GROOMING THE ALLERGIC BICHON

Here's my buddy, Cosmo. He is cursed with itchiness due to allergies. You can see by all the discoloration how much licking and chewing of himself has occurred. And this is a moment when the problem was pretty much controlled. It can be worse!

Bichons are not the only breed to be cursed with serious allergies, it can happen to many dogs, but there does seem to be an increasing number of Bichons that are suffering. Unfortunately, the problem seems to be genetic and there has been much careless breeding occuring as this happy little dog has become popular.

CHOOSING A PRODUCT
When a pet has a distinct allergy problem that is manifesting on the skin, the first decision is what shampoo to use. Your regular shampoo, an anti-itch, or a hypoallergenic? Although the temptation is to want to help the dog by reducing the itchiness, unless you clearly know what the dog is sensitive to, you might aggravate the allergic reaction by having something in your product to which the dog is allergic. Oftentimes dogs that are in the throes of an allergic epidsode react to more things than they might when at a calmer period. Surprisingly, oatmeal can be an allergen for some dogs. It is for Cosmo. He can't eat it and he can't have it applied topically. His owner discovered this when an oatmeal shampoo bath at home set him off on one of his worst ever episodes.

Your regular shampoo might not be a bad choice if it has a simple formula and little fragrance. Fragrance chemicals are some of the most serious sensitizers, and the most likely to cause an allergic reaction. Other ingredients to which dogs might be allergic are dyes and colorants (as in bluing in whitener products), protein additives, and botanicals and herbal ingredients (even aloe vera can be a sensitizer for some animals). In fact, some of the more "natural" products are more likely to be associated with sensitivity reactions. One excellent salon shampoo that I have used successfully on many sensitive pets is Eqyss Premier Shampoo. It is a little generous with the botanicals, so I would not call it a true "hypoallergenic" product, but it seems less likely to cause a problem than many other products.

Just what is "hypoallergenic"? Although there is no standard industry definition of this term, most so-called hypoallergenic products have been formulated with little or no fragrance or coloring agents, two of the main culprits of sensitivity reactions. They are actually less likely to cause a problem than some of the itch-relief formulas. If a dog's problem is caused by allergies, a hypoallergenic product is your best choice, in my opinion.

Here is a home formula that has been used as a mild shampoo and whitener for years amongst show people and breeders. It is made with Ivory Dish soap, which is one of the most hypoallergenic liquid detergents available. To this is added glycerin to act as a humectant and moisturizer, and white vinegar as an acidifier. The resulting mixture does not feel like a shampoo because it is not thickened. It works amazing well, and in over a decade of using this on sensitive dogs, I have never had a problem. Cosmo is bathed with this every two weeks.

22 oz Ivory Liquid Dish Detergent,
2-4 oz. glycerine (available at drug store),
2-4 oz.  plain white vinegar,
Put in a gallon container and fill with distilled water.

For DIY home use, the recipe can be adjusted: In a 16 oz. dish soap bottle mix,
4 oz Ivory Ultra Dish Soap
1 oz. Glycerin
1 oz. White Vinegar
8 oz. Distilled Water
Mix thoroughly before each use, as the glycerin will settle to the bottom.


Is it professional to use something like this on other people's pets in the grooming salon? We could probably get arguments on both sides of this. And argue for days. It's your choice. I am a pragmatist: if it works, I use it. I'll repeat: in over 10 years of using this formula, I have NEVER had a regret.

Conditioner is another choice, and again you want to avoid heavily fragranced products. With the Bichons, I use a little bit of a fragrance-free conditioner (1/2 ounce), plus 1/4 ounce of a silicone spray-on such as Ice on Ice by Chris Christensen) mixed in 1 gallon of water.  An excellent fragrance-free conditioner can be found at Sally's Beauty Supply.  It's called Cure Care. 

AVOID HEAT
Whenever skin is inflammed, the groomer should avoid hot water or hot air while drying. Bathe in tepid water with a cool rinse, and seek heat-free drying options. I let Cosmo air dry or dry under fans for most of the way, and finish by fluff drying with the arm dryer on the coolest setting. Heat will aggravate inflammation.

My goal as a groomer of an allergic pet is to first find products and a protocol that works to enable me to groom the dog without aggravating the condition. First I try to not make it worse, or the owner will avoid grooming. After I have found a combination that works, I can try other things to see if I can actually improve the skin health. I only change one element at a time, so if it does not work well, I know exactly what happened. Of course if the dog comes in with a prescription product, I use that first.