Albie with his Itchy Dog & Charlie Dog products

Does your heart break and your frustration build when you watch your dog scratching and biting its skin and nothing seems to work? Mine did. Angry red patches, fur loss and extreme sensitivity are common dog skin problems leading to a very unhappy pup. I found a solution to my Albie’s skin sensitivity, and it’s the only one that’s actually worked. And, I’m going to share it with you, in the hopes it will help your baby, too! So, if you haven’t yet heard of pet skincare expert, Bobbi Panter, read on. This could be the information that brings relief to you and your pup. And, of course, her products are very stylish, too!

Are Albie’s Triggers Like Your Dog’s?

Albie loves being outside!

Grass, flowers, fleas…the great outdoors. If Albie never went outside, he’d probably never have the itchy skin he does. But, the reality is we live in South Florida and being outdoors is a part of life, and a very nice one, usually. Fleas are year-round nasty inhabitants and beating them back takes a serious arsenal.

Like many dogs, Albie is allergic to flea bites, as well as allergens found on grass and shrubs. And, as many of you might have learned, you could be using the most powerful, pharmaceutical flea and tick prevention, but that won’t prevent fleas from biting. They just won’t live on your dog for very long. What you might also have learned is, if your dog is allergic to flea bites, the vicious cycle begins once their bitten. The scratching starts; the biting and licking soon follow. And, if it subsides, once they go outdoors again or if fleas have found their way into your home…here you go again. I don’t choose to use pharmaceutical flea and tick prevention on my dogs. For me, the potential side effects outweigh the risks of not using them, especially when there are so many natural products on the market that do work.

Albie, like many dogs allergic to flea bites, licks and bites at the back half of his body – his rump, tail and legs. And, he licks his paws incessantly. Skin allergies has been one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced with my dogs and it was driving me batty trying to find a solution that worked to make Albie more comfortable.

Is your dog also allergic to flea bites? Bobbi shared her story: “Bebe is extremely allergic to the grass in southwest Florida, where we often are, and breaks out in hot spots about 3 hours after we arrive. I have had to get out of bed and wash Bebe with Itchy Dog because she was getting so irritated and was scratching. I can instantly feel her body relax, once I get the Itchy Dog on her skin. The oils in it are so soothing and work quickly because they go right into the skin (no salt in my products to strip the oils). Itchy Dog has been a life saver for Bebe!”

Who knew salt was an itchy skin culprit; Enter Itchy Dog & Charlie Dog

Did you know table salt is in many shampoos? Sodium chloride is used as a thickener, and sodium laurel sulfate is a very harsh cleanser. Bobbi informed me that in addition to salt stripping the skin and fur of moisture, it also leaves a dry, dull residue. Dirt will stick to the fur easier when there is salt in it, and Lord knows we don’t want our dogs attracting more of the stuff we just shampooed out any faster than they will naturally. Did you know the salt also makes it hard to rinse your dog, once you shampoo, because the salt makes the shampoo keep foaming? I didn’t!

“My products rinse in one rinse,” Panter disclaimed. “Dogs dry faster, too, because there is no salt in the fur to retain the water. I created my products out of love for Bobo, and Bobo is everyone’s dog!”

Who is Bobo? Bobo was Bobbi’s beloved pup, shown above, who inspired her to research and formulate a shampoo without salt, along with a chemist and her vet to make sure it was safe. Bobo had lost her vision and had just undergone surgery to repair and restore vision to one of her eyes. Post surgery, the drugs Bobo was taking wreaked havoc on her skin and fur. So, Bobbi tried shampoo after shampoo to alleviate her discomfort and restore her beautiful coat. None did what they claimed.

Working with the chemist revealed that all of the shampoos Bobbi had tried had salt. So, they focused on creating a formula that included healing essential oils like tea tree oil, lavender, chamomile and rosemary with other natural, gentle ingredients that would nourish and moisturize a dog’s skin and leave its coat healthy and shiny. And, solve common skin and coat problems.

Bobo has since passed over the Rainbow Bridge, but left her legacy in the Bobbi Panter brand.

Several formulations were released in Bobbi Panter’s initial Classic Collection; we tried two, based on our needs:

Itchy Dog Shampoo:

Contains Flaxseed Oil, Tea Tree and Lavender Oils that literally removes hot spots and mange.

After his first shampoo, Albie stopped scratching for 4 days. When you’re watching your dog constantly biting and scratching throughout the day, four days with very minimal itching is a huge accomplishment! I was thrilled!

 

Albie licking and biting his back area

 

Albie resting, after treatment

 

Bobbi suggested, as a between shampoo remedy, that I gently rub a little of the shampoo directly onto any hot spots Albie had with a damp cloth to quicken healing. I tried it and it worked pretty quickly.

Itchy Dog Spray:

Contains Tea Tree Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Lavender Oil, Castor Oil, Chamomile, Aloe Vera Gel and Rosemary.

We use this leave-on spray between shampoos, in general, whenever Albie starts scratching. Once I spray it directly onto the itchy areas and rub it into his skin, he immediately stops scratching and biting. It lasts for hours and can then be reapplied, as needed. I love that the ingredients are so natural and gentle, you can use it as often as you like.

Charlie Dog Flea & Tick Shampoo:

 

 

 

Contains Clove Oil, Lavender Oil, Cedarwood Oil and Citronella, with a Clove and Cedarwood fragrance.

This shampoo was named after Bobbi’s late father, Chuck, who she was extremely close to. Bobbi shared, “He would much rather have a martini named after him, but dog shampoo is what I do!” Bobbi originally thought of the idea because she wanted to honor her dad by having a shampoo for horses named “Charlie Horse” (which she now has) because her father went to 44 Kentucky Derbys in a row. Charlie Dog came first. It kills and repels fleas, ticks, lice, mosquitos and other pesky insects naturally, so it can be used on puppies and dogs of all kinds and all ages, even newborns.

I’ve used Charlie Dog on all of my four pups. I’m always skeptical about how well natural flea and tick shampoos and remedies work in an environment as hard core as South Florida. But, as Bobbi said, she created Charlie Dog with her frequent travels to South Florida in mind. It seems to work, and in all fairness, it’s not the only product we use. We feed our dogs Diatomaceous Earth, which is a natural flea and tick repellent internally, meaning the dogs aren’t as attractive to the bugs, in general. We also use Wondercide, a cedar oil-based natural product for dogs, humans and garden, which works well.

What I like about Charlie Dog, and what my dogs like, too, is it smells a lot better than Wondercide. While Wondercide is very effective, my dogs do not like the smell and run for the hills when I pull out the spray bottle. With Charlie Dog, they tolerate being sprayed and don’t seem to mind the scent. To me, it smells nice!

Charlie Dog Flea & Tick Spray:

Contains Clove Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Lavender Oil and Citronella to kill and repel pesky insects while keeping skin soft with Castor Oil, Chamomile, Rosemary and Coconut Oil.

I use this on all the dogs when they’re about to go out or have just come in from a walk. I like that its non-greasy, smells nice and again, it seems to work.

What others are saying:

I was skeptical prior to trying yet another product on Albie’s skin. This time, I was pleasantly surprised. Apparently, I’m not alone. Here’s just a couple of testimonials from other happy customers, and some accolades the brand has received:

• Bill Hageman of the Chicago Tribune, exclaimed, “This stuff works!”

• “My Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier, Maggie, recently developed two large hot spots on her face. After applying ITCHY DOG directly on the spots with my finger, they dried up within 24 hours and were completely gone in a few days. Amazing product!”  Pat Theophilos, Piedmont, CA.

• “We have a very playful Lab, Lucky, who spends a lot of time playing at the dog park. His coat gets dull, stinky and dry. We’ve tried many natural shampoos and were very disappointed. Then we found ITCHY DOG. Our lives and his skin have definitely improved. Our neighbor has gone back to saying, “Hi shiny dog!” when she sees him. Thank you for making a great product.”  Jessica Smith, West Palm Beach, Fl

•  Bobbi Panter products were a winner of the Editors’ Choice Award at Pet Product News International, were recommended by the CBS Early Show resident veterinarian, Dr Debbye Turner, and were one of 100 product brands chosen by QVC, among 7,000 entries, and presented on their Decades of  Discoveries Tour. They sold out.

What other Bobbi Panter products are there?

 

Bobbi Panter with Cece & Bebe