The RSPCA has shared pictures of “one of the worst cases of matting ever seen” after a dog was left with fur like a “hardened shell”.

Moses, a nine-year-old Shih Tzu, was found in a house near Derby last month, with a coat that was covered in faeces and soaked in urine, RSPCA officer Pamela Bird said.

The charity believes it would have taken “a good couple of years” for Moses to get into such a state, adding his fur was so badly matted, his tail stuck out at a right angle to his body and a cocktail stick was found lodged near his skin.

Once into the RSPCA’s care, it took three vets two hours to shave off all of his fur, which ended up weighing more than half a kilogram.

“The scale of what we were dealing with became apparent once the veterinary team had started work on Moses’ coat; it was caked in urine and faeces and smelt awful,” Ms Bird said.

“We all became more and more shocked by what we were seeing and the realisation at what this poor little dog had endured.

“He was sedated in a way that was sensitive to his age, which is why it took the team a long time to slowly shave off his fur – particularly as there were a few sore patches underneath, but they did an absolutely fantastic job.

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“It’s one of the worst cases of matting I’ve ever seen, but despite this hardened shell of foul-smelling fur which he was carrying around – which must have been incredibly uncomfortable for him – Moses was one of the most lovely natured dogs you could ever meet.”

Moses was signed into the RSPCA’s care last month, and was alerted to him after he was seen roaming the streets alone.

It was discovered he had an elderly owner who was suffering from a serious health problem, and allowed the charity to take him in – something Ms Bird described as “the right thing”.

Animal care manager, Lucy Bell, added: “It’s taken Moses a little while to get used to having so little fur, and his skin was hypersensitive where it had been pinched underneath – even gently touching his back would irritate him at first.

“But now he realises he can finally move around properly without his coat weighing him down, he’s getting happier and happier every day and we all think he’s so handsome.”

“We think he’s going to make someone a wonderful, loving pet.”

The charity is warning about the cost of living crisis, saying it is worried that the strain being placed on people’s finances could mean more animals are handed over into its care over the next few months.

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