Dog Matted Hair: How to Remove Mats Safely and When to Stop

Updated October 27, 2026

This guide is for owners of doodles, shih tzus, spaniels and other long or curly coated dogs who have found a knot. It covers why mats form, why they hurt, how to work out a small tangle at home, when to stop, and how to prevent mats.

The short answer: a small, loose tangle can usually be worked out at home with a detangler spray, your fingers, a slicker brush and a steel comb, holding the hair at the base so you never pull on the skin. A tight mat that sits flat against the skin, a whole matted section, or any mat with redness, sores or a smell under it is a job for a groomer or your vet, and shaving it off is often the kindest fix. Do not cut mats out with scissors.

How we wrote this: the advice comes from the veterinary and animal welfare sources linked in the text. Product mentions use brand specs and named, linked reviews. We have not tested these products ourselves, and this page has no affiliate links.

What a mat is and why it forms

A mat is a mass of tangled hair that can also hold burrs, plant barbs, dander and other debris, according to a VCA Animal Hospitals handout on preventing matting. It starts as loose hairs that wrap around living hair and tighten each time your dog moves.

PetMD lists the usual causes: brushing too rarely, moisture from baths or swimming, shed undercoat that never gets brushed out, friction from collars and harnesses, and licking or scratching because the skin is itchy. Long, silky and curly coats are the most prone, which is why VCA says those dogs need daily brushing.

Where mats hide

Mats grow where hair rubs or stays damp. Check these spots first:

• Behind the ears: soft, fine hair plus constant scratching and head shaking.
• Armpits and where the front legs meet the chest: the American Kennel Club singles out this friction zone.
• Collar and harness line: where straps rub.
• Rear end, tail and back of the legs: the "pants" collect moisture and debris, and mats around the bottom can trap feces, as the ASPCA warns.
• Legs and between the toes: mats can wrap all the way around a leg (more on that below). See our guide to trimming dog paw hair for the feet.
• Around the eyes and face: beards and topknots on shih tzus and doodles knot up from food, water and tears.

Why mats hurt and what they hide

As a mat grows it pulls on the hair and skin around it, so every step, every time your dog lies down or is touched, it tugs, PetMD explains. Mats also hold moisture, dirt and debris against the skin, which can lead to irritation and infection.

The ASPCA notes that even mild mats can irritate the skin and progress to infected sores, and that fleas and ticks can live deep inside a mat out of sight. VCA's handout adds that a matted coat can cause and hide red, swollen or cracked skin, can stop the skin drying after it gets wet, and can make it impossible to spot scabs or growths.

The most serious case is a mat that wraps around a leg. The ASPCA describes these mats cutting off blood supply, and a 2022 study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science lists strangulation wounds, skin and ear infections among the medical problems linked to neglected matting, with long-haired breeds making up most of the cases.

See your vet, not a brush: if you find redness, sores, scabs, swelling, discharge, a bad smell, heat or broken skin under or around a mat, or your dog yelps or limps when the area is touched, stop grooming and book a vet visit. Do not put creams or home remedies on skin under a mat. PetMD and VCA both say skin damage from mats needs a vet to check and treat it.

How to remove a small tangle at home

This method is for small, loose tangles you can get your fingers into, on a calm dog, with healthy skin underneath. Work on a dry coat: the Humane World for Animals grooming guide warns that water makes mats worse, so brush before a bath, never after soaking a tangle.

1. Set up. Non-slip surface, good light, detangler, slicker, steel comb and treats within reach.
2. Find the edges. If you cannot slide a finger between the mat and the skin, stop: it is not a home job.
3. Spray the detangler. Mist the tangle with a dog detangler (or a little dog conditioner diluted in water, as PetMD suggests) and give it a minute to soak in. It loosens hair but will not dissolve a mat.
4. Hold the base. Pinch the hair between the mat and the skin with one hand. AKC explains that your steady hand absorbs the pull, so your dog does not feel the tug.
5. Pick it apart with your fingers. Tease the outer edge loose into smaller strands, working from the outside toward the skin.
6. Brush the loosened hair. Use short, light strokes with the slicker on the freed ends, still holding the base. Let the pins do the work. Pressing hard or going over one spot again and again can scratch the skin and cause brush burn.
7. Do the comb test. Run a steel comb from the skin outward through the area. If it glides all the way through, you are done. If it catches, go back to step 3 for that spot. VCA's handout says you should be able to get a comb from the skin outward on all parts of the dog.
8. Take breaks. Stop if your dog gets restless. AKC notes you may not get a mat out in one sitting, and suggests a few minutes a couple of times a day over several days.
9. Bathe only once the coat combs out. VCA says bathing a matted dog makes things worse. Once the comb glides through, see our guide on how to bathe a dog.

Can you cut matted dog hair with scissors?

The honest answer from every major source is no. The ASPCA says never to use scissors on mats because pets can move suddenly, causing a severe cut or puncture. PetMD says not to cut mats out with household scissors because the mat sits so close to the skin. AKC warns that one wrong move from a nervous dog could mean a serious injury, and VCA says to use only clippers to remove mats, never scissors.

A tight mat pulls the skin up into it, so a snip that looks like it is through hair can go through skin. Even groomers find this hard: VCA's handout notes that cuts while shaving matted areas are rare but can happen because the matted skin is taut and extra sensitive.

Safer options than scissors

• A clipper, used by someone who knows how: VCA says clippers are the tool for removing mats. If you already clip your doodle at home, our guide to dog clippers for doodles explains blades and guide combs. Sliding a blade under a tight mat is still skilled work.
• A groomer or vet: the right call for anything tight, large or near the eyes, ears, genitals or bottom.

Mats in tricky spots

Behind the ears

Ear mats are often loose enough for the home method. Hold the ear flat in your palm and work the tangle outward. If the mat is tight against the ear or you notice a smell, redness or discharge from the ear itself, see your vet.

Around the eyes

Do not work a mat near the eyes with any tool. The AKC says long hair around the eyes can be trimmed with blunt-nose scissors to cut down on irritation and tear staining, but that is light tidying of loose hair, not cutting out a mat. A retrospective study summarized by Vet Times found corneal ulcers were the most common eye injury in dogs seen within 24 hours of a grooming visit, with shih tzus involved in about a third of cases. Leave matted face hair to a groomer, and see your vet for squinting, redness or discharge.

When to stop and call a groomer or vet

Stop and get help if:

• You cannot fit a finger or comb between the mat and the skin.
• The coat is matted in a sheet or "pelt" over a large area.
• A mat wraps around a leg, tail or ear.
• Your dog is in pain or cannot settle.
• You see skin trouble: redness, sores, swelling, smell or discharge (see your vet).

Groomers are skilled at working out tangles and, when needed, cutting the coat down to remove them and let the skin dry, according to AKC. VCA's handout says that in most cases badly matted coats can only be removed by shaving, and that very painful cases may need sedation, which is one reason a vet clinic is sometimes the better place. A shave-down is not a failure: it ends the pulling in one session, and the coat grows back.

Tell your groomer about mats when you book. Dematting a tight coat hurts, and starting fresh with a short clip, then keeping up home brushing, is the kinder route.

How to prevent mats

Brush by coat type

• Curly and doodle coats: daily or near-daily line brushing with a slicker, then the comb test. Our goldendoodle grooming guide walks through it.
• Long and silky coats (shih tzu, Yorkie, Maltese): daily brushing and combing, VCA says, with extra care behind the ears, in the armpits and along the back of the legs. See how to groom a shih tzu.
• Double coats: regular brushing to clear shed undercoat, which PetMD lists as a cause of mats, more often during heavy shedding.
• Short coats: rarely mat; Humane World suggests weekly brushing.

VCA's handout says every dog should be brushed at least once a week, and longer coats more often. Our dog brushes by coat type guide matches tools to coats, and dog grooming by coat type covers the full routine.

After baths and swims

Moisture is a big mat trigger. Brush out tangles before the bath, use a leave-in detangler if your coat type needs one, and dry thoroughly, as PetMD advises. Humane World suggests a microfiber towel and/or a dryer on a low setting held away from the skin. After a swim, rinse, dry and brush through ears, armpits and the collar line.

Our picks

The Stuff Conditioner & Detangler, Ready to Use, 16 oz

Sources: specs, NBC Select

A leave-in spray the brand says conditions the coat and removes and prevents tangles. Directions say to apply it directly to mats to loosen them before combing, or spray a small amount into the wet coat after a bath. Dogs only; overspray makes floors slippery. Ask your vet before using a new care product if your pet has a health condition, is pregnant or nursing, or takes medication.

Chris Christensen Big G Slicker Brush, Large

Sources: specs, Vetstreet

A slicker with 27mm stainless steel pins on a flexible cushion pad, which the brand lists for poodles, doodles, bichons and double-coated breeds. Medium and Baby G sizes are sold for legs and small areas such as behind the ears. Use a light touch: the dense, long pins can scratch if pressed hard.

Chris Christensen 7.5" Fine/Coarse Greyhound-Style Buttercomb #000

Sources: specs, NBC Select

The comb for the comb test: a coarse end with 8 teeth per inch and a fine end with 11, on steel teeth with rounded tips the brand says are designed to glide without snagging. It shows the tangles a brush skipped over.

Mistakes to avoid

• Cutting mats out with scissors.
• Bathing a matted dog before the mats are out.
• Pulling a mat without holding the base.

FAQ

How do you get matted hair out of a dog without cutting it?

For small, loose tangles, use detangler, hold the base, tease the mat apart with your fingers, then slicker and comb. Tight mats need a groomer.

Does dog detangler spray remove mats?

It helps loosen tangles so they come apart with less pulling, but it does not dissolve mats. VCA's handout notes that conditioner alone does not remove matting.

How do I get mats out from behind my dog's ears?

Support the ear flat in your palm, mist the tangle with detangler and work it out with your fingers, then a small slicker and comb. If it is tight against the skin or the ear smells or looks red, see a groomer or your vet.

Is it cruel to shave a matted dog?

No. When a coat is badly matted, shaving is often the gentlest option because it removes the mats in one session. VCA says most bad mats can only be removed by shaving.

What should I do about sores under my dog's mats?

See your vet. Redness, sores, smell or discharge under mats can mean irritation or infection, and the mat may need to be clipped off at the clinic so the skin can be checked and treated.

How often should I brush my dog to prevent mats?

At least once a week for every dog, and daily for long, silky and curly coats, according to VCA.

For more coat care help, see all our grooming guides.