#BayerExpertCare Makes Great Holiday Gift for Shelters #ad

Maxwell: Uhh, Momma? What's that bottle doing sitting next to me? Should I be worried?
Me: Only if you enjoy dry, itchy skin in the winter, baby.

Faraday: Seriouslies, Maxie You have dandruff.
Maxwell: You say that like it's a bad thing....

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This post is sponsored by Bayer^® ExpertCare^™ and the BlogPaws Influencer Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Bayer ExpertCare products but A Tonk's Tail only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Bayer ExpertCare is not responsible for the content of this article.

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So it's mid-December, we're way past the freezing point here in the Midwest, and the furnace is drying everything out. My hands, my lips, my nose, Maxie's fur.... TMI...

Maxie is still enjoying his soft coat from the Cleansing Foam we've been using on him. Seriously, he's even softer than usual, and I'm loving it. But I have to say, the poor guy still has BED-fur.

And unlike bedhead, BED stands for Back End Dandruff. It gets worse in the winter. He does end up scratching a bit more, too, thanks to our We-Need-a-Humidifier home making him all dry and itchy.

Active ingredients: oatmeal + Omega-6 fatty acids

So I thought I might try out some Bayer^® ExpertCare™ Itch Relief Spray on his backside. this spray is specially formulated for cats by Bayer. You know me: I had to go check out the ingredients first.

The active ingredient, Pramoxine HCl, is actually a topical antiseptic found in a lot of over the counter medications like Caladryl for poison ivy and Neosporin for treating cuts.

According to the single medical study I found, "Ingestion of a pramoxine-containing topical product did not produce significant clinical effects that warranted direct medical attention" in humans or in animals. And then I found the data, and ran the numbers. Suffice it to say Maxie would have to chug the stuff - which he'd never do - before there would be cause for concern.

As far as colloidal oatmeal and Omega-6 fatty acids are concerned? If you enjoy geeking out on research like I do (wait, what's that I hear? crickets?) you should read this National Institutes of Health article on colloidal oatmeal. Oh, and Omaga-6 fatty acids? Way too many great articles to post - here's just one example.

The aforementioned dandruff, for all to see

At any rate, here's how you use it: it works best if you spray on skin, not fur, and work it in a bit. So I parted Maxie's skin, received a bit of advice from my nosy helper and applied it.

Faraday: your technique could use some improvement, Mommy. (Everyone's a critic!)

To be honest, Max didn't need much help on the itch relief front, but I know a few shelter cats who could really benefit from this. Including a poor kitty named Mike at Great Plains SPCA who has to wear a sweater to keep him from over-scratching!

In fact, flea bite sensitivity is the most common skin disease diagnosed in cats. Since many cats that find their way to a shelter have fleas, Bayer's ExpertCare Itch Relief Spray would be a very welcome addition to a gift basket for your shelter.

If you're interested in gifting a bottle to your shelter this holiday season, you can only find it at your local PetSmart, or online at petsmart.com.

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