Matted Dog Disclaimer 

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal. This includes prolonged ‘de-matting’ which is painful and detrimental to the welfare of the dog. If you bring in your dog with more than 20 minutes of dematting work, we are required by the Act to clip your dog short humanely or refer you to your vet to do the same.

At Linby Dog Grooming we will only attempt to dematt 5% of a dog. This equates to about a 50p sized matt behind each ear, same size in the armpits and perhaps one or two in the groin or tail area. When a Linby Dog  groomer has assessed your dog’s coat and found it to be matted, they will make the decision for it to be clipped short. This can be prevented by daily brushing with a slicker brush and comb – your groomer will be happy to explain the correct way to brush you dog and suggest a grooming programme that will allow us to achieve the look you would like for your dog, this may involve more frequent visits to Linby Dog Grooming and will certainly involve daily grooming at home.

When a dog’s coat becomes matted, it causes discomfort as the matts pull tightly on the skin and underlying health 

Conditions may not be visible. When a matted coat is clipped short, it may reveal sore, reddened and irritated skin, this is due to the skin not being able to breathe, lack of air circulation and dirt that has accumulated underneath. 

Clipping a matted coat can take longer and cause additional wear and tear on our equipment so a further fee may be chargeable in addition to the normal groom price. 

Should the groomer find the coat matted, any personal preference for how your dog should look after their groom will not be taken into consideration. Linby Dog Grooming will only do what is best for your dog. In clipping short, you acknowledge that any irritation to your dogs’ skin is due to the removal of a matted coat and is not the responsibility of your groomer. When clipping a severely matted dog the chances of the dogs skin being cut increases but this is not due to negligence from the groomer but rather a sign of the dog’s coat condition before the groom. On rare occasion that this occurs; you may need to seek veterinary advice following the groom and you will be liable for the full cost of any treatment. 

Dogs feel different after being fully clipped and it can take time for them to adjust to the way their skin now feels. However, we assure you that your dog is much happier without the matted coat.