November 15, 2004

Connecticut Post

A Spray Solution to Pet Odors

Gina Spadafori, Pet Connection

One of James Herriot's classic stories involves a dog whose flatulence causes much concern to the animal's upper-class owner. While trying to solve the problem, Dr. Herriot comes to realize that the dog is much adored by a groundskeeper. It's a perfect match: The groundskeeper has no sense of smell, and the dog ends up living with him.

For those of us whose noses work perfectly, living with pets can sometimes be a problem, especially when we're living with animals who have the same problem as the dog in the Herriot story.

I have one of those dogs, a retriever who produces enough gas to be considered an alternative source of energy.

Petrotech Odor Eliminator is designed to defeat pet odors. And in an admittedly unscientific test in my home, the product worked quite well against the noxious fumes routinely emitted by Ben, seeming to remove odor rather than cover it up. The product retails for $12.95 in either direct spray or mist varieties, and is available from pet-supply retailers, catalog companies and Web sites

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," "Cats for Dummies" and "Birds for Dummies." She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or send e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com. You can also read her frequently updated Web log or view her column archives at www.spadafori.com.

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