Do We Presume To Much About The Safety Of Animal Care Products?

Most people expect that if a shampoo is sold for our dog,then it is safe for us to use. We would not expect the product to be unsafe for us or our pets. A common shampoo sold primarily on the internet and a by a few veterinarians recently raised some eyebrows about the safety issue. The following is an excerpt from the FDA alert "The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine is alerting pet owners to use caution with the use of an unapproved animal drug product, Douxo Seborrhea Shampoo (0.1% phytosphingosine), distributed by Sogeval Laboratories, Inc. of Coppell, Texas after recently receiving a report of the death of a woman associated with the use of the product on her dog." (Complete FDA alert).

Just because the label looks like just the product we need, does not mean it is safe for our pets or you. Untold expense occurs every year because of over the counter products that fail to solve the problem and cause unexpected reactions to both the pet and the individuals using the products. Just because a popular chain store or pet store sells the product does not mean the product is FDA approved or safe for use.

Tips for your safety

1. Do not use new products until they have withstood the trial of time. If there are older products on the market that will resolve your problem, use those. Let someone else first discover any adverse reactions.

2. Check websites like the FDA for safety concerns on over the counter products you have not used before.

3. Understand what the product is designed to do. "Medicated shampoo", "Veterinary use only", and other such phrases are promotional words used to sell a product, but they do not tell us about the product.

4. Unless instructed by a professional, use the product exactly like the label reads. Do not modify the instructions.

5. Remember many of the topicial products are designed to penetrate the skin barrier including yours.

6. When bathing an animal make sure you have proper ventilation in the bathing area. Kneeling over a tub to shampoo an animal in the bathroom with the exhaust fan on over your head is not proper ventilation.