Probiotics

from Total Grooming Magazine February 2023

GroomFest South

Agrowing movement of pet professionals and experts, who look closely at the ingredients that are in the everyday products that we use, have found an alternative option to chemicals for grooming salons across the UK and beyond.

Probiotics, which are commonly thought of as something you take after a bout of gastric difficulty, have been found to be as effective as bleach at cleaning surfaces and for bathing pets, are not harmful and are better for the environment too.

The use of cleaning chemicals in the name of health and hygiene has grown exponentially since the Second World War; even more so since the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, the reality is, COVID has caused a noticeable rise in pet health issues linked to cleaning chemicals.

Cleaning products that we consider to be safe and beneficial often contain pet poisons that are dangerous for cats and dogs. They create more problems than they solve – for businesses, pets and the planet.

Your salon’s staff could also be at risk too. A study of vets who were suffering from regular migraines found that the chemicals found in flea treatments and other products were to blame.

These products contain volatile organic compounds. Back in 2008, Jane Houlihan from EWG said “This study demonstrating the chemical body burden of dogs and cats is a wake-up call for stronger safety standards from industrial chemical exposures that will protect all members of our families, including our pets.”

The challenge is, harmful chemicals such as ammonia, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, phthalates and formaldehyde are in most cleaning products. Cleaning sprays, wipes, concentrates, soaps, laundry products, hand wash, disinfectants and air fresheners are often brim full of known toxins.

The same can also be said for the shampoos that we bathe our clients in, as well as the products we use for other aspects of their care with us.

The EWG study found higher levels of cleaning chemical toxins in the blood samples of pets than humans. This is no surprise – their far smaller bodies don’t process toxins as quickly, and their compressed life spans increases their vulnerability. They also live life nearer to the toxin-laden floor and do not have the added protection of clothing.

Worryingly, the only stipulations required by law around shampoos is that they are safe for humans, so there is a huge issue around the products we are using directly on our furry clients too.

The dog’s skin is completely different to that of a human, with a completely different chemical makeup. This means that they are more susceptible to chemicals in this way too.

But, it is not all doom and gloom and there is another way, probiotic cleaning and pet care is a way that groomers can enhance their environmental credentials, protect staff, and ensure the safety of customers too.

Probiotic cleaning sprays, shampoo and other care products are available, and introducing them into your saloon would certainly be a selling point, which would reinforce your credentials as a responsible business.

Groomers are often the first to spot skin conditions and other complaints, given the close up nature of the work, so ensuring that the tools you use to do this do nothing but benefit the pet only enhances your front line role.

Pets need good hygienic conditions to thrive – on their coat and skin as well as in their living environment. So, microbiome-friendly topical probiotics such as the Provilan range from Ingenious Probiotics have been developed with a focus on health, and the environment.

Topical probiotics for pets reduce external threats including skin allergies and bacterial infections. They optimise hygiene and remove organic matter that causes unpleasant odours. And they do not contain harmful chemicals, toxins or pollutants.

Bacteria are everywhere, but they are not all bad; in fact, many are essential for good health.

But, an imbalance can allow the ‘bad’ bacteria to take over, causing infections, unpleasant odours and uncomfortable skin conditions for your pet. In contrast, helpful probiotic bacteria safely colonise surfaces and outcompete ‘bad’ bacteria that cause disease. They continue to work for up to three days after application and improve your pet’s symptoms by naturally and safely balancing their microbial environment.

Anna Webb – Nutrition and Behaviour expert has studied at the College of Integrated Veterinary Therapies (CIVT). Anna is host of the award-nominated podcast A Dog’s Life, and a regular BBC contributor.

She said: “In my study with the CIVT, I had a baptism of fire learning that any indoor environment can be up to up to

100 times more toxic to dogs (and other animals) than being outdoors!

“This is in part due to a dog’s olfactory system which is estimated at over a million times more sensitive than ours. A dog can distinguish the odour of a teaspoon of sugar diluted by three Olympic sized swimming pools.

“Couple this skill with a dogs’ propensity to ‘see’ the world through their ‘nose and mouth sniffing /licking floors, surfaces, bowls and bedding, and their own fur! In this natural behaviour process they’re inadvertently absorbing nanoparticles, including Volatile Organic Compounds from cleaning product’s residues, but directly into their lungs.

These VOC’s are known as ‘endocrine disrupters’ as studies concur that they can cause biological changes at a cellular level, not least impairing a dog’s hormone production that’s associated with diseases like hypothyroidism and cancers. I advise to use the ‘precautionary principle’- when the effects of a chemical are unknown, minimise any exposure to maximise the health of dogs in your care.

“This is why I am loving the Provilan range from Ingenious Probiotics, quite literally using ‘probiotic therapy’ to optimise good bacteria for a naturally healthy balance of bacteria, rather than aiming for a sterile and unnaturally toxic indoor environment. This principle can be used with oral hygiene by promoting dental health using probiotic therapy for a healthy bacterial spectrum in the mouth, rather than a sterile one.

“Behaviourally dogs compute certain smells with memory. A classic example is visiting a very ‘clean’ grooming salon, their experience will be correlated to the aroma that’s memorised.

“Arguably using toxic free, natural cleaning and grooming products will enhance an emotional experience too. The range from Ingenious is simply refreshing, pioneering probiotics for the environment, the skin, coat, ears, eyes and dental care too!”

To find out more about probiotics, and the range of products that are available for grooming salons, go to www.ingenious-probiotics.com