Is your dog losing hair? Skin turning black?

 We want to show you a real dog with a real problem that so many dogs experience.  Meet Gus, son of Angela.  Gus had been diagnosed with a thyroid problem and was losing his hair, and his skin was turning black.  This picture below shows how widespread this disease had become.

Many dogs with this problem are diagnosed with "bilateral Alopecia" or Alopecia X.  You can read more about this on our website, but basically this is a medical term that describes the obvious symptom of hair loss.  It says nothing about what is causing it.  When you take your dog to the vet and say "he's losing his hair", the vet might respond by telling you "It's Alopecia", which is exactly what you just said to him but in a different language.

There are so many possible contributors to this problem, but what ultimately happens is that, regardless of why the dog's immune system was diminished, something nasty gets under the skin and causes this specific problem, and very often it's simply the common yeast (a type of fungus) that lives on all dogs.  If it gets under the skin, this is what can happen... and there is only one way to get rid of it and get the hair back.

Here's Angela's story:  Ok DERMagic....we are loving your products!!!! Gus is doing so much better!!! He has a thyroid problem and was losing his hair! His skin was turning black too! :(   He also has allergies...his paws would get really red and he would bite them until they would bleed....until....we used the Hot Spot Salve product...it is instant relief for him! This picture is what his skin looked like when we started the product...I must say...he also enjoys us applying the Skin Rescue lotion...hehe... :) 

Then, we heard from Angela and Gus a couple months later in late April:  Here is a pic that I took today of Gus!!!! His skin is not black and his hair is growing back!!!! We are so happy!!!! Thank you DERMagic!!!!! We will keep you posted! :)

Angela wrote a wonderful article in FIDO Friendly's blog about Gus's skin problems and all the treatments they tried.  I suspect many of you have similar stories to tell.  I personally nearly lost a dog to black skin because the vets gave up and wanted to euthanize her.  No way was THAT going to happen! And that's why we are here today, because no one seemed to know what to do to reverse black skin disease.

So back to Gus today: DERMagic .....look at my baby!!! His hair has completely grown back!!! We are so excited!!! :)

Well, Angela and Gus, we are so excited too!  Gus is a very handsome fellow and doesn't he look proud now with his hair restored!

We are going to include a link to this story in our newsletter, which goes out to lots of veterinarians... with the sincere hope that no one will ever have to lose their dog again, or even have to live with the agony of the itching and pain their pet is suffering with this horrible disease.  There is an answer... and it's topical, contains no steroids, antibiotics or antihistamines, and is completely safe and natural.   

Today, like most other days in this business, my heart is happy because we were able to help Gus and so many others like him.  This is the only reason why I come to work in the morning.  Thank you, Gus and Angela, for making my day!

Puppy love and licks to all! - Adelia

Keeping America Green… One Pet at a Time…

What does it mean to be a “green company”?  What is a “green company” anyway?  I’m really wondering, because to some folks, especially looking back to the greenwashed Nature's Pathway at Superzoo last September, apparently just wearing green shirts in the trade show booth was enough to qualify.

At DERMagic, we have a different idea about what “green” means, or rather, what it should mean.  But, as Kermit says, “It ain’t easy being green.” 

Below are some of the green things we actually do now.  Every effort we make, and that anybody makes, really matters. 

... Recycling and reusing materials, like cartons and cases, used and reused styrofoam peanuts, natural cornstarch packing peanuts, printing on both sides of the paper, etc. Everything gets a second and third chance around here.  Not only is this a very practical Green practice, it helps keep costs down and the savings are passed on to our customers.

...Creating packaging for all our products that is recycled, recyclable, reusable or from renewable sources.  Our organic shampoo bars are an excellent example, packaged in simple recycled cardboard boxes.

... Seeking manufacturers who adopt an Earth-friendly philosophy in their practices, procedures and products.  One example, Oregon Soap Company, our shampoo bar manufacturer, plants a native tree for every ten shampoo bars that we sell.  (Hint:  Help us reforest the Oregon wilderness!  Buy more shampoo bars!)

... Using vendors and service providers who are conscious of their carbon footprints and are doing something about it.  We use UPS for most of our shipping, and for a very small additional investment (pennies, in fact), we completely offset the carbon footprint of all our packages sent out via UPS.

... Using natural and organic ingredients in our products... rather than synthetic and "artificial."  Example: our Cell Restoration Crème contains only five ingredients, all organic.  And nothing else -- no preservatives, emulsifiers, texturizers, stabilizers, or any of that stuff.

... Manufacturing all our products exclusively in the USA.  This is a "green" practice because the carbon footprint from shipping pallets of inventory from a manufacturer across the ocean is excessive and unnecessary. Further, we do this to help protect jobs here in the US.  And further, we are more able to monitor the quality of products supplied by our vendors and manufacturers when they are close by.

Well, maybe it ain’t easy being green, but it’s what we do and what we all must do much more of.

Best to all!

 - Adelia

DERMagic Products in MudBay Stores!

Mud Bay has been around Washington State since 1988, when the first store was established in Olympia.  And now, they're opening 3 new stores (Mercer Island, Gig Harbor, and Redmond) to bring the total to 20 locations!

And for us, the big news is that Mud Bay is now carrying the DERMagic product line.  And this fits right in with the Mud Bay difference:  Instead of carrying supplies for every pet, Mud Bay focused on the healthiest foods and highest quality supplies.  Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, Mud Bay focused on using natural food and accurate information to contribute to the health of dogs and cats and the happiness of the people who care for them.

Mud Bay has a very interesting history, well worth reading.  And while you're on their site, check out Cooper's Story, about how DERMagic stopped Cooper's itch, written by a dog lover who also happens to work at Mud Bay...

So check it out!  And check us out too... We're proud to be a part of the Mud Bay retail system -- healthy foods, happy stores, knowledgeable staff.

The Pet Postcard Project

What is The Pet Postcard Project?

THE PET POSTCARD PROJECT is the brainchild of writer Nikki Moustaki.

One bowl (or one pound or more) of pet food for every qualifying postcard received goes to animal shelters! To date, this project has raised nearly $18,000 and 90,000 pounds of food for shelter animals!

Pet Postcards" for this project are homemade postcards featuring your own pets that you make and then snail mail into The Pet Postcard Project. Each card you send earns food for shelter dogs (sometimes 1 pound per card, sometimes more!). So far, this project has earned 90,000 lbs (that's 360,000 meals!) of food and $18,000 for shelter animals, and has received thousands of cards -- funny, weird, sad, cute, profound, and above all, all filled with LOVE for a beloved pet.

Check out these winning entries for the May project!  This video is guaranteed to make you smile.  One of the winners for June will receive the DERMagic Groom & Go Travel Kit!   We are proud to be one of many sponsors for this outstanding campaign.  Please pay a visit to The Pet Postcard Project and send in your postcards today!

Cheers!  Adelia

Does your dog have tear stains?

Greetings, Folks!

A quick note from the dog park yesterday.  I met a couple who has four snowy white Maltese with NO tear stains on their faces.  I wondered if they used a prevention product like Angel Eyes, or if they used a stain remover.

Well, no!  It's so much simpler than that. These people accidentally discovered that pure well water or bottled water fed to their dogs instead of normal tap water is all it takes to prevent those ugly rust-colored facial stains.  Apparently something in our public drinking water (like fluoride, possibly) is causing this.

Please try a change of water!  According to this couple it only takes a few days to notice the difference.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we didn't have to give our pets internal potions to counteract something that their drinking water is causing?

Let us hear from you on this!

Best wishes for healthy pets... Dr Adelia

Restrictions on Tick and Flea Products

EPA to Tighten Restrictions on Tick and Flea Products

By Kim Chipman, March 17 (Bloomberg) 

"The Obama administration said it will increase restrictions on tick-and-flea “spot-on” pesticides for pets because of a rise in adverse reactions in cats and dogs, including seizures and death.

“These are poisons,” Steve Owens, assistant administrator in the Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticides and toxic substances office, told reporters today on a conference call. “They are products designed to kill fleas and ticks.”

"The EPA will start reviewing product labels to determine which require more information and will develop more stringent testing and evaluation requirements, the agency said today in a statement. Names must be different for products to treat cats and dogs to avoid confusion, the agency said.

"Merck & Co.’s Defend, Merial Ltd.’s Frontline and Bayer Healthcare LLC’s Advantage products are among dozens of brand names registered with the government as of May last year, the EPA pesticide office reported."

     We have reprinted a portion of this article because we receive so many questions about this topic, specifically about the safety of flea and tick repelling products that are applied directly to the skin. While the  EPA states that most incidents or deaths result from inappropriate application (e.g., using a larger dose on a smaller animal), we have seen adverse reactions on many dogs even when the products are used according to the manufacturer's directions.

    Please read the full article for further details on this issue.  The fact that the EPA is interested in this issue is of great concern to us.  Consider carefully.  The risks of an infestation of fleas and the resulting diseases they can bring must be carefully weighed against the risks of using strong toxic chemicals to keep them away.  

     One recommendation we have for you is to place a few drops of Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca) on the outside of your dog's collar. Do not let it touch your dog's skin directly.  It does not take much to be effective. We do not recommend this for cats.

    We wish you the best of good fortune as we move rapidly into flea season. 

Best wishes - Dr Adelia

The DERMagic System: total skin care for dermatitis in dogs

The story of DERMagic begins with Shenanigan, our three-year-old Yorkie who was about to be euthanized after six months of unsuccessful treatments by several veterinarians.  Shenani had a particularly nasty form of black skin disease, compounded with an underlying fungus, probably yeast.  She was never properly diagnosed.  The first prototype of DERMagic Skin Rescue Lotion saved her life and restored her beautiful coat to show condition.

Now our story is about saving dogs and cats from miserable itch and painful skin conditions.  Watch our video and hear the heart-felt testimonials of three delighted pet parents whose pets are no longer tortured by itchy skin!

DERMagic Products Now Available in Canada

Good news for our beloved "neighbors to the north"!  It has been expensive for our Canadian friends to buy DERMagic products on our website.  We love our customers but we don't like this!  Our goal is to make our products available all over the world without costing an arm and a hind leg for shipping.  And we're getting there!

Meet our friends at Metro Pet Market in Regina, Saskatchewan.  You may contact them by phone, fax, email, or just drop in and take your four-legged buddies with you!

DERMagic Awarded FIDO FRIENDLY Top 100 Pet Products!

DERMagic Skin Care for Animals product line is awarded Fido Friendly magazine 2010 Top 100 pet products of the year!  Best skin care products for dogs and cats on the market.   Buy your issue now and read about Holly Madison and her dog Napoleon in the Vegas Hei$t!  www.fidofriendly.com

DAILY KIBBLE on Dog Skin Allergies

Does your dog have skin allergies?Or is it something else?
Dog skin allergies are becoming increasingly common. Food, carpeting, blankets, dust mites, mold spores in the air, pollen, plastic food dishes, and ornamental plants all have the potential to trigger allergies in dogs. In some instances, a highly allergic pet may be diagnosed as having several allergies at once. And the severity of allergies, which can be seasonal or year ‘round, varies greatly. The most common symptom of an allergy is intense itching (known as pruritus), which may be localized at spots or might be systemic, covering the pet's entire body.
Pet owners expect their dogs to scratch themselves now and then. However, excessive and persistent scratching, licking, biting and hair loss may be signs of an allergy. When a vet diagnoses a dog’s itchiness and inflammation as a potential allergy, there are some expensive vet bills and treatment costs awaiting this pet parent.
But what if it isn’t an allergy? Even if the condition began as an allergic response to something, the itching, scratching, chewing may be the result of a secondary infection that set in as a result of a crashed immune system either from the allergy or from the steroids administered to treat the symptoms. To learn more about steroid-free allergy care, click here.

New DERMagic Retail Location in Canada

Folks,

We have had so many inquiries from our beloved neighbors to the north, and at last we are most pleased to announce a brand new outlet for DERMagic skin care products in  Canada.



The Metro Pet Market is located at 1637 Victoria Ave., Regina, SK S4P 0P8, Tel: 306.352.9663.  They specialize in all-natural, biologically-appropriate food, including raw unprocessed foods.

Visit their store for all your pet needs.  Also, Metro Pet Market will have a large booth at the 2nd Annual Regina Pet Expo on January 30, 2010, at the Conexus Arts Centre.

Dog Shampoo Bars are Organic! says Pawnation!

Helena Sung and her dog Jasper discovered our products recently and had this to say:

Of the DERMagic products I tried on my dog, the standout was the Certified Organic Shampoo Bar, made with coconut, castor, sunflower, jojoba and olive oils, and scented with rosemary and lavender. It smells pretty and looks nice, but best of all, it works great. It lathers up nicely and I can hold the bar and my dog with both hands while giving him a bath. I use the bar of soap every night on my dog's paws and it is not drying. It also works spectacularly well getting my dog squeaky clean, and his white fur shining bright. Best of all, it is gentle and my dog's skin has suffered no reactions to it. At $7.95 each, these shampoo bars for dogs are a must.

Read the entire article here or visit our website to order natural and organic products for effective skin care for your pets.

Stay healthy! Dr Adelia