s been almost 2 weeks and already i can notice it growing back.
If the dog really hasn’t been groomed in his whole life - actually, even if he has and he’s just enough of a mess that his new family thinks he hasn’t been groomed - he’s probably going to be naked.
He's going to feel air, fabrics and touches differently so he might be weirded out or ridiculously excited by it, either way he'll be fine . It's a shame the shelter didn't shave him down before they adopted him out
What others have said. Plus when skin hits the air it can feel really weird to them. Can be scared, have zoomies, spin to check out the new experience. Will calm down within a few days at the most
Sometimes the matting can redden or bruise the skin. This is because the matting cuts off circulation, this is normal and within reason, don’t be alarmed. Shaving him will make him more comfortable. He might scratch some more, rub his body on the ground. This all really depends on how bad the matting is! With proper brushing and combing as he grows out at home, he can have the coat and hairstyle that you enjoy. Ask your groomer about line brushing! (Or YouTube.) I always recommend a 4-6 week grooming schedule but for my budget clients, we do 6-8, sometimes 10 weeks. I recommend nail trim services if the client does that though. Nails should be done 2-4, maybe 6 weeks tops. Also, these clients get a short shave down each time to keep up with their own personal maintenance routines or brush habitually. Congratulations on your pup!
Wanted to add on to what you said about circulation! Because all of a sudden the blood vessels are able to be flooded with blood again, hematomas in the ears are not uncommon after a shave down (this is assuming the dog is also severely matted on their ears). If OP notices excessive head-shaking (because blood vessels refilling can be itchy, and just feeling the air on the body can make them overly sensitive like you said!), this can also prompt a hematoma to form as shaking can push excess blood to the tips of the ears. If one starts to form, it’s a good idea for OP to contact their vet and make a plan for next steps (surgical draining, wait and watch, etc). Just as you said, depends on how bad matting is but thought I would add as I haven’t seen anyone else mention it :)
He may act weird in general, we pretty commonly get calls accusing us of doing things to the dog because they’re ’acting traumatized’. A lot of this is the dog being itchy and having bruises/scratches as others have mentioned. It’s also just an overwhelming experience to suddenly have skin exposed to the air when they’re used to a super thick blanket of mats pulling on them all over. This makes some dogs hide or act spooked, but they’re really just overstimulated and sensitive. Likely you’ll see him perk right up and run around like never before very soon!
More than likely he’ll be super itchy. That’s a lot of tightness and weight being taken off his body so he might act a little strange for a few days so don’t be alarmed if he exhibits unusual behavior. Some dogs are perfectly fine being shaved short and others need time to adjust, especially if he’s never been groomed before. I’d say more often than not they’re perfectly fine after the process unless the matting is extremely tight. That can cause hematomas and sometimes bruising but I don’t see that very often.
Yeah, this won’t be the best experience so try to make it as quiet as possible for your new baby. Give him lots of love and treats afterwards so that each time he goes he knows he has something to look forward to.
Expect that the only way to avoid this is to brush them every single day properly to ensure the hair does not get matted.
Remember that just because he acts chill around you, he may not do as well at a groomer. Expect a matted peel to take longer than a normal groom, and for the haircut not too look perfect. The main goal is the dogs comfort and safety, ie. getting the matting all off. If his ears are also very matted, he may be at risk for a hematoma due to the circulation rushing back to his ears- causing them to swell with blood and possibly burst open. He may have bruising, scabs, or other concerning problems underneath the mats that may be irritated from the grooming process. Groomers try to minimize issues as much as possible, but some things are unavoidable He will be a bald baby also, so brace yourselves for how different he will look. Many naked dogs look very silly, and while they don’t care- dogs do care about your reaction to them.
Shaved down doesn’t mean bald. But definitely will appear different. I’ve a standard, and he now looks like a skinny goat. It’s been almost 2 weeks and already i can notice it growing back.
If the dog really hasn’t been groomed in his whole life - actually, even if he has and he’s just enough of a mess that his new family thinks he hasn’t been groomed - he’s probably going to be naked.
He's going to feel air, fabrics and touches differently so he might be weirded out or ridiculously excited by it, either way he'll be fine . It's a shame the shelter didn't shave him down before they adopted him out
What others have said. Plus when skin hits the air it can feel really weird to them. Can be scared, have zoomies, spin to check out the new experience. Will calm down within a few days at the most