Sunday, July 27, 2003

The Durango Herald
Four Corners Pet Journal

A new way to solve the malady of malodorous pets

By : Lynn Thomas

There are certain unpleasant smells associated with pets that most pet parents could live without.

Neighborhood cats spraying your flower beds – gag me. Your cat doesn’t use the litter box – it’s a nice way of saying he, or she, is peeing and pooping on your rugs and wooden floors.

When younger, Beau, my bichon frise, always thought chasing nature’s perfume artists was great sport, until he got "skunked." Not once. Not twice. But many times. Because Beau sleeps with me no greater love hath a mother for her pet than to drift off to sleepyland with skunk odor wafting through her nostrils!

For an entire summer he walked around with a red-hued coat. Trust me, the tomato-juice solution does not work for removing skunk odor, but if you’re interested in doggie hair dye ...

Dogs smell wonderfully when freshly bathed. Yet a dirty dog that has been running in the rain or under sprinklers or swimming in the river has that "wet dog smell." It reminds me of a herd of dirty sheep.

Some cats toss out hairballs like a winning slot machine, and dogs get unexpectedly sick. Vomit and diarrhea can take their toll on your carpets with stains and smells.

OK, you’ve tried all the store-bought household products to remove nasty smells, you’ve read Hints from Heloise and poor Martha may not be your best source of information right now. What’s a pet parent to do?

SeaYu Enterprises did it for you. This California-based company, in conjunction with the research cooperation of 14 universities, has patented the encapsulation technology of Petrotech Odor Eliminator, which makes big promises to eliminate any odor, and delivers on its promise.

Animal Fair Magazine awarded it the Best Pet Cleaning Product of 2003. A few months ago, Petrotech Odor Eliminator was used for official odor control at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

There are more than 75 million homes with cats and dogs, and pet surveys report that more than a third buy two or three odor elimination products each year. Yet most of these products just mask a bad smell with something less offensive, or they absorb an odor source for a brief period of time and the smell returns.

Petrotech Odor Eliminator is unscented, all natural, nontoxic, biodegradable, noncarcinogenic and environmentally clean. And it works instantly! I tried it, and I loved it. I shared it with a neighbor who has four cats and a pooch. She loved it, too. This product has been passed around to many with rave reviews.

Right now there are no retailers selling the SeaYu product. You can order it at from the company’s Web site at www.sea-yu.com.

While this multipurpose product also eliminates nasty smells from diaper pails, sweaty summer sneakers, upholstery and kitchens, it is its application for pet odors that garnered my interest.

More cats are surrendered to shelters because of inappropriate litter-box use than any other reason. Owners of pets will not tolerate the smell of urine and feces throughout the house.

The contents of this little can will help in solving any odor problem with your pet. And that’s a good thing. Lynn Thomas is the host of "American Pet Journal," a syndicated radio show broadcast at 8 a.m. Sundays on KOOL-FM (104.5). Reach her at 2829 Madison N.E. Albuquerque, NM 87110; (505) 888-5946, or e-mail at petladydh@hotmail.com 

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