Paw Spa: Isle of Dogs CocoClean

Isle of Dogs has a new line of grooming products made with coconut oil, appropriately titled CocoClean. These super high-quality shampoos, conditioners, and sprays are priced for everyday affordability. They come in several different scents and varieties, including a tearless shampoo and a deshedding shampoo.

 Isle of Dogs

Zip has been itchy lately, so I was delighted when Isle of Dogs offered to let me try out their new product line. They sent me a bottle of CocoClean Sensitive Shampoo and matching brush spray. These have their signature jasmine vanilla fragrance, which is amazing.

I will admit that their fragrances are part of the reason I love Isle of Dogs so much. My favorite part is when my dog gets wet two weeks after a bath and starts smelling like conditioner again.

CocoClean

I thoroughly enjoy mocking the coconut oil fad and how it's supposed to fix all manner of ailments and diseases and everything wrong with the world, happily Isle of Dogs is riding that wave while sticking strictly to the facts. One of the truly effective uses for coconut oil is as a topical moisturizer, and that is precisely how they promote it in CocoClean. It helps sooth and protect itchy skin.

Does it Work?

It's not all hype, either. I've been using CocoClean to soothe Zip's itchy skin while we figure out exactly what's bothering her. I am forever a skeptic, but she really does significantly less scratching after a bath with this stuff. It's far more effective than any oatmeal shampoo I've tried, or anything other than Brisbane's Madra Mor mud bath. I'm honestly rather surprised that Isle of Dogs is pricing it so low. CocoClean is also very easy to lather, rinsing easily and cleanly, and leaves my hands nice and soft too! This is now Zip's regular shampoo.

Paw Spa: Lucy Pet Products Surfin' Jack Shampoo and Conditioner

Lucy Pet Products gave me a wonderful sample bundle of grooming products at SuperZoo, including this matching set of Surfin' Jack Coconut Shampoo and Leave-in Conditioner. These products don't just smell like coconut, they're actually made from coconut oil and coconut water.

Lucy Pet Products

Ok, it's hard not to love this company. All of their profits go to the Lucy Pet Foundation, an organization devoted to reducing pet overpopulation. They have mobile spay/neuter clinics that drive to various areas to offer free services to people who may not have the means or ability to take their pets to the vet. They are also super local to me! Currently the foundation offers services to residents of Los Angeles. Anyone over the age of 62, or with any sort of paperwork showing that they receive benefits due to low income. They also do some really fun outreach stuff with their wave machine on a truck, and have some awesome publicity. 

Even better, their products are made in a facility in California, using solar power. The grooming products come in metal bottles that are completely recyclable. They're environmentally friendly, people friendly, and pet friendly. They're not making awesome stuff like Cats Incredible litter to make someone rich, they're doing it to help fund this awesome program.

Does It Work?

Surfin' Jack Coconut Shampoo is very mind and easy to lather and rinse. I used it on Ru, which he hated because baths make him cold and miserable. It did make him very soft and clean, and the leave-in conditioner also helped keep him smelling nice. I'm really not a big coconut fan, but I love the way the Surfin' Jack coconut scent works. Ru doesn't walk around exuding coconut smell, but I can smell it just a little bit when I'm snuggling him. Just the right amount of fragrance.

Final Verdict

My Surfin' Jack bath goodies were free samples, but I was already planning to try out Lucy Pet Products grooming supplies. I like their packaging, and I LOVE their company! Happily, this shampoo lived up to my expectations. It's not anything super special, but if I'm going to buy dog shampoo, I might as well support a great cause at the same time.

Paw Spa: EarthBath Oatmeal and Aloe Conditioner

I've raved about Earthbath's awesome-smelling shampoos before, and now it's time to rave about their Oatmeal & Aloe Conditioner as well. Not that every Earthbath grooming product is scented, they actually make a fragrance-free version of this conditioner and also the matching shampoo. Not everyone can handle even nature-scented bath products, and that's ok.

Earthbath

Despite a somewhat excessive use of the naturalistic fallacy ("natural"=good), I like the Earthbath company because their products work well and smell fantastic. Like most grooming product companies, Earthbath makes a dozen different kinds of shampoo, and three conditioners. I like making scents match between products, and there is a shampoo that matches this conditioner. However, if I want a conditioner that matches the amazing orange shampoo, I'm out of luck.

Does It Work?

This conditioner works like I expect conditioner to work, it leaves the hair soft and brushable. It also has a very nice vanilla almond scent. There are a few reports of Earthbath products causing allergic skin reactions, but those seem to be few and far between. Brisbane has no problem with the Earthbath products despite his many allergies. 

Final Verdict

I like this conditioner a lot. It smells nice, and it's not a giant pain in the butt to rinse out.

Paw Spa: Espree Ear Care

Espree's Ear Care is currently my favorite thing for keeping Brisbane's gunky ears fresh and clean. Sometimes I see people complaining about a dog's dirty ears, blaming the problem on a lack of maintenance. Obviously the dog has yucky ears because the owner doesn't clean them, right? Actually, dog ears are supposed to be self-cleaning. If they're not, that's a good sign that something isn't quite right. Brisbane has had ear infections, yeasty ears, and perpetually gunky ears for years thanks to his multitude of allergies. I know the underlying cause and he gets medical care for his issues, but this is a nice way to help keep the gunk under control.

Espree

This compay has been around since 1989, they originally made products for professional groomers. In the last decade they have expanded their offerings for pet owners as well. They focus on "natural" pet products, but I really just like the way their ear cleaner smells.

Does It Work?

Let's be clear here, no over-the-counter product is going to cure your dog's ear infection or solve his underlying issue. That said, peppermint-scented Espree Ear Care is a nice way to manage the gunk without irritating the delicate ear tissue. Made with tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, and salacylic acid, it dries quickly and doesn't feel like I'm dumping rubbing alcohol into my dogs' ears.

The Verdict

I've used a few different ear cleaning products both professionally and as a pet owner, and this is my current pick for regular ear care for my allergy dog. However, it does need to be used wisely. This product contains tea tree oil and is definitely not for use in cats. It's also not a great thing to be putting on a perforated ear drum, so it really ought to be used with vet clearance once you've figured out what the actual problem is. 

Paw Spa: EarthBath Orange Peel Oil Shampoo

EarthBath makes the most amazing smelling dog washing stuff out there, and their Orange Peel Oil Dog Shampoo might be the best one. No fake perfumey scent here, this stuff actually smells like actual oranges. Win.

Orange Peel Oil?

Apparently a major component of citrus smell come from a hydrocarbon called Limonene. Orange peels contain a lot of it. Limonene smells nice, dissolves oils, and deters bugs. This means it is especially good at banishing that doggy odor.

It's worth noting that this shampoo is for dogs only, not for cats. EarthBath says some cats may be allergic to it. Since it doesn't stick around on your dog though, they should be ok for post-bath kitty snuggles or wrestling or whatever.

Does It Work?

Brisbane tends to get kind of funky when he goes longer than a week without a bath. EarthBath Orange Peel Oil shampoo got rid of that and smelled awesome the whole time. The best part is that the smell didn't linger. This shampoo won't leave your dog smelling like a bucket of oranges for a week, it only smells like that until you rinse it off. Then your dog just smells...clean. 

Final Verdict

If I ever run out of people shampoo I would totally use this in a pinch.

Paw Spa: Isle of Dogs Everyday Elements Collection

When I ran out of evening primrose-scented signature Isle of Dogs shampoo and conditioner, I decided to give their less fancy stuff a try. The Everyday Elements stuff comes in bigger bottles, costs significantly less, and I love the jasmine and vanilla fragrance.

Isle of Dogs

I obviously like this company a lot. Their Coature collection of products is just so fancy! They're also pretty pricey, so I thought I'd give their bottom of the line value shampoo an conditioner a try. As much as I'd like to have the matching silky coat spray, I can't justify buying it when I've got most of a bottle of evening primrose spray left. (Actually I can't justify buying any more dog beauty products for a while as everyone has given me dog shampoo lately and now my bathroom looks ridiculous.)

Does It Work?

This stuff smells amazing. It got Brisbane and Sisci both very clean, and also left their coats smooth and soft. Everyone who touches Brisbane exclaims at how soft he is. The effect lasted more than two weeks before he started getting slightly greasy and ready for another bath. The products are both very thick and potent, I could easily dilute them quite a bit for easier and more economical bathing. Isle of Dogs suggests up to a 10 to 1 dilution.

 As Brisbane is prone to skin issues and does best with frequent baths, I am pleased that Isle of Dogs states that their products can be used every day. There have been times when Brisbane needed to be washed every other day, and aside from human baby shampoo it's nice to know there's something specifically formulated for this.

Final Verdict

I like it. Also, I will probably never need to buy dog shampoo again.

Paw Spa: Happy Tails Spa Eye Pads

These Eye Pads from Happy Tails Spa are just what I need to keep Brisbane's tear stains under control. They are premoistened, and come in a little plastic jar just like my acne pads did when I was thirteen. Tear-free solution means I don't have to worry about getting too close to Brisbane's eyes, and the lavender smell is lovely.

Briz is not a fan.

Happy Tails Spa

This company bases their business on all-natural grooming products. We sell them at work, and I am in love with their Fur Butter conditioner. While I'm not one to fall for the appeal to nature fallacy, they do make some very nice-smelling and effective products.

How Do They Work?

The Eye Pads are soaked in a witch hazel solution that includes colloidal silver and various other plant-based substances that make it tear-free and easy to wet down fur with. The pads are round and kind of nubbly, exactly like the Oxy snd Noxema pads I used to use. Are those still around? The pad texture and solution make it very easy to get the dog's face fur very wet, and allow for some gentle scrubbing unlike smooth wipes. The pads are also infused with colloidal silver, which is supposed to inhibit microbial growth and help gradually clean chronic tearstains by preventing new hair from getting stained. .

Do They Actually Work?

I'm not dealing with chronic tearstains caused by allergies, deformities, or just plain bad breeding. What I am dealing with is a weepy eye caused by Brisbane's tumor, which is better or worse depending on the day. I know that constant wetness can create a perfect breeding ground for yeast and bacteria, so I'd like to keep his face as clean as possible.

I had long thought that products like this were a waste of money, and I could get the same effect with a washcloth and plain old water. These things are all about the convenience factor, right? I underestimated the convenience factor, these things are amazing. They mean the difference between daily routine face wiping and procrastination. So, so very convenient. I originally wasn't using them that often, and I expected the jar to dry out pretty quickly. Happily, they seem as great as they were the day they were opened. I also assumed they would run out almost immediately, but there's 50 in the jar so that's almost two months of eye wiping once a day.

So I don't really care if they're working because of antimicrobial silver and herbs, or because they're just kinda wet and scrubby. Happy Tails Eye Pads are amazing.

Paw Spa: Zymox Enzymatic Rinse

Zymox, owned by Pet King Brands, markets enzyme-based health products for veterinarians to sell to their clients. Their offerings include ear cleaners, oral care products, and various skin treatments. Our vet recommends Zymox Enzymatic Rinse when Brisbane has major skin issues. The rinse can be used along with a number of different shampoos, and can be rinsed or left on.

How Does It Work?

The whole point of the Zymox products is that they use a proprietary LP3 enzyme system against microbial organisms. The company's FAQ page cites several peer-reviewed articles published in the International Journal of Applied Research in Veterinary Medicine. 

I was extremely impressed with this until I read the entire citation and realized that every single paper was about an in vitro study. This *basically means they proved that their enzymes kill bacteria and other nasties in a petrie dish. Since these are topical products, in vitro studies are very promising. However, I would like to see some controlled double-blind studies demonstrating actual clinical efficacy because I am a science geek.

It Totally Smells Like Coconuts

We've been through several bottles of this stuff, and I love the way it smells. I hate the way coconut tastes, but the scent is lovely when I'm smearing it on my dog.  Zymox Enzymatic Rinse can be used diluted or full-strength, and can be rinsed off or left on without causing problems. When Brisbane is just a bit itchy, I dilute it and rinse it off a bit but not very thoroughly. After the dramatic shavedown, I slathered on the full-strength product, put on his bathrobe, and sent him off to spread the coconut-scented love. It left him feeling slightly dirty for a bit, but once dry his coat felt normal.

Zymox stuff is apparently effective against fungus as well as bacteria, and along with a medicated shampoo helped Brisbane beat his massive bacterial and fungal infection. My vet is a skeptic and sticks to science-based medicine, so I trust her recommendation as more than an attempt to sell a product. It seems to have worked for us, though I'm not sure how much of that to attribute to the Zymox Conditioning Rinse and how much to the medicated shampoo we used.

Happy New Year!

Tonight I'll be snuggling with Brisbane, Sisci, Ru, and also Ranger and Annie who have come to escape their neighbor's scary fireworks. In 2016 I'm hoping for fewer skin issue for Brisbane now that we've begun allergy shots and identified more food sensitivities. I'm not sure what else the year will bring, as we had a followup on Brisbane's face bump today. Two weeks of abscess-targeting antibiotics did nothing at all, so today our vet took three different needle biopsies and sent them to the cytology lab. I'm hoping to get results on Monday, and we'll decide what to do from there.

Paw Spa: PetzLife Oral Care Gel

PetzLife Oral Care Gel is a product designed to break down tartar without the need for brushing. It is made from grapefruit seed extract, grape seed extract, peppermint oil, neem oil, and thyme oil. The product is peppermint-flavored and intended to be applied twice a day to break down nasty tooth crud.

Doggy Dental Care

My dogs have pretty clean teeth, mostly thanks to raw bones. Ru did need a veterinary dental earlier this year because of his super-crooked tiny incisors, but despite being rotten the teeth were still quite clean. Brisbane's look amazing for a ten year old dog, and Sisci's haven't had the chance to develop any tartar yet.

I brush Ru's teeth every night with a Sonicare electric toothbrush because chihuahuas have notoriously bad teeth. Also because he is tiny and easy to hold down. The cattledogs are pretty leery of the noisy toothbrush, but I still rub some enzymatic toothpaste on their teeth every day or so. They also happily chew raw bones of all sorts, which does wonders for their teeth.

So Why PetzLife? 

I bought this bottle of PetzLife ORal Care Gel on the recommendation of several of my internet friends. Several of them had tried it and reported that they could brush or scrape the discoloration off their dogs' teeth with their fingernails within a few weeks of using PetzLife. The product website has lots of before and after pictures of fairly yucky-looking dog mouths that do look improved, sometimes after only two weeks.

My thought is that I don't really have anything to lose here. If the product doesn't work at all, nothing will happen. It says it can be used by humans and I haven't found any online reviews about sick pets. If it does work, my dogs will have yet another thing to help keep their mouths healthy.

Does It Work?

Though I've had the bottle for a few months now, I haven't used it consistently because my dogs hate it. I think it's the taste, the stuff is super minty and has a bit of alcohol in the base so I'm sure it tastes vile. If the cattledogs see me pick up the bottle they hide, so I have to sneak up on them. I keep it by the door so I can use it on them right before when leave the house, after I've put on their leashes so they can no longer escape.

My dogs all have pretty darned clean teeth, but the cats are another story. James and Solstice, my seven-year-old littermate cats, have lovely white fangs. I thought this meant they had clean teeth until this evening when it occurred to me to pry their whiskery faces open and look at their molars. They both have pretty big hunks of tartar on their back teeth, and their gums are a bit red. I smeared some PetzLife gel on their teeth, which they both hated. 

Fortunately my cats are unbelievably stupid, so they are unlikely to catch on and should be easy to test the PetzLife gel on. I just started this evening, and I will report back if and when I notice any changes. 

Paw Spa: Earthbath Puppy Shampoo

I picked this bottle of Earthbath Puppy Shampoo up at a local store because I fell in love with the Wild Cherry scent. This is a super-gentle tearless shampoo that is safe for all animals over the age of six weeks. It's probably ok for younger animals too, but I usually end up washing little babies in either Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo or blue Dawn dishsoap if they have fleas.

Earthbath

The company offers a wide variety of grooming products, from shampoos of all sorts, to grooming wipes for every part of your pet, to waterless shampoos and scented spritzes. Some of the products have matching scents, including a Wild Cherry puppy spritz.

How Does It Work?

This is one of the thickest shampoos I've encountered. It's seriously like a very thick gel, and takes forever to squeeze out the little spout. This makes it difficult to spread on the dog's coat evenly, so I usually end up with one super soapy spot. It dilutes very nicely though, I squeeze a little onto an empty bottle and then fill it up with warm water. After a good shake I've got a nice bottle of easy-to-spread diluted shampoo.

Final Verdict?

Earthbath Puppy Shampoo is one of the easiest to rinse products I've used. It just doesn't want to stick in the hair, so it's great for sensitive skin and pets that actively resist getting clean. I only use a tiny bit per dog when I dilute it, so this bottle will probably last forever. 

Paw Spa: Pet Head Dirty Talk Shampoo

Pet Head grooming products were created by the same people as the Bed Head products for humans, with the same non-traditional packaging in eye-catching colors and shapes. These are really fun products that go way beyond the basic shampoo and conditioner found in most product lines. With leave-in conditioner, spray detangler, and nail polish, it's sometimes hard to believe this stuff isn't for people. Until you spot the bottle that says "deodorizing shampoo" because, to be honest, I've never seen people shampoo advertised as having that particular quality.

"But tell us how you really feel, Briz!"

Dirty Talk

I was gifted a bottle of Dirty Talk Spearmint Lemongrass Deodorizing Shampoo, which probably means my photographer thinks my dogs are smelly. They're usually pretty odorless as far as I'm concerned, but Brisbane does get a doggy odor if he goes more than a week without a bath. I've been blaming this on his allergies.

So How Does It Work?

I have a really terrible sense of smell (see above disagreement on the stinkiness of my dogs) and I'm used to products with somewhat strong and distinct fragrances. The Pet Head Dirty Talk shampoo didn't smell like much of anything until I actually stuck my nose in the bottle. This means it doesn't try to "remove odors" by covering them up with perfume. 

Final Verdict?

This was a good shampoo. It got both Brisbane and Sisci clean and didn't irritate Brisbane's sensitive skin or leave any lingering fragrance. A few days later they still both feel clean, so there was no residue to collect crud on their coats. Their hair is soft and shiny. I've grown to love dog conditioner, and I would love to follow this up with a Bed Head conditioner. This part of their product lineup is similar to a lot of grooming brands, in that they offer eight different shampoos but only two creme rinse formulas. There are also a couple of detangling sprays, a leave-in conditioner, a deodorizing spray, and a fragrance spray. I definitely need to try more Pet Head products, or at least find them in a store and smell them.

Paw Spa: Isle of Dogs Coature Collection

Isle of Dogs is a company that makes grooming products and dog treats. They're known for making really high-end shampoos and conditioners, and their Coature line is the best of the best. The company recommends bathing dogs weekly with these products, and that is just fine with me. I like clean dogs.

Coat Check

The Isle of Dogs website has a product selection feature they call the Coat Check. This tool asks about the dog's age, lifestyle, coat length, and any skin problems (along with some questionable personal information including your name, address, and phone number). The tool then gives you a set product recommendations specific to your dog. Theoretically it should advise a shampoo, conditioner, and coat spray, but for Sisci it just suggested conditioner, spray, and a food supplement. I guess she doesn't need shampoo?

Our Isle of Dogs bath suite was ordered for Brisbane right before he began having massive skin issues, so these are the ones recommended specifically for him. The Coature line includes eight different shampoos, most for specific coat colors or hair types. Ours is the No. 10 Evening Primrose Oil shampoo, which has a subtle but pleasant fragrance and is supposed to help manage skin issues.

The Coature product line only has three conditioners to choose from. I guess the conditioning needs of various coats aren't that different. They seem to go in order of conditioning power, with the strongest being the No. 52 Nutrient Masque and the lightest being the No. 50 Light Management conditioner. Brisbane's Coat Check results included the Light Management stuff, but I went with the No. 51 Heavy Management conditioner to help keep his glorious long tail tangle-free. 

The last item in our Coature collection is a spray bottle of No. 62 Conditioning Mist. Like the rest of Isle of Dog's products, it's full of evening primrose oil. This is a hydrating spray that's supposed to sooth skin and make hair shiny and beautiful. It certainly makes Sisci's hair downright sparkly, but I think I'd have to use a really crazy amount of it to actually get it down to her skin.

So What's It Like?

Isle of Dog products smell nice but aren't heavily fragranced. The shampoo lathers up nicely, but isn't terribly easy to spread around. I like to dilute it a little bit for convenience. The shampoo and conditioner rinse out easily and the conditioning spray bottle is very high-quality and doesn't feel like it's going to break anytime soon.

It's worth noting that the Coature Collection is pretty expensive compared to other shampoos, and the bottles are pretty small. They do sell larger ones, and those are crazy expensive. I'm not someone who spends a ton on bath and beauty products for myself, they may not give you sticker shock if you're a bath product connoisseur. There are two more affordable product lines, NaturaLuxury and Everyday Elements. There is also a Salon Elements line for professional groomers. For show groomers and very silly people, there is a Vanity Series of styling products for smoothing curls, adding volume, holding hairstyles in place, etc. I am not making this up.

Final Verdict

Isle of Dogs Coature products are little too expensive for me to be using on a weekly basis. I do love having matching shampoo and conditioner, and I love the way conditioner makes their coats feel. I think we will save these for times when I'm planning for them to stay clean a little bit longer, rather than right before a big hike or a trip to the beach.

Paw Spa: Madra Mor Soothing Mud

I wash my dogs a lot. Well, I wash Brisbane and Sisci. Ru rarely gets bathed because I can't handle the pathos of a wet chihuahua. But the non-ornamental dogs get washed all the time. Brisbane has a bunch of allergies and his vet has for several years recommended he get washed with baby shampoo at least once a week. More recently he had prescription shampoo and conditioner and had to be scrubbed every three days after the embarrassing shavedown.

The mud.

I don't mind washing Brisbane so often, as his skin issues mean he gets greasy and flakey and smelly right away. Still, Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo gets a little boring after a while.

Seriously?

I can't remember where I first spotted Madra Mor mud baths for dogs, but I know I laughed. It's a mud bath. For dogs. It's expensive mud bath, too.

So is mud from a bottle really worth it? Can't I get the same effect from letting my dog roll around in the yard after it rains? (Just kidding, it never rains here. Also Brisbane wouldn't roll in the mud or even go outside if it was raining. He finds water falling from the sky to be unsettling.) Check it out, the bottle even says "Nature's Way to Clean & Treat".  The company's website says it is inspired by dogs' natural instinct for...mud. I'm somehow going to get my dog clean with mud, and only mud.

The mud on Brisbane.

So, how did it go?

This stuff is weird. It's a standalone product, Madra Mor only recommends you shampoo your dog beforehand if they are super filthy, or afterward if they are super hairy and about to get a haircut.

It doesn't lather either. You just massage it on and then rinse it off. The massage is supposed to be important, but I had a hard time getting Brisbane to relax because baths are pure torture. He likes a massage when he is relaxed and flopped out on the bed, not when he is all tense and grumbly.

Surprisingly, the mud got Brisbane clean. It also soothed the raw red patches on his skin, and left his hair feeling very soft and silky. It took absolutely forever to rinse off, but it smells really nice.

Final verdict?

I like the mud a lot. It's quirky and different and fun to use. It soothed Brisbane's skin like it said it would. However, one treatment used about half the $20 bag so this obviously won't be a regular event.