EGN NEWS DESK
Fashion home Dolce & Gabbana has launched a brand new alcohol-free fragrance for canines referred to as “Fefé” in honor of Domenico Dolce’s poodle, however not all vets and pet house owners agree it is secure or acceptable.
The fragrance prices 99 euros ($108) for 100 milliliters (3.4 ounces) and has been licensed appropriate for animal use. It follows a Safe Pet Cosmetics protocol designed to make sure a level of security of beauty merchandise for animals corresponding to that required for people, Dolce & Gabbana mentioned.
“Through a compliance recognition to this protocol granted by Bureau Veritas Italia, taking part firms exhibit their sensitivity in creating merchandise that guarantee the security and respect of the animal, in accordance with established requirements,” the corporate mentioned within the assertion issued for the launch of the fragrance.
Bureau Veritas Italia is a publicly held firm that gives inspection, laboratory verification and certification providers.
All of the canine house owners consulted by the style firm agree that the perfume is “mild and effectively accepted by their pets,” and veterinarians approve of the product, in keeping with the Dolce & Gabbana internet web page devoted to Fefé, which cites efficiency opinions by veterinarians and prospects.
Gregorio Borgia / AP
Scents and sensibility
But not all veterinarians agree on using perfumes for canines. For one factor, spritzing a canine with cologne could intervene with the animal’s heightened sense of odor, which the American Kennel Club describes as their “superpower.” According to Phoenix Veterinary Center, canines have as many as 300 million olfactory receptors, in contrast with 6 million in people, enabling them to detect all the things from buried explosives to ailments equivalent to most cancers, in addition to stress, by the use of odor.
“Dogs acknowledge themselves by smells, they acknowledge an individual by a odor,” mentioned Federico Coccía, a veterinarian in Rome who holds a doctorate from the University of Teramo.
“When the canine arrives, he sees you, wags his tail, however first smells you after which acknowledges you since you are saved in one in all his ‘odor drawers.’ Therefore, this world of smells shouldn’t be modified,” Coccia added.
There can be concern that using canine fragrances may cowl up unhealthy odors that may very well be a symptom of ailments.
For Coccia, changing into conscious of an ongoing dermatological illness may be problematic if canines’ pure odors are lined up. “In the case of sebaceous dermatitis, as an illustration, the odor one way or the other completes my analysis,” he mentioned.
“The odor of breath, the odor of earwax are disguised by the fragrance. So, it may very well be an issue even for us vets,” Coccia added.
Growing area of interest
To make sure, the booming pet market is well-scented with canine fragrances. Valued at $1.44 billion in 2024, the pet fragrance market is predicted to achieve $2.26 billion by 2034, in keeping with analysis from Quince Markets Insights in an article on LinkedIn.
Among the enthusiastic customers of pet fragrances are groomers who deal with the hair and aesthetics of canines. Aliof Rilova Tano, a canine groomer at Morgana Carpentieri’s La Boutique delle Birbe parlor in Rome, mentioned that normally he’s in favor of utilizing fragrances for pets.
“Our canines reside with us, so somewhat canine at residence on the sofa subsequent to us with a fragrance is all the time nice,” he mentioned.
Grooming prospects typically really feel the identical approach, a lot in order that buyer Mariarita Ricciardi mentioned she is in favor of “something that has to do with a pure scenting … and that may additionally assist the standard of the hair.”
However, there are additionally pet house owners who would by no means use perfumes on their animals.
“Especially model perfumes, it appears to be a really exaggerated technique of humanization,” mentioned Francesca Castelli, a dog-owner strolling in Rome’s Villa Borghese.
