Furrish White Wonder Dog Shampoo - 300ml

The Furrish White Wonder Dog Shampoo is the whitening shampoo in the range, aimed at white and pale coats that have gone dull or picked up tear and food staining round the face and feet.

Key Features

• 300ml bottle
• For white, cream and pale coats
• Optical brighteners to lift the apparent brightness of the coat
• Reduces the look of yellow and brown discolouration from tear staining and food residue
• Glycerin and hydrolysed wheat protein, as across the range
• Bubble gum fragrance
• Currently in stock

What Optical Brighteners Do, Honestly

• They are not bleach and they do not remove a stain. They deposit a compound on the hair that converts ultraviolet light into visible blue, and blue makes yellow look white to the eye
• It is the same trick as a laundry whitener. The effect is real, it is visual, and it washes out - so this is a shampoo you repeat rather than a one-off fix
• Leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing. Whitening shampoos need contact time and most people rinse too early
• It will do nothing about the cause. Tear staining is usually about tear overflow, blocked ducts or a shallow eye socket, and rust-coloured staining round the mouth and feet is porphyrin from saliva - both are worth a vet conversation if they are heavy

Washing A Dog Properly

• Brush the coat out thoroughly first. Shampoo turns a loose tangle into a tight mat, and a mat that gets wet is far harder to remove
• Wet right down to the skin with warm - not hot - water. On a thick or double coat this takes longer than you think, and a half-wet coat is the main reason a wash does not work
• Massage in, then rinse until the water runs completely clear. Leftover shampoo is the most common cause of post-bath itching
• Keep it out of the eyes and ears. Plug the ears with cotton wool if your dog tolerates it, and never pour water over the head
• Dry properly. A damp undercoat in humid weather is where hot spots and yeast start

What Is In It

• Aqua, ammonium laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, polysorbate 20, glycerin, cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolysed wheat protein, phenoxyethanol, sodium chloride, parfum, citric acid
• Glycerin is the humectant - it holds water against the skin and is why the coat feels soft rather than squeaky afterwards
• The hydrolysed wheat protein coats the hair shaft, which is what adds body and reduces breakage. It sits on the hair rather than being absorbed
• Ammonium laureth sulfate is the detergent. It is a sulfate, so if you are deliberately buying sulfate-free, this range is not it

A Note On Dog Skin

• Human skin sits around pH 5.5. Dog skin sits closer to neutral, roughly pH 7 to 7.5, and the outer layer is thinner than ours
• That is why human shampoo - baby shampoo included - is the wrong thing to reach for. Used regularly it strips the protective film and leaves a dog itchy and flaky
• Anything you use often on a dog should be formulated for a dog

Who Makes It

• Furrish is a UK dog grooming range built for home use rather than for salons - the kit you would want between professional appointments
• The range covers the whole routine: brushes and combs, shampoos, a detangler, wipes, colognes, a towel and clippers

Good To Know

• Formulated for dogs. Do not use it on cats, rabbits or other small pets without asking your vet - cats in particular groom everything straight back off
• Not for puppies under eight weeks, or for a dog on medicated or prescription shampoo unless your vet says it is fine to alternate
• Avoid broken, raw or infected skin
• Contains hydrolysed wheat protein. It is topical rather than eaten, but worth knowing if your dog has a diagnosed wheat sensitivity
• Patch test anything new - a small amount on one spot, then leave it a day and check for redness before using it all over
• Grooming products are not treatments. Persistent scratching, bald patches, scabs, a greasy or yeasty-smelling coat, or a smell that comes back within a day of a bath all need a vet rather than another product
• Keep the bottle closed and out of direct sun. A car boot in a UAE summer will cook most grooming products