Interview: how to choose dog grooming products

Dog owners are concerned about the what goes into their pet’s body. They want him to eat healthy food and snacks – some even go so far as to make their own dog food and treats. But what about the products that you’re using on the outside of his body. Knowing how to choose dog grooming products can save you money and heartache in the future. Some products are filled with chemicals that have been linked to skin allergies, hair loss and even cancer.

Artificial dyes and colorants are just the start. There are so many harmful ingredients used in pet grooming products now-a-days that it’s just as easy to tell you what you should be looking for rather than what you shouldn’t. We all have good intentions when it comes to grooming our dogs at home, but if you don’t know how to choose dog grooming products, you could end up doing more harm than good.

Even some products that are labeled “natural” aren’t nearly as safe as you’d think. It’s important that you don’t just read the bold print on the front of the bottle, but actually take the time to read the entire list of ingredients. If there is an ingredient that you don’t know, take a few minutes to look it up. A bit of research now could save you hundreds of dollars in vet bills down the road.

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This week I had the pleasure of discussing this topic with Melissa Boland, the Pack Leader at 4-Legger. The company creates certified organic dog grooming products, and Melissa says they also focus on educating pet owners on the dangers of the chemicals in most commercial grooming products.

Interview: How To Choose Dog Grooming Products

So the first thing I needed to know was what exactly is harmful about the majority of the dog grooming products that we find on pet store shelves? Why is it so important that we, as dog owners, learn how to choose dog grooming products and pay more attention to the ingredients in the products that we buy?

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Melissa explained to me that there are two ways that traditional grooming products are more harmful. The root problem stems from the fact that there are no regulations in the pet grooming industry for ingredient purity and standards for marketing. The first, ingredient purity, is where it is easy to get confused.

A manufacturer may start with an ingredient that was derived from a coconut- but, that ingredient was the product of many chemical reactions. The ingredients used to initiate the chemical reaction may have links to cancer or other health issues. When they purchase that ingredient to manufacture their dog shampoo, they don’t test it to make sure it is 1,4­-dioxane free. There is no regulation that requires the testing and it is expensive.

The 1,4­-dioxane is considered a “contaminant” and does not have to be listed as an ingredient.

All the pet parent sees is something like “naturally derived coconut” on the label. There have been no studies that tested dog shampoo for 1,4­-dioxane, so as pet parents we have no idea how many on the market are contaminated. We do know that in 2008, when the Organic Consumers Association tested 100 common brands of human grade products to look for 1,4­-dioxane, it was found in a shocking 46%!

Mind you, there are regulations on human grade products, but not on pet products. So, what do you think that means for the majority of dog grooming products that are available?

The second major reason that traditional dog shampoos are so harmful is simply because of the labeling. Melissa is so passionate about this aspect of the pet grooming industry, and she explained to me that you will often see products marked medicated, tear free, all natural, organic, clinical vet formula, vegan, cruelty free, hypoallergenic, etc…and they absolutely are not.

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“To me, this is worse than the issue of ingredient purity. At least you can learn to recognize ingredients and avoid them. The bottom line is, as a pet parent, you need to learn some basics on identifying safe and non­-toxic grooming products.” – Melissa Boland

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