There are times when it is impossible, or inconvenient, to bath your cat or dog. And your nose tells you that your pet needs a cleaning. One way to refresh your cat or dog is to sprinkle baking soda onto the coat and then comb it out. If you can take your time, that is even better. It will give the baking soda that much more time to work.

The baking soda helps to clean the coat and helps to neutralize any ‘pet smell’ that the coat may have. There is one caution to remember. While combing out the dog, he/she may decide to help you out and give himself/herself a good shake. The baking soda will fly. So, pick the location carefully when you do this.

This is a good way to neutralize the ‘wet dog’ odor, if your pet has been outside in the rain. - There are many products on the market that are suppose to be good for cleaning your pet and neutralizing pet odor. Baking soda works exceptionally well, is relatively inexpensive and readily available. And, if you read the ingredients of those fancy (and expensive) commercial dog and cat products, you will find something interesting. Yes, the main ingredient in some of them is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) - otherwise known as… ‘baking soda’.

Catherine Forsythe

[tags]dogs, cats, pet odor, baking soda, commercial products[/tags]