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Cocker Spaniel and clumps of hair - help!

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  • 04-02-2007 11:57pm
    #1
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,678 CMod ✭✭✭✭


    Ok we have a 2 year old Cocker Spaniel and he has developed several large clumps of matted hair all over his coat. I know what you're going to say - we should be brushing him. Well we would only he REALLY doesn't like us going near his coat and any time he sees the brush he starts growling. Any attempt to cut these clumps off with a scissors would get us savaged.

    Last year the problem got so bad we had to call out the local vet to sedate and muzzle him while we cut them off and he still put up a fight. We'd rather not put him through that again and leaving leaving him in somewhere just doesn't seem to be an option.

    Any ideas?


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    #2
    SuzyS1972
    Closed Accounts Posts: 488 ✭✭SuzyS1972


    Why don't you sit beside him with the brush on the floor for a few mins and do this for a few nights.
    Gradually lift the brush and do so until you feel he is ready - then just place the brush on him and take it away straight away - give him a piece of sausage or cheese and repeat this until he is comfortable and no longer scared of the brush.

    It'll take time and patience but you can't live with having him sedated to be brushed.


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    #3
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭peasant


    The last time when the vet came, did he by any chance check if there are any health issues with your Cocker?

    Because if touching him was painful to him, he would certainly growl. If he wasn't checked, get that done first.

    Can you touch him at all?
    If so, try (ever so gently) to pull these clumps apart with your fingers.
    Be very carful, as the clumps pull at his skin and pinch. So when you pull at them, it has to be done in such a way that you tug at the hair only, not at the skin.
    Doing that should start to give him some relief. You'll be at it for a while, bit by bit. Hopefully during this time he'll learn to trust you more and that you won't hurt him, so that you can introduce scissors to cut off the worst bits.

    Always ensure that you're pulling hair only, not skin


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