My mini schnauzer has been poorly for a couple of days and I haven't been able to groom him. I now know what a matted beard is. I had a short grooming session with him today and managed to remove some. Any tips on how I can loosen them. Is it better to try and do it wet or dry. Will a de-tangler work. As a last resort I will have to cut them out but maybe I am going about it the wrong way.

hi,
my mini doesnt really get a matted beard but if he gets a few knots(usually food related) i wet it and add a tiny bit of leave in conditioner(human).comb through with a metal tooth comb and they should come out.it would be a terrible shame to cut the beard :(
hope he is feeling better now
mel:)

I wash the beard as the matting can be caused by congealed food, and make sure I clean these bits thoroughly. Then spray on a bit of conditioner and try and separate the mat as much as you can. Use the sharp edge of a blade of scissors to pull it through the matt, but obviously be very careful. Snip out the last little bit that just won't detangle, as the matt will just be pulled out otherwise, and it causes less distress by careful snipping. It shouldn't leave too much of a gap in the beard. Prevention is always better than a cure, remember to keep wiping the beard after feeding. My mini rarely gets matts in his beard. They normally accumulate on the legs or underneath, especially under the front legs (armpits), if i've been a bit lax with the grooming.

Thanks, great tips here, my breeder also sugested that if I have to cut into it I should cut into it horizontally thus avoiding taking large amounts of the beard away. The matting is not caused by food. My dog has just been under anaesthetic and has been sleeping alot after an operation. He's never had a matt in his beard until this weekend.

Have you tried using thinning scissors? They work wonderfully and without cutting out a chunk of hair. All the Dog Grooming companies stock them. Or you could even get a reasonable pair from Boots chemist, to do the trick. I agree using neat conditioner works well but I wouldn't bath or wash whilst the matt is still in there as it will only make matt even tighter. try always to get them out before you shampoo.
Good Luck

I have cut into the beard and removed the matts without removing too much hair. The thinning scissors sound like a great idea - next time (hopefully there isn't a next time) I will use them. Thanks.