How to Groom the Underbelly of Dogs

Shave your dog’s underbelly to prevent mats from recurring.
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Dogs, especially those with long hair, require frequent if not daily grooming. You must pay special attention to grooming your dog’s underbelly as lack of grooming combined with shedding fur can result in a matted coat. If left unattended, the mats can lead to skin lesions on the sensitive stomach area, and also serve as a breeding ground for parasites such as fleas and ticks. Use the correct technique to groom the hair on your dog’s belly to give it a neat look and ensure its well being.

Apply a little coat conditioning oil or detangler spray on the underbelly hair prior to combing. The coat conditioning oil will soften the hairs and make combing easy, since brushing through a dry coat can cause the brittle hairs to break.

Comb the underbelly hair with a pin brush. Brush the hair out in layers, starting from the ends of the hair to the roots and moving in an upward and outward direction from the base near the skin.

Loosen any knotted hairs or mats that you come across by brushing them out. Gently comb through the knots or mats several times to remove them. You can also run your fingers through the hairs to loosen the knots. Do not attempt to comb out the entire mat at once, as it can be painful to your dog.

Cut out mats that are difficult to untangle or remove with combing. Use blunt-edged scissors to carefully scissor out the mats, taking care not to bruise your dog’s skin.

Warnings

  • Bathe your dog only after you have removed knots and matter hair from its underbelly and the rest of its coat. Water causes mats to further tighten and set firmly in the coat.

Warnings

  • Bathe your dog only after you have removed knots and matter hair from its underbelly and the rest of its coat. Water causes mats to further tighten and set firmly in the coat.

Items You Will Need

  • Pin brush
  • Coat conditioning oil or detangler spray
  • Blunt-edged scissors