Pet Search is a mother-daughter run blog. Together we have over 40+ years of professional pet grooming experience and we hope to pass some of that on to our readers throughout our in-depth and non-bias reviews and buyers guides.
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This review guide was updated in February 2019.
It seems like more of us than ever are becoming aware of the health implications associated with the products and technology we use every day.
Whereas previously consumers may have been less likely to question the ingredients in food and grooming products, this is no longer the case.
This of course is a good thing, and not only does it apply to the products we use each and every day but for pet owners it also applies to the way in which we treat our pets and the products we purchase for them as well.
We wouldn’t continue to use a shampoo if we knew that it wasn’t healthy for us to do so or would lead to skin irritation in the future so why would we think of doing the same for our pets?
This shift has led to a growing number of all natural dog products no the market, however just like any type of pet grooming product there is still a fierce amount of competition. This quick article will first look to set out the argument why you should be looking to make the switch to organic products and secondly help you identify ingredients to avoid and alternatives to look out for.
There may be a number of reasons why you’re looking to change the products you use to groom your dog, maybe you’re becoming more conscious of the environment and want to use products best for protecting it or maybe your dog has reacted negatively to an over the counter product in which case it is definitely time to change.
These two reasons are by far the most common motivations for dog owners making the change to organic products and with the quality of all natural dog shampoos as high as traditional medicated alternatives there has never been a better time to make the switch to organic products.
However making the change is not always a straight forward process. Although it would be nice for all products marketed as ‘organic’ to be friendly on the environment and your pets coat, this isn’t always the case.
If you’ve ever tried to read the ingredients on the back of any dog shampoo bottle you will probably know just how difficult it is to work out exactly what has gone in to the product. This is particularly frustrating if as mentioned, your dog has reacted badly to a product and you’re trying to find out exactly what caused the issue or flare up in the first place. It is also made harder by the amount of conflicting information regarding whether or not some natural ingredients are good for pets including aloe vera and rosemary.
To attempt to help you make the switch to organic dog products we have listed some of the biggest ingredients to be wary of below, hopefully informing you a little bit about why these ingredients are best avoided and organic alternatives that are just as good.
Sulphates
Sulphates are used to increase the amount lather given off by shampoos and cleaning products purely to increase the perception of a super grooming product. Sulphates can be replace by natural alternatives such as Cocamidopropyl Betaine which adds foam, however some organic products are even manufactured not to over lather.
Phosphate
Phosphates are a manmade product designed to replace the use of soap in detergents and found in many products promoted as ‘soap free’, phosphates don’t break down in wastewater systems meaning If they find their way in to water ways they can pollute streams and lakes.
Parabens
A group of chemicals found in dog shampoos as a preservative to give products a longer shelf life, parabens can contribute to a number of health issues for your pet. Easily replaced by a natural alternative such as Poly Epsilon-Lysine, found in tomato plants.
The above outlines just three ingredients that are best avoided, as with anything on this topic you can often get lost and overwhelmed when starting research. By only giving you three to look out for initially we hope we have helped you start your search for a pet friendly all natural product for your best friend!