When an 11-year-old Shih Tzu was brought into the Kansas City (KC) Pet Project in Kansas City, MO the stray was in a horrible condition.
The dog’s long hair was matted so severely that he looked like he was covered in massive dreadlocks.
The poor dog would walk so slowly as if he was in pain and burdened by the weight of all that heavy matted hair.
“He’s one of the worst matted cases we’ve ever seen,” the staff at KC Pet Project wrote on YouTube. “We can only guess how long it took to get in this condition.”
One thing they did know was that they were going to make sure that the stray, who they named Simon, wouldn’t suffer anymore.
Matted dog hair can be very dangerous to dogs in extreme situations.
Once a dog’s hair is matted, it can be very painful when you try to brush the mats out.
The matting comes to a point where it can no longer be brushed out and needs to be cut off.
“Matting can cut off blood supply to extremities and deny regular air circulation. Skin denied fresh air and stimulation from regular brushing becomes quite unhealthy. It can turn dark pink to red and open sores are apt to form, emitting foul odors,” Dog Day Afternoon Spa explains. “Even organic matter, like weeds and stickers, can become embedded in the skin. Matts have been known to contain stool of the pet and even fly larvae that further irritate the skin. Remember, sometimes these mats and their consequences can be completely hidden from view.”
It took KC Pet Project’s veterinary team about two hours to shave all the matted pieces of Simon’s hair off.
They ended up shaving off about 7 pounds of heavy matting from his body.
Thankfully, Simon didn’t have any wounds from the matting despite how severe his condition was.
“We never know the condition that they’ll be in once they are shaved, and surprisingly, his skin is in fairly good shape,” KC Pet Project explains.
Simon was completely unrecognizable and looked like a brand new dog after they were done with him.
Shaving his mats off was the first part of Simon’s recovery.
Next, he needed to be treated for fleas since he was covered in them.
He also needs some dental surgery.
But Simon is in good hands, he is expected to recover fully and have a brand new life.
“He’s now receiving great medical care from our team and will start the healing process,” KC Pet Project said.
“We are always so thankful for our team at KC Pet Project who put in hard work every day to create better lives for pets like him.”
KC Pet Project is dedicated to creating a no-kill community in the Kansas City Metro area for homeless dogs.
They maintain a shelter for lost and homeless pets and care/rehabilitate them until they are ready to be adopted into a suitable home.
Watch Simon’s incredible transformation in the video below! We can’t imagine how much better he must feel!
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