Strangest thing I've found in a mat yet (and prob most dangerous)

[SLewis]

I do a LLLLOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTT of shave downs. I get 5 or 6 that are extremely matted from head to toe each week. I feel like my shop tends to be a magnet for the most matted dogs in town. I find all kinds of interesting things in the mats from toenail clippings (eww) to jewelery (earings- ouch!) but this one takes the cake.

I would not consider this dog to be extremely matted- He left with a short top knot and #7 a/o. Nothing too amazing. I did a wet shave on him and while my bather was getting all the dirt and grime out of his coat he found this:

A fish hook.

It wasnt sticking in the dog, although I'm sure he must have been poked by it a handful of times since it was embedded in his coat. And while no fishhook is a good thing to find unexpectedly with your bare hands a disgusting rusted fish hook is exceptionally disturbing.

**Shudder**

[sittingpretty]

I know there have been other odd things hiding the matts, but the one I always remember is also a fish hook! It was in a spitz that lived at a boat yard. He was always dirty and grimey, but sweet. Fortunately the hook was "hooked" in a matt and came off when he was clipped. No damage to him or me! This was many yrs. ago.


sittingpretty

[Jenneversage64]

Oh Dear

Are you up on your tentinus shots? Tho' I was I had to get another when I had my recent dog bite. I'd get one if I were you just in case. That could be very bad for you!

[lefty]

When I was a young groomer, and did most things trhat walked in the door, I remember breaking a blade on a fish hook in a matted dog.

[Poodleluv]

I found a fish hook in a pelt too. I have pictures of the pelt and hook on my e-groomer page. Isn't it amazing how pet owners could not notice that their pet is not only severly matted but has been going around for months or years with a fish hook in there! My client said it was his son's dog,and blamed the kid who was at least 7 or 8 years old!

[Debbiedogs]

Yuppers, good ol fish hook

Years ago I found one in a matted Old English Sheepdog. I'm sure it got poked many times despite the matting.

I have also found a straight pin in matting.

[windfall4]

I think I can top that...

I work in a somewhat rural area, about 20 min outside of Austin, TX. There are lots of people who have ranches or a big lot for their house. Anyway, we get a lot of the OAY shave down ranch dogs that come in every spring. This one time we were clipping down a Great Pyr (before bath) and we were about half way through...then all of a sudden a SNAKE came crawling out of a mat as we shaved it off. Scared the hell out of me and my co-worker.

It was just a garden snake luckily, so no harm done. I am cautious though when I shave down ranch dogs now.

Gotta admit, that is pretty FREAKY!

[Beanermom]

Yup, it's scary, isn't it? I was shaving a pyrenese mix a few years ago and found a 3 prong sea fishing hook tucked in between all his extra dew claws! That pup was lucky not to be skewered!

[Doubledogdare]

Found a half-eaten "fun size" candy bar wadded up in a sheltie's britches one time...

[Pixie]

...then all of a sudden a SNAKE came crawling out of a mat as we shaved it off.

If that had happened to me I most likely wouldn't be here......died from heart failure!!

[Reddobe1]

I've come across two fish hooks... aslo a screen for a screen door tucked up under a collie tail.

[Poodleluv]

I work in a somewhat rural area, about 20 min outside of Austin, TX. There are lots of people who have ranches or a big lot for their house. Anyway, we get a lot of the OAY shave down ranch dogs that come in every spring. This one time we were clipping down a Great Pyr (before bath) and we were about half way through...then all of a sudden a SNAKE came crawling out of a mat as we shaved it off. Scared the hell out of me and my co-worker.

It was just a garden snake luckily, so no harm done. I am cautious though when I shave down ranch dogs now.

Gotta admit, that is pretty FREAKY!

This is gotta be the #1 weird thing in a pelted coat of all time, I can imigane the shock when the snake popped his head out! I'm not scared of snakes normally.but that is the last thing you are expecting to see when grooming! What if it was a rattler? You could have ended up on that tv show 100 strangest ways to die!

[windywaycavaliers]

Aww- that poor kid. Its a good thing you found it and not only got it off of him, but also didn't get yourself hurt. Bless you for all the matted dogs you free of their hairy bonds each week!

[SLewis]

hehehe

This one time we were clipping down a Great Pyr (before bath) and we were about half way through...then all of a sudden a SNAKE came crawling out of a mat as we shaved it off. Scared the hell out of me and my co-worker.

Ok- that takes the cake! lol. I love snakes, but I'd probably scream if I saw something come crawling out of a mat. I bet they could make a great B-grade horror flick from that senario... lol.

[PrincessPoodle]

The snake takes the cake. It makes me cringe just thinking about it. I once found a huge dead spider on a poodle once when I was doing a clean face. Unfortunately it had bitten the dog some time ago because under all that matting was a huge nasty circular hole. I've only really seen that with bad spider bites that go untreated.