In this blog post, we are asking, please don’t dye your pets’ hair. It’s a fad that’s becoming ever more popular and with pet hair dye freely available to the public, one that’s not going anywhere soon. If you are thinking about, please read on before you open the bottle.
As humans, we dye our hair all sorts of colours for all kinds of reasons, and that’s fine. It’s a choice we make, and it can make us feel good about ourselves. But for pets, it’s not a choice, it’s not necessary, and it doesn’t make them feel good. In fact, it can do just the opposite, and it is purely for our satisfaction.
It can cause stress and anxiety
While some dogs welcome a splash in the bath, others find it stressful and get anxious at the thought and it’s hardly surprising. If you think about it, we’re forcing our pets into a situation they can’t control and then pouring water all over them. It’s not very nice and in the case of pet hair dye, completely unnecessary. Some take up to 20 washes to remove too. That’s a lot of unnecessary baths.
Pet hair dye removes natural oils from fur
Dogs have essential oils in their fur that help to keep their coat healthy and shiny. Some breeds, such as retrievers, have particularly oily coats that help them to stay waterproof. Dog dyes which include peroxide remove oils from the dog’s coat for weeks. Furthermore, frequent washing can irritate and dry out the skin as well as increase the risk of bacterial and fungal infections.
It’s not safe to eat
While pet hair dyes are apparently safe for pets, many suppliers say ‘do not let pets lick the hair dye’. That means, you either need to stop them from performing a completely natural behaviour or put them at risk from consuming something that is potentially bad for them for no reason at all. Neither of which is favourable.
There is a risk of allergic reactions
In the same way that humans can react badly to hair dye, dogs and other pets can. It’s true that pet hair dye companies do recommend patch testing before use to ensure pets are not allergic, but these products are widely available to anyone and not all owners follow this advice.
A dog owner in the states, for example, used human hair dye on her dog, which resulted in an allergic reaction and near-fatal injuries. Furthermore, recovery was hampered by the worrying idea that should the dog follow its instincts and lick its wounds, it could ingest the dye and poison itself.
It increases the risk of ear infections
Ear infections are a common reason why dogs end up visiting the vets in summer. Dogs are swimming more and the exposure to water and lack of proper cleaning and drying creates the ideal environment for bacteria and yeast to grow.
The added bathing and grooming required to remove animal hair dye increases the risk of ear infections especially if owners are doing it themselves rather than turning to professionals who know how to groom and use dye correctly.