# Woes of Luna



## Luna'sMom (Oct 7, 2007)

As some of you might have read in another thread I came home from a 10 day holiday to Brisbane to a horribly matted puppy. 

I decided to cut them out - as they were HUGE and very close to the skin and her skin was going red at all the brushing and she wasn't very happy with me. 
I will post some pictures of the lost hair and what she looks like now in awhile. 

What do you guys think I should do - cut her down entirely (i.e. face etc short too) or leave tail/face long and cut the body short. I am intending to start over growing her out :smcry: :smcry: 


She is also acting a little weird since we got her home - i.e. really tired, not as playful and excited to see us :smcry: I don't know how I will ever leave her again - I feel like I have betrayed her. I cried all night while cutting her hair :smcry: :smcry: She also got scared of me when I tried to put her flea stuff on - she started shaking and tried to run away - :smcry: :smcry: what happened to my little baby!

I don't know how the mats could have gotten so bad in 10 days :smpullhair:


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## ClaBec Maltese (Feb 19, 2007)

Kylie I have not read the other thread yet I am sorry. :brownbag: Do you mind telling me where she stayed? 

As far as the face and tail. I personally like the face beard and tail to remain long even in the short cut. But that is me. I love looking at the beauty of at least that part. And it will possibly make the transition easier on YOU. At least if you leave it longer it is not allll gone. But this is just my opinion. And we all have certain looks that we prefer. :wub:


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

Kylie, please don't fret - I know it's soooooo easy to say, and these words probably wont help much, but it really is going to be ok. :grouphug: 

To answer your question, I would leave her head/face and also her tail alone! These are the area's I think take the longest to grow back - so when I had Dakota's puppy cut for her spay in Feb, I asked Angela to shape the head/face only - so that she wouldn't look freakish with short hair everywhere else!, and not to touch the tail.

As for the 'weirdness', I'd leave it a day or so, unless she's not eating/drinking/peeing/pooping as normal. She is still a young baby, but I'm sure she will bounce right back in no time! 

I don't think I can tell you anything you don't already know - give her lots of treats/praise etc - which I'm quite sure you are already doing.

Good luck with everything, PM me if you need any help, I totally understand what you're going through!!


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## Luna'sMom (Oct 7, 2007)

> Kylie I have not read the other thread yet I am sorry. :brownbag: Do you mind telling me where she stayed?
> 
> As far as the face and tail. I personally like the face beard and tail to remain long even in the short cut. But that is me. I love looking at the beauty of at least that part. And it will possibly make the transition easier on YOU. At least if you leave it longer it is not allll gone. But this is just my opinion. And we all have certain looks that we prefer. :wub:[/B]


She stayed with my boyfriend's parents - I don't think they neglected her .. they just didn't know what to do once something tangled because of her harness or how to brush her properly. 

They have a poodle cross so aren't really knowledgeable about brushing I guess. 

And Jacqui I think she will be her usual self in a few days  she is just being prissy! 

I will call Angela and leave a message on her machine  hope I can get her in 9th or 10th!


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

Poor Luna & poor you. She's probably a bit perturbed from all the extra brushing & combing & will bounce back when the mat ordeal is over. I'm sorry her hair got all matted, but she'll look precious in a short do. I advice you to leave her ears,tail & topknot long if possible. They do seem to take much longer to grow out than the rest. I never try to comb mats out until I use thinning shears to cut across the mats,as many times as needed, until the mat is thinned out & breaks apart.Then I gently comb it out. There is usually enough hair left in the spot to cover the area & not leave a huge gap. Hope Luna gets back to her normal self soon.


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## ClaBec Maltese (Feb 19, 2007)

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That is good ot hear about being with family. With me not knowing I was kinda concened about it maybe being someone that was not known to her or you. I agree with Jacqui totally. She will bounce back. 

And this is too kewl. Do you and Jacqui have the same groomer? I envy you both having each other to lean on. And I know that Jacqui would not lead you wrong in any way.


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## haha~shebar (Jan 8, 2008)

It must be something with leaving dogs at inlaws! While they are loved and spoiled rotten at my inlaws, they spend a lot more time outside, so when we take them home, they are stinky a bit matted, have picked up half the yard in their fur and they sleep solidly for days afterward!! So while they need some grooming, I know they've had a ball cos they're sooo tired!

Don't stress about having to cut the mats out, I'd have the fur cut short - especially over summer. I generally do my own grooming, Lenny has so much patience with me clipping him, he loves the attention. Harry, in his previous life, obviously went off to the groomers. His coat is a bit more work, but I clip him myself. I sent him to the groomers once and once only. They did a fantastic job... but I didn't even recognise him when I went to pick him up. He was a different dog and I didn't like it, they left his ears long and his tail, I didn't mind the tail, but the rest of him was so short, his ears looked silly. So now I cut him the way I want. I'm no professional and bf reminds me that Harry doesn't mind what he looks like. 

I've clipped Lenny since he was a pup, he lays still for me and rolls around so I can get to different areas of him, it's like an extended patting session.


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## Luna'sMom (Oct 7, 2007)

I wouldn't have minded except that I wanted to grow her out into full coat (and I haven't had any matt's in her before) and I had explained that she needed to be brushed everyday and especially where her harness was  

To give an idea of what she looks like this is the day after we came home:









Her side - 2 patches that are very short as the matt's were cut out (sorry about the bad photos...lighting must have been bad and she moves )









Her chest - you can see that alot of the hair has been cut away 









I said to Jacqui before that I was worried about her behavior - she has been really 'tired' and 'depressed' and has taken to sleeping next to the front door. Also I came back from shopping (I was away about 30 mins) and instead of greeting me with excitement like she used to, she just kind of walked away from the door (where she had been lying down) with a 'forlorn' expression and her tail down :bysmilie: and wasn't jumping up excited. My bf thinks it's just because she is missing the inlaws/their dog and might also have been worn out from the stay. I was really really worried as she hasn't been eating much either (not that she eats much normally). Tonight she did play with her toys and run around excitedly - so she seems to be lightening up. I had wondered if they might have 'disciplined' her or something but bf thinks that is very unlikely. Sigh I think she is just getting back into the swing of being home with us - it is a little strange though but she seems to be coming "back" (bf thinks I am crazy ) 









I hope the groomer calls tomorrow and she has an appointment tomorrow or Thursday - I want her looking better for when my family come back and I introduce her to my gran AND I need to organize her spaying surgery pronto ( I don't want to risk her going into heat) :smpullhair:


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## dogloverx3 (Apr 14, 2006)

Kylie I wish you lived closer I could have SAVED that coat :smcry: I dogsit my friends dogs - when they go home , they PINE for me and the fun fluffs . My friends think I am an evil brainwasher . Sarah


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## Luna'sMom (Oct 7, 2007)

> Kylie I wish you lived closer I could have SAVED that coat :smcry: I dogsit my friends dogs - when they go home , they PINE for me and the fun fluffs . My friends think I am an evil brainwasher . Sarah[/B]


 :smcry: 
I dunno - her chest was like dreads/dag's and had bits of plant all raveled in! I think maybe someone with more experience could have done it but I am only a newbie and really didn't feel like it was fair to her for me to leave them in until the groomer  I did get a slicker brush (like the groomer had to ld me to use on matt's) and she hated it  i.e. yelping when I put the brush in her fur (even not moving it - yes she is a huge drama queen) and constantly trying to run away or lick/bite at my hand to get the brush away- little stinker :HistericalSmiley: 

Oh well she will look like a skinny rat for a week or 2 and then start to look cute again and she will get to long coat again :wub:


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## Luna'sMom (Oct 7, 2007)

Just a note - she isn't acting depressed anymore - we have back Loony Luna :wub: :smilie_daumenpos:


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