My 18-month-old Cavalier is getting a lovely long coat after growing out her puppy coat. But I am finding it rather difficult to keep it tangle-free – she's a pet, not a show dog, but I'm reluctant to have her clipped short.

I wash her once a week, use coat spray (Animology products) and brush her regularly with a comb and slicker brush. Even so, her coat seems to get matted very easily and she ends up with these little knots on her leg feathers that are really hard to get out.

Does anyone have grooming advice/tips on how to reduce the amount of knots and tangles? Also, are Furminators any good for reducing shedding? She's my first Cavalier -- always had short-haired dogs before so I'm new to coat maintenance! Thanks in advance :)

Has she been spayed?

I wonderer about that too

Yes, she was spayed in April – three months after the end of her first season. I heard that spaying can change the texture of the coat, which concerned me, but the vet assured me that it's rare. Her coat texture doesn't seem to have changed or become 'woolly' but as she's my first CKCS I have nothing to compare against.

She sheds an awful lot though – I'm constantly vacuuming!

> I heard that spaying can change the texture of the coat, which concerned me, but the vet assured me that it's rare.

I’ve never known neutering to NOT change the texture of the coat, so surprised your vet said it was rare!

> <br />I’ve never known neutering to NOT change the texture of the coat, so surprised your vet said it was rare!

Particularly in a coated breed.
I have to say the texture has very little/noticeable changes in my breed but I know it does in many coated breeds....
Vets are never wrong though, are they? (said all tongue in cheek)

I agree my bitches have always had coat changes after sapy regardless of age of spay.it also makes sense as u are altering hormones which can affect hair /fur as well.as.other things  . Current FCr looks more like a black sheep if she isn't well groomed and trimmed  all the  time

Maybe worth going to a decent groomer who can show you how to from and maintain her coat. Not clipping it but how to strip it out.

She's booked in at the groomer this week, so we'll see how she gets on. :)

Just make sure that clippers are never used, only scissors, as clippers really does turn the coat into a nightmare forever more -especially in combination with being neutered.

> I wash her once a week, use coat spray (Animology products) and brush her regularly with a comb and slicker brush. Even so, her coat seems to get matted very easily and she ends up with these little knots on her leg feathers that are really hard to get out.

Does she need washing so often?  You may be stripping out the natural oils from the coat, which will help to keep it in order.

From caring for my late mother's female Cavalier, and also with my own (male) cockers, I've found that grooming everyday is the best way - it doesn't take very long as you are keeping on top of the coat.  I use three levels of grooming tool: a pin brush or a comb with rotating teeth first, followed by a wide-toothed metal comb, and then a spaniel comb (Spratts 76).  Make sure you go right to the roots of the hair - not scratching or scraping the skin, but drawing the comb parallel with it and keeping a light contact. Slicker I keep for bad matts (from rubbing mostly).  My mum's Cavalier was spayed but luckily her coat did not change and remained smooth and silky.  She was never clipped, and neither are my own dogs.

Daily grooming should keep the coat clean and unsmelly, and you should find that you need to wash her much less frequently.

I don't suppose you're anywhere near Suffolk I'd be happy to give some help and advice, as I am a professional groomer and I show Cavaliers, so I often have to come up with a compromise for pets. But everyone's usually the other side of the country from me! Ask the groomer to use a Mars Coat King size 20 on the back coat if it's gone fluffy, and just trim the feathering fairly short if it's the leg feathering getting knotted.

Merrypaws – thank you for the comb recommendations. :) Before having a Cavalier, I'd never washed a dog so frequently. Like you said, I always thought it wasn't good for their coats. But I do find that her coat gets quite dirty without washing – she's a country dog and she gets muddy running through the fields. I'll try grooming her more often though and cut down on the baths.

LucyDogs – that's very kind, thank you. :) But I'm in Yorkshire, so a fair distance from you! I'd looked into getting a Mars Coat King or a Furminator but as I'm not trained to use it I'd worry about ruining the coat or doing more harm than good. I'll ask the groomer when she goes this week. Thanks for the advice.

>LucyDogs – that's very kind, thank you. :) But I'm in Yorkshire, so a fair distance from you! I'd looked into getting a Mars Coat King or a Furminator but as I'm not trained to use it I'd worry about ruining the coat or doing more harm than good. I'll ask the groomer when she goes this week. Thanks for the advice.

People are always a fair distance from Suffolk No training needed to use a Coat King, brush in direction of hair growth like a brush, stop when no more fluffy undercoat comes out or you get bored!