User:Soupern3rd/sandbox

Coat Mismanagement Disorder (CMD) is a term coined by Groomer Debbie Ward in an online private grooming forum on June 20th, 2019. It refers to a level of mismanagement of an animal’s coat from a minor level scaled up to extreme levels of neglect. It is a disorder that is described as “dead hair becoming entangled and caught in healthy coat to the extent of creating tangles, matts and pelts and has a range of remedies and consequences which include but are not limited to: brushing, shaving or shearing the coat to allow new growth, hidden skin conditions such as bacterial skin infections or pests such as fleas, and chances of irritation and itchiness.”

CMD can affect any double coated or long haired breed of dog/cat and may occur for a variety of reasons which includes, but is not limited to: shedding hair not being removed from the coat with the appropriate tools, long hair left uncombed, friction of the dog moving or a garment being worn (harness, sweater, etc.) and left uncombed, and neglect from not being brushed, combed or bathed properly or as often as the animal’s coat requires.

CMD can be localized (in specific areas of the body) or generalized (covering large areas of the body) and often can combine different stages in different areas depending on the lifestyle of the animal and frequency of grooming.

Range of CMD Levels and Common Appropriate Remedies: * All remedies must be followed by an appointment at the animal’s veterinarian to address any uncovered health issues and treat or prevent any issues caused by CMD.

Tangle: Loose, dead hair that, left in the healthy coat without being brushed out, can tighten and weave into the healthy hair (typically the first stage of CMD)

Undercoat: The soft, loose, dead hair that typically “sheds” easily from double coated animals and does not typically “shed” easily from animals with other types of coat.

Matt: hair that may or may not be easily brushed to a comfortable state depending on the severity and overall tightness of the matt

Clump: hair that cannot be easily brushed to a comfortable state, seen most commonly on double coated animals

Pelt: hardened clumps or matts of hair that can only be removed by shaving underneath the pelt as close to the skin as possible

Risks and Consequences of CMD:

Depending on the stage and area affected risk of pre- and post-treatment skin and underlying tissue irritation increases (hematomas, etc.) as does risk of injury to pet during treatment. Common  and extreme consequences of untreated CMD are:


 * Bacterial skin infections
 * Bruising from hair pulling the skin
 * Hematomas (swelling of blood underneath the skin)
 * Pests (fleas and mites)
 * Preventable diagnosis of underlying issues that cannot be attended to due to a barrier of mismanaged coat
 * Attraction of fly larvae to any open wounds left untreated due to a barrier of mismanaged coat
 * Physical objects entangled within the mismanaged coat
 * Heat stroke at temperatures above the animal’s comfort level
 * Loss of movement of limbs due to severe matting or pelting connecting between limbs
 * Loss of limbs due to matting or pelting of limbs cutting off oxygen and blood supply

Risk of Remedy:

The suggested remedy for CMD is often removal of the coat (localized or generalized). This comes with it’s own set of risks and consequences which include:


 * The ability to diagnose underlying skin or health issues with removal of the coat
 * Self imposed itching or irritation due to itching with the removal of the coat
 * Self imposed wounds or infections due to irritation with the removal of the coat
 * Hematomas or bruising of the skin due to the removal of pelts or tight matting