Fetch the 4-Legger Blog

The fact is, there is a very strong probability that your dog will die from cancer if you don't work to lower their risk. Only 5% of dog cancers are genetic; the remaining 95% are environmental and lifestyle.

Read our seven steps to help lower your dog's risk of cancer.

We have seen this question time and time again: "Can I use dish detergent to wash my dog?"  

Many ask this question after seeing commercials where dish detergent has been used to effectively clean wildlife after oil spills.

Here is our opinion...

Someone recently searched the 4-Legger website for "benzyl benzoate" and there zero search results. We decided to fix that! 

What is benzyl benzoate, when might it be used, and is it safe? We have the answers!

What inspires someone to one day decide they are going to start making a certified organic dog shampoo?

For Melissa, it was a personal journey that started when she lost her dog to cancer on the same day that she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  

We've captured the story in this short video. If you've ever lost a pet to cancer or other health conditions, this video is for you. If you have a pet now that you would do anything for, this video is for you. 

We got a question from Otis and his Dad. His veterinarian said that you could wash your dog with wood oil soap. He wanted to know if that was safe. Want to fetch the answer?

In this short article, we give you just 2 reasons why you do not want sulfates in your dog's shampoo and a quick guide on what to look for on the label so you choose a healthy shampoo. 

Remember - a certified organic dog shampoo like 4-Legger is always safe and just as effective as the toxic alternatives. 

The oils on your dog's skin and coat give your dog its distinct odor. They also serve to protect your dog against environmental toxins and are important for healthy skin and coat. Dirt and pollution accumulate naturally on a daily basis and need to be removed from the skin and scalp so the follicle remains clear, balanced, breathing and growing.

Waterless dog shampoo is intended to absorb excess oils - making the coat appear less oily and "clean". 

In fact, waterless dog shampoo retains the environmental toxins on your dog's skin and coat where they can then lick it off and ingest it! 

Want to see what they may be ingesting? Take a look...

Buying a natural dog shampoo isn't easy these days. Manufacturers have learned that adding the word “natural” to dog grooming product labels equals increased sales and higher prices.

Channel your inner bloodhound and learn how to discern between a truly naturally shampoo an imposter! Then, pin our infographic to help make smart decisions for you and your dog!

Lesson 2 looks at preservatives - the chemical substances used to prevent food or other materials (such as your pet’s shampoo) from going bad.

Unless you make a product at home and kept it refrigerated, you do want “something” in your product to keep it from growing bad stuff. Otherwise, you and your pet could get sick from what is growing in it (mold, fungus, yeast, or bacteria).

Let’s look at the difference between USDA certified organic dog shampoo and other dog shampoo.

If your dog's scratching isn't caused by a parasite it may be time to look at ALLERGIES! 

Yes, just like humans, your dog can suffer from allergens like mold, pollen, perfumes, smoke, medication, shampoo, and food. Allergies can make your dog's eyes runny, their skin dry/itchy or the opposite - greasy and oily - both resulting in itching, biting, chewing, and scratching! It can also cause sneezing, vomiting, diarrhea, swollen paws, and even snoring caused by an inflamed throat.

Feeding your dog a low quality diet results in your dog not getting the essential nutrients that make their skin healthy and their coat shiny.  As a result, your dog may have itchy, red, or flaky skin.  

There are as many options on dog food as there are dog breed (maybe more)~ Many people now choose to feed their dog a raw food diet so they can have ultimate control over the quality of the ingredients.

Vitamin E is important to your dog's body to help protect the skin and other cells from free radicals and fight off infection. 

The antioxidant properties of a component within vitamin E make it very valuable in natural products. 

A component of Vitamin E, called Tocopherol, is one of the few ingredients that can be used in certified organic formulations to serve as a preservative - antioxidant.

Saponification refers to the process by which a vegetable oil is turned into soap! It's a simple reaction that occurs when an oil, like coconut, olive or jojoba is mixed with an alkali and results in two products: soap and glycerin. 

Literally, saponification means "soap-making" and oils are chosen based on what final properties of soap is desired. For instance, if you saponify coconut oil, the result is a very bubbly and glycerin-rich soap. Glycerin is an important product for its usefulness in helping retain moisture and prevent dry, itchy skin. Olive oil creates a very creamy soap that is rich with antioxidants. 

Did you know that how often you bathe your dog and the shampoo you use plays a big role in the health of their skin? If you don't bathe your dog regularly, it allows dead skin and hair to buildup causing flaky skin. The frequency of bathing really depends on the dog. On average, a dog with normal skin should be bathed about once a month. If you blow dry your dog, don't set the blow dryer on "high heat" as it can also be drying.

The thyroid, a small butterfly like organ in the neck, is responsible for regulating the metabolism of your dog's cellular functions by producing hormones.  When the thyroid is unable to produce enough hormones, usually due to an autoimmune disorder, the result can be an itchy, biting, chewing, scratching dog.  

Years ago one of our own 4-Leggers was diagnosed with hypothyroidism; but not before it was late stage and over 70% of the thyroid was likely damaged.  Since the thyroid can't repair itself, it is important to catch it early.  

The greenwashing of products REALLY upsets us! Today, we look at something that just left me feeling like a cartoon with question marks in my head. Here is what I read: 

Let's break down this bullet. It is both without soap and without detergent yet it contains "naturally derived ingredients with a proprietary blend of cleaners" (blah blah blah). Soap and detergent are not the same thing. Soaps are produced from NATURAL products while detergents are SYNTHETIC (or man-made) cleaners.

There are an infinite number of ways you can "spoil" your dog.

Need some ideas?

Hemp seed oil may be added to any body care or cosmetic product, including creams, lotions, facial or body oils, massage oils, shampoo, conditioner, shaving products, lip balm, soap, and any other product. In hair care products, hemp seed oil increases elasticity, manageability, and shine. It is full of amino acids, fatty acids, omega-3, and omega-6. 

Some days all it takes is to see your dog sleeping and a smile will cross your face. Everything from laying on the back with the feet in the air to curled up in a tiny ball. Have you ever moved your dog in their sleeping position because you were worried about their neck in that position? 

What does their sleeping position tell us about the dog and how does that relate to their sleep cycle?

The average dog sleeps 12 - 18 hours a day and puppies sleep even longer than that! Dogs that are indoors sleep, on average, more hours a day than outdoor dogs. 

Dogs adapt better to changes in their sleeping cycles than humans.  So, they can sleep Monday - Friday from 8 am - 5 pm; but, on the weekend they can be awake from 8 am - 5 pm.  Their humans tend to do best when they go to bed at the same time every night and wake up around the same time while dogs can adapt their sleep cycle to whatever activity is happening; but, they do need to work off their energy each day to be happy dogs!