# Puppy tear stains matted



## jeannelcm (Oct 13, 2007)

My 12 wk. old has the expected tear staining, but what I didn't expect was for the tear staining hair to be matted on his tiny face. I have been washing his face everyday and try to work on the knots, but it is just so hard. I don't want to hurt him. My upmost concern is that he stays healthy, but just wondering if there is something I can do to with the matted part on his face.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

You can either demat or cut it out. To remove the knots, I use the last tooth on a greyhound comb (a metal comb) to gently work them out bit by bit. A slather of conditioner on top may help (then rinse it well afterwards).


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

You can dab on a little bit of detangling conditioner and work
it into the mats with your fingers. Be sure to keep it away
from the eyes, of course. Then take your tiny metal face comb
and pick at the mats gently, starting at the ends, until they fall out. 
Be patient and take your time so the puppy doesn't get frustrated. 
Be sure to rinse the conditioner our when finished. Combing the face
daily may be necessary to prevent mats in the future.


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## binniebee (Sep 27, 2007)

I have the matting problem with Midis' face, too. While he is amazingly cooperative with my combing him and bathing him, cutting his nails and all other aspects of grooming he is NOT cooperative about his snout! He is cooperative when I bathe or wash his face and snout, but absolutely will not, at this point, allow me to comb it out, and I do not think that is even an option today. I am going to bathe him and wash his face really well tomorrow and see what I can do about the mats. It is not a matter of his face being too small to comb, it is simply a matter of him jerking his head this way and that to avoid the comb. I don't know how silly he might look if I have to end up cutting off the majority of the hair on his snout, as he is in full coat and quite full it is! I worked on him tonight and no thanks to the puppy/adult transition period of his coat we are having one heck of a time with working through and cutting out mats! I will be glad when this period is over! I am very proud of his patience and calm acceptance of this grooming but wish he could be the same way about his snout whiskers. 

Cyndi


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Don't be afraid to hold them gently but firmly by the beard hair. I usually just have to be stern about it and reward them for cooperating a few times. Worse comes to worse, wrapped up in a towel like a burrito and it gets done.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

> Don't be afraid to hold them gently but firmly by the beard hair. I usually just have to be stern about it and reward them for cooperating a few times. Worse comes to worse, wrapped up in a towel like a burrito and it gets done.[/B]


This was something that took me a while to get used to, holding them firmly by the beard or just holding the head still. Caira still has a long way to go to be cooperative but she has improved soooo much. 

For me, using a topknot pillow is a MUST HAVE if I want to do Caira's topknots or mess with her muzzle. If I forget it before a show, I'm DOOMED, I tell you.


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## binniebee (Sep 27, 2007)

I groomed today (and I mean the full works, except for clipping nails, I already did that earlier in the week or last weekend) and really worked on Midis' beard. I couldn't really do anything with it prior to the bath it was so *****. I couldn't tell what was ****-clump and what was a true mat, so I left it until the bath. I sprayed down his muzzle really good with a strong force of water and that washed away the ****-clumps. Then I conditioned his muzzle hair really good after shampooing and rinsing that. When I got finished with the bath while he was still "trapped" in his towel I went to work on the muzzle as gently as I could. I ended up not having to cut anything out of it! I was just shocked! I thought I was going to have to cut some of it really short, but I didn't! It all either washed or combed through after all washing and conditioning.

I did find even more mats on his shoulders, which is where I put his Frontline on Tuesday. He HATES that stuff and scratches and pulls at it after I put it on and I am sure that is where the mats came from. I had thought I got them all out last night, but then Greg took him out to pee in the rain last night before bed and I guess it just made him make more mats. Either that or I somehow missed them, but I don't see how I could have. Happy to report I was able to work through them, as they were close to the part, close to the top and would have been very obvious and unsightly if I had had to cut them out.

Trimmed his feet and between his pads and he was very cooperative about that once I found a good position for him (in my lap). Same thing with the working through the mats on his shoulders: he wanted to be in my lap. That is new. I usually have him beside me on the couch but now he has decided my lap works best for him. Of course I was just covered in hair which really looked a sight since I had on black velour sweats! I looked at myself and thought my husband would say, "Good thing he doesn't shed." (We had a running argument for years about how Malts don't shed; he thought finding a few hairs here and there was proof they did; after being exposed to my mom's shedding dog he revised his opinion. There is pulling hair out and there is hair jumping out! Not the same things.)

Anyway, wanted to show pics tonight but our camera batteries were dead. I'll post when I have time after batteries are recharged.

Thanks for all of your tips about grooming the muzzle! I see now that it CAN be done, and I should have just washed his face good several days ago before it got to this point!

Cyndi


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