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Grooming
Products: Can They Be Causing Fido's Itch?
by Sevi Kay
There are so many controversies on whether some
ingredients in pet products are the main reason why
our dogs seem to be developing so many strange illnesses,
rashes and allergies. Before I go on, I just want
to point out that there are two sides to every coin
and that we must look at both sides. With that said,
here is a general look at the most common pet grooming
practices and products.
Most mass-manufactured pet grooming supplies contain
certain amounts of artificial colors, preservatives,
and synthetic materials in order to assure long shelf
life, make them more attractive to use ( such as smelling
nice and lathering well) and more profitable. Also,
most of these grooming supplies use fairly common
industry terms such as "all-natural", "organic", "pure",
"hypoallergenic", "aromatherapy" "aromatherapy
derived" or "holistic" which, of course, make
things even more difficult for pet lovers.
Since
the definition of "all-natural" seems to mean anything
from petroleum to poison ivy, the controversy widens.
The questions then become:
- What
is all-natural?
-
Is natural always good?
- Is
natural really natural?
I
have noticed that some companies use the term "all-natural"
because they have chosen not to use synthetic ingredients
and use organic or nearly non-synthetically derived
materials. So the term all-natural differentiates
their products from the products that contain too
many synthetic or not so pure ingredients.
There
are also companies that use "all-natural" or "organic"
ingredients among many synthetic ones and call the
product "all-natural" or "organic". This is where
reading product labels carefully is important.
In my opinion, if a product is made without artificial
colors, synthetic perfumes, synthetic preservatives,
petroleum by products and contain organically grown
herbs, extracts, hydrosols or essential oils, it is
as all-natural as it can be.
If you are the owner of a sensitive or allergy prone
dog, you may want to do a bit of digging yourself
and see if you can learn about some of these potentially
irritating ingredients. I am going to mention only
a few here.
-
SLS:
Tests show that SLS
can penetrate into the eyes as well as systemic
tissues (brain, heart, liver, etc.) and show long-term
retention in those tissues. When SLS is combined
with other ingredients such as Diethanolamine (DEA),
Monethanolamine (MEA), or Triethanolamine (TEA)
nitrosamine (nitrates) is formed. Nitrosamine (N-Nitrosodiethanolamine)
is a known carcinogen. SLS
is also a skin irritant and has been found to
cause eye irritation, skin rashes, hair loss, scalp
scurf similar to dandruff, and allergic reactions.
-
Mineral
Oil: Mineral oil coats the skin and disables
its ability to breathe. Skin is the largest body
organ that needs to release toxins freely, but mineral
oil stops this process. Since the toxins cannot
be released, problems such as severe acne or premature
aging of the skin may occur.
-
DEA
and MEA: These hormone-disrupting chemicals,
also known as Cocamide DEA or MEA, and Lauramide
DEA, are known to form cancer-causing nitrates and
nitrosamines. They are used as foam boosters, stabilizers
and viscosity builders/modifiers for shampoos, hand
soaps and bath products.
**As
reported on CBS Morning News, the "National Toxicology
Program (NTP) recently found that repeated skin application
to mouse skin of diethanolamine (DEA), or its fatty
acid derivative cocamide-DEA, induced liver and kidney
cancer."
-
Talc:
According to Dr. Samuel Epstein, of the Cancer Prevention
Coalition, "A wide range of scientific studies over
the last three decades have clearly linked regular
talc use by women and ovarian cancer."
Most manufacturers of pet grooming supplies claim
these ingredients are okay to use since the United
States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves
them as safe enough to use at certain levels.
Then
how do we explain all the constant itching, rashes,
reoccurring dermatitis and ear infections that our
dogs battle? The problem may be somewhere else, but
it’s up to us to find out why our dogs are feeling
the way they are because they depend on us.
I
personally try to stay away from natural or unnatural
ingredients that can and have caused skin problems
in my dogs. I still prefer mild, organic herbal grooming
products and believe that strong detergents in shampoos
can cause an imbalance in the skin. They can create
extensive dryness, dermatitis, and irritate and produce
rashes. The synthetic perfumes in doggie colognes
may cause inhalant and skin allergies, just like in
people. In my opinion, using ointments with mineral
oil, a petroleum byproduct, just may not be the mildest
solution to a flaring hot spot.
A
solution is to try more than one product and read
labels even if it seems absurd at first. After all,
as a consumer you have the right to know what you
are paying for.
Ask
questions, listen to what the manufacturer says, do
some Internet research and compare your findings.
Be wary of "we will educate you" slogans. You are
savvy and intelligent, can educate yourself and make
your own choices. I promise that with a little effort,
you will soon learn to recognize what's available
and will not buy into some hype.
And
remember, keep flipping that coin until YOU feel comfortable
and then make your own decision.
Sevi
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