Cockeyed Optimist

Here are some more of Kafka’s helpful hints; he hopes you will like them!

No. 2: Avoiding Toxic Toothpaste and Shampoo

Toothpaste

Now, I should say first of all, that I don’t use toothpaste myself; as long as I have plenty of bones and hard biscuits to chew, my teeth will stay healthy.

But for you humans who use toothpaste, you should check out the ingredients on the packaging. Some toothpastes contain sugar (which sounds foolish to me, since sugar can cause decay), while others specifically state they don’t, which is a good start. Sodium fluoride is a controversial ingredient; if in your area they don’t fluoridate the drinking water, this might be helpful, but there are those who are doubtful about it.

The toothpaste my owner uses claims that it is based on natural herbal substances, such as aloe vera, fennel, non genetically-modifiled gum and stevia (whatever that is). It also doesn’t contain fluoride, aluminium (aluminum), artificial sweeteners or detergents. (It also has a choice of flavours: mint, lemon or aniseed — the last of these is his choice.)

Shampoo

As for shampoo, there is a fairly simple check — avoid any that have sodium lauryl sulphate (sulfate) or sodium laureth sulphate — those are said to be potentially harmful. You would be well advised to avoid parabens, mineral oils and animal fats, as well as benzoyl peroxide and sodium stearate, so they say.

For me, my owner buys a special animal shampoo that doesn’t even contain soap!

Now I’m just a four-month-old beagle, so you should check elsewhere before taking any of my advice!

Best wishes from Kafka,

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