Health Watch: Knowing What’s In Your Pet’s Shampoo Home Improvement Appliances

November 14th, 2010 by Grace Winston

Health Watch: Knowing What’s In Your Pet’s Shampoo

Health Watch: Knowing what’s in your pet’s shampoo Zoom Photos ARA – one time use with story only. There is a lack of regulation for dog shampoo, and not knowing all the ingredients included in a wash could be harmful for pets. Many manufacturers are misleading the public as to what is in their dog’s shampoo. Even when some claim drug facts, many forgo the costly product registration process and, unfortunately, are too low of a priority to get noticed Some vendors claim their products are “all natural” when they are not, often with impunity. Worse yet is that they might not honestly list the ingredients in the product, which could be harmful for your dog. In fact, a short ingredient list is a red flag that you might not be buying an honest product.”Without a thorough and honest ingredient list, it can be hard to recognize that some pet shampoos are actually products made for humans, just re-labeled,” says Lorenzo Borghese, who founded Royal Treatment pet products out of concern for the skin problems his own dog was experiencing.”Human skin is acidic, while dogs’ is alkaline, and a product intended for human consumption has an improper pH, which can cause the skin to burn or become irritated,” Borghese said. Foaming agents like sodium laureth sulfate, which is often found in human shampoo, strip oils off the skin. Human skin is porous, so it can naturally replenish those oils. But dogs’ non-porous skin can’t replenish oils, leaving them with extremely dry skin. That is part of why veterinarians only recommend washing your dog every four to eight weeks.It can be difficult to take the guess work out of shopping for pets, but the most important thing to demand is information about the exact ingredients in everything, from food to shampoo to supplements. Armed with that knowledge, you can give your pet a healthy, happy life.– ARA New Research: Fatal teen crashes are down The number of 16- and 17-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes has decreased — CDC.gov Did You Know? According to Dr. Edward R. Laskowski from the Mayo Clinic, there is no convincing evidence that ‘toning shoes’ (sold Health Tip: Achieve balance, strengthen core You can strengthen your core with balance exercises, such as standing on one foot for 10 seconds without falling. Try this while washing the dishes or brushing your teeth. For more of a challenge, try a stability ball and weights, or join a yoga class.– Life Fitness Number to Know 48 : According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the risk of Americans dying from heart disease fell Children’s Health: Avoiding the flu virus This time of year has people dodging influenza, which is a virus that infects the nose, throat, windpipe and lungs. People spread the virus Some things to do to avoid the flu:Get the flu vaccine every year.Stay home if you are sick, and avoid people who are sick.Wash hands thoroughly and often. Put a reminder sign Senior Health: New flu vaccine for seniors The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a special form of the flu shot late last year that was designed specifically for people age 65 and older. For the first time, this alternative vaccine, Fluzone High-Dose, is now being offered.Fluzone High-Dose contains four times the amount of dead virus as the regular option because the body’s immune response is much weaker in older people. In studies, the new vaccine produced an 80 percent stronger antibody response than the original vaccine.Although it is more expensive than the original, Medicare Part B covers the new vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not pushed for or against the new vaccine.– AARP.orgGateHouse News Service

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