# Has your Maltese ever had to get skinned?



## Kissyfur (Jul 23, 2004)

Poor Maggie! I knew she had some mattes that went pretty far down to her skin (not all over)....but I took her to my groomer (trusted groomer) and she said that she would have to 'skin' Maggie because the mattes went so far down to her skin that she couldn't lift a comb underneath them. She also asked how I bathed Maggie. Did I bathe her in a swirling motion with the shampoo and conditioner and towel dry her that way? (which I do). She mentioned that you should vertically apply shampoo and conditioner and dry her that way with a towel (so that the fur does not matte). Is this true (guess so)? If so, do any of you have any tips on the proper way to shampoo and towel dry your dogs coat of fur?


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## RexsMom (Jun 8, 2005)

Poor Maggie! At least it is summer! Did you take a picture of her new do? 
I kinda do a scratching thing when I wash Rex and I just squish him with the towl, not rub and then comb him while I dry him with the hair dryer. Rex keeps getting matts right around his back knee and I am always scared that the groomer may do the same to him (hopefully I can keep him mat free until Friday







)


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## Kissyfur (Jul 23, 2004)

That's a good idea! To just gently scratch in the shampoo! Trust me...you do not want a completely skinned Maltese (outside of her head and tail). OMG.....when my Father saw her....(loves my Magpie)...he said' Will you LOOK at that! She looks like a sight for sore eyes! Just look at that! She isn't going anywhere in public like that! Just look at that! Of all people (laughing) it was a man, my Dad that got so upset. He went on and on all day about it! haha! It is pitiful......no...worse than that. She is finally getting a little stubble...but she looks like a little rat with a white head and tail. NEVER again! lol


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## RexsMom (Jun 8, 2005)

So she didnt just have a puppy cut, she was like one of those hairless dogs? Oh my! How did Maggie react to it? I bet your heart just broke when you saw her! :new_Eyecrazy:


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

It isn't just the washing that affects matting.... If they are prone to matting you have to brush every day unless they have a short puppy cut.....

The way to brush is not just to brush the top like we would brush our own hair but to flip the top hair over and brush underneath and then pull more hair down and brush that so you'll get it all. 

Do you have a good pin brush and comb?


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## Littlemans Mom (Apr 6, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Kallie/Catcher's Mom_@Jun 26 2005, 12:58 PM
> *It isn't just the washing that affects matting.... If they are prone to matting you have to brush every day unless they have a short puppy cut.....
> 
> The way to brush is not just to brush the top like we would brush our own hair but to flip the top hair over and brush underneath and then pull more hair down and brush that so you'll get it all.
> ...


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That is very good advice on brushing and your groomer was right about the bathing part. Put on the shampoo in the same direction don't scrub around. I put the shampoo on my hands and rub my hands together , then starting at the neck go towards the back I apply the shampoo. Also your little one needs to be completly brushed out before the bath, because if there are any matts they will only get worse after a bath. I blow dry Indy also because if I didn't he would get knots and it just wouldn't be good


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## Harleysmom (Jan 26, 2005)

I thought I took pretty good care of Harleys coat -brushed him daily but there is only so long they will tolerate sitting still








I try to work fast but there are areas that I don't get. He is matting on his belly area pretty bad-I figure if he has to be shaved down at least maybe it'll only be the underneath side....would that look funny? His top couldn't be that bad.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

I have never paid attention to the way I bathe or dry Alex. If a dog has matts, you should take the matts out before bathing because if you don't it will be worse after. The only way to avoid matts is daily brushing and combing. And don't just brush or comb on top, you have to go all the way down to the skin. Watch out for behind the ears, this is an area that matts easily. I put Alex on his back to brush and comb his belly, thighs and under arms.


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## Brittany Lot (Jun 24, 2004)

For everyday grooming, I only use a comb (no brush) on Zoe. It is much easier to deal with her mats this way and I believe it is way faster. Also, it forces you to get all of the hair, rather than just going over the top layer with a brush. She never has any mats.


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## puppymom (Jun 13, 2005)

When I dry Ty I take him right out of the sink and wrap him up in the towel, like a swaddled baby. Then we usually go sit in the rocking chair and rock. The towel absorbs the excess water without any kind of rubbing. Then I use a pin brush and dryer to blow dry small sections at a time.


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## ButterCloudandNoriko (Aug 26, 2004)

I use Blessed the Beast's detangler and it helped me TREMENDOUSLY! This is the only detangler I've tried so I'm not sure if the others work the same. I also LOVE using Oatmeal Conditioner because their hair looks silky and feels great. I had to SKIN ButterCloud once!

















But on a positive note, It's so fun to pet them. Their hair feels divine!


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## ABgroomer (Nov 25, 2004)

Looks like they were taken down with a 10 blade. It does make a difference in bathing and shampooing. I use a hydrosurge to prevent this. I also load on the conditioner and lanolin an let them sit while I start roughing in the next dog. The high velocity usually blows the tangles out (on puppy trims) and then I use the stand dryer which leaves a nice sheen on the coat and softens it. Try holding the come parallel and pulling through when there are no tangles and mats it will slide through the coat. A great company for shampoos, conditioner and lanolin is Pedagree. I am pretty sure they sell to individuals. The blue shampoo is fabulous too. www.pedagreeproducts.tk


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Yes, how you shampoo and dry can influence the matting. 

I wouldn't use a hydrosurge on a Maltese coat. Most correct and semi-correct Maltese coats are too fragile and the shampoo and conditioner should be very gently worked in going with the hair fall and not crunching the hair up, then rinsing with the hair fall. I would also avoid lanolin products in a Maltese coat as they tend to dry the coat over time. If you have major matts and use a silicone or lanolin detangler do it before the bath and then shampoo twice. I always shampoo twice. 

Unless you have a really cottony Maltese coat, a high velocity dryer it too much power. You'll end up with a mess of coat. Even some of the higher power stand dryers are too much (that was something I ran into when buying one). For most pet Maltese, a table-top double duck or a stand dryer equivalent of an Edemco 6001 is best. 

Truly silky Maltese coats are one of the most difficult coats to keep, especially with significant length.


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## puppylucy (Jan 8, 2005)

> _Originally posted by ButterCloudandNoriko_@Jun 27 2005, 06:21 PM
> *I use Blessed the Beast's detangler and it helped me TREMENDOUSLY!  This is the only detangler I've tried so I'm not sure if the others work the same.  I also LOVE using Oatmeal Conditioner because their hair looks silky and feels great.  I had to SKIN ButterCloud once!
> 
> 
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oh my~!







he still looks adorable of course


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## miko's mommy (Feb 8, 2005)

My baby is getting skinned as I write this!! I am such a bad mommy...with all these moves from state to state, I haven't brushed him in over a week and he got matted. We also needed to even him out (his back legs and butt were very short due to surgery). My poor baby is at the groomer's awaiting his turn to be skinned most likely







.


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## gigimom (Apr 17, 2005)

I recently had to do that to GiGi. I hated it but her coat is changing and the matts were getting so out of control. I tried everything I could but no matter what, she'd have matts by the end of the day. I just bit the bullet and shaved her down (not to the skin though). I have to admit, its nice having a break from the 3 times a day grooming (brushing and/or combing) but I can't wait for her pretty coat to come back. I haven't been hidding her but I do use a lo of t-shirts now when we go out.


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## Laceys mom (Nov 12, 2004)

Lacey too is going through a coat change. She hardly ever had a matt...combed her everynight...but the last week she has been getting them. She is going to the groomers on the 16th and I am having her hair cut to about 1 inch in length. I use the Bless the Beast and I love it. I ordered some more today.


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## RexsMom (Jun 8, 2005)

Now I can say that my Maltese has about been skinned. A change to start over...at least it is summer!


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

> _Originally posted by MomtwoMaltmuffins_@Jul 4 2005, 05:30 PM
> *Casper got the skinned look not too long ago.  It was embarrassing for me
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Oh, I think Casper looks really cute!!


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## RexsMom (Jun 8, 2005)

> _Originally posted by MomtwoMaltmuffins_@Jul 4 2005, 04:30 PM
> *Casper got the skinned look not too long ago.  It was embarrassing for me
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He's cute! How long has it been growing since this picture! Just trying to get an idea on when Rex will no longer look naked! I know how you feel







I feel that way too! When we were at the vet today I felt everyone was looking at Rex and I! :new_Eyecrazy:


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## ButterCloudandNoriko (Aug 26, 2004)

On a positvie note...At least our babies are getting skinned during the summer and not winter!


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## RexsMom (Jun 8, 2005)

> _Originally posted by ButterCloudandNoriko_@Jul 4 2005, 08:25 PM
> *On a positvie note...At least our babies are getting skinned during the summer and not winter!
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So true!! 

You can also see how muscular they are! Rex is tiny, but no ribs showing and his arms have muscles!!


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## Mystify79 (Apr 6, 2004)

Tuffy was "skinned" a few weeks ago. It really was my fault that I wasn't keeping up with his grooming.. he got sick and I didn't want to make him feel worse by grooming him so it just went downhill from there. He was a shaggy mess by the time he went into the groomers. I love his new hair cut.. he looks like a little puppy and he's been bouncing around like one too.







His new haircut is in my sig.


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## RexsMom (Jun 8, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Mystify79_@Jul 4 2005, 10:13 PM
> *Tuffy was "skinned" a few weeks ago.  It really was my fault that I wasn't keeping up with his grooming.. he got sick and I didn't want to make him feel worse by grooming him so it just went downhill from there.  He was a shaggy mess by the time he went into the groomers.  I love his new hair cut.. he looks like a little puppy and he's been bouncing around like one too.
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His haircut is cute! I blame myself too for Rex's. I guess live and learn!


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