Bathing your pet is a huge part of being a responsible pet owner. It’s one of those tasks often passed to a professional pet groomer. For some pet owners, pet bath time simply is not their forte. After all, trying to get a 100-pound dog into a tub is not easy for some pet owners; the same could be said for an eight-pound cat who has decided he does not want to take a bath today. A professional pet grooming service can make the process easier and less traumatic for everyone involved, and help you to find the best products for your pets.

For some pets, hypoallergenic shampoos are a necessary part of the grooming process. Hypoallergenic shampoos are often used when a pet has developed an allergy to a component of regular shampoos. For some pet owners, the decision to switch to hypoallergenic shampoos may be a precautionary step for pets who have multiple allergies.

Hypoallergenic shampoos are manufactured without common shampoo ingredients that have shown to cause an allergic reaction for some animals. They have simple ingredients-generally a cleaning solution derived from saponin, a naturally occurring chemical found in the soapwort plant, combined with oils and perhaps special ingredients that may help specific skin conditions, such as itching or flaking. Hypoallergenic shampoos are generally all-natural (although you should read the ingredients list, just in case) and many are organic.

If you are concerned that your pet may need a hypoallergenic shampoo, your pet grooming service may be able to advise you on the best solution for your pet. Skin and fur health is important to your pets’ overall health, and your pet groomer is an important part of your pet’s health care team. Fortunately, they’re trained to help you make decision that allow your pet to avoid harmful allergens and still have beautiful skin and a healthy coat!

Your white dog looked incredible when you first brought her home. That bright white coat, so brilliant it was almost blinding in the sunlight. You may have noticed a bit of discoloration around her eyes or mouth, but otherwise, that coat was beautiful.

Today, it’s looking a little less than stunning. Sure, your beloved pet is clean. She’s bathed regularly and seen by a groomer as often as she needs to. But the coat just isn’t that dazzling shade of white that it was the first time you saw her. How can you bring that dingy coat back to its previous brilliance?

Optical brighteners are specialty shampoos designed to be used on dogs with white colored coats. Optical brighteners actually change the way the eye perceives the color white by absorbing light in the UV spectrum. This changes the shade of white from dingy and yellow to bright and brilliant white.

Choosing the white shampoo depends on the cause of the dinginess in your pet’s coat. Many of these specialty shampoos serve specific purposes, and you’ll need to discuss with your pet grooming service which one is right for you.

You may be concerned about the safeness of optical brighteners. Like any product you use on or for your pet, you want to minimize the chemicals that you expose your pets to. In this case, you’ll want to opt for a shampoo with added enzymes, which give a more natural approach to optical brightening, rather than a product designed to dye or bleach the coat. With enzyme based shampoos, several applications may be needed before you achieve the desired results, but they’re more appropriate for pets who may have allergy issues. Be sure to discuss your questions and desired results with your grooming service, so that you can make sure the groomer is using the product that will give you the best results.