F.A.Q

Find below the most frequently asked questions

Flea and tick

This piece is necessary during the injection molding manufacturing process but it needs to come off before putting the collar on your pet. You can either throw it away or, as this piece is active and also full of natural repellent active ingredients, place it under the rug of your front door or inside the dog house or any other place to help prevent pest infestation.

Our collar has a breakaway system (punctured hole to make the system more fragile) designed to break under the strength of a struggling 4.5 lbs cat and prevent strangulation, which corresponds to a 120 Newton force and which is sufficient in nearly all circumstances.  To date, we have shipped millions of cat collars and fortunately, not one incidence of accident has been reported.  Although we are able to produce a weaker breakaway collar, we are convinced consumers would prefer the current design since the weaker style will on occasion break too easily and be at risk of breaking even as the collar is fitted on the cat.

Main reason: Flea collars containing organophosphates are dangerous for both humans’ health, especially children’s health, as well as pets’ health. That is why, the French National Agency of Veterinary Medicine decided to withdraw the permit for sale of Diazinon, Propoxur and TCVP based collars, that are still widely commercialized in America. More recently, US EPA decided to ban Propoxur-based collars.

Indeed, while adults or children are petting your animal, insecticides are absorbed through the skin and may harm the nervous system. It is the same for pets.

Thus, we have developed natural repellent products to take care of people and animal’s health.

There is no need to treat with powerful insecticides as the flea is easily eliminated by common insecticides, but there is a need to treat regularly and everywhere, using a preventive approach. Often, because the fleas that survived the initial treatment also have to be eliminated to avoid another infestation as fleas, larvae and nymphs get deeply entrenched in the carpets, pillows, furniture tissues, etc.

We advise using household insecticides, sprayed regularly on surfaces that are prone to have fleas, larva, and nymphs (dog-house).

The vacuum cleaner also helps in diminishing the numbers of eggs and nymphs. One method is to vacuum just after spreading insecticide powder to prevent fleas from multiplying inside the vacuum cleaner bag. 

Pet bedding is typically a flea nest. You can either change it, which would be the best option, or take advantage of the summer, to put them inside a plastic bag with a good dose of repellent powder inside.

Some laboratories propose more elaborate products. These formulations are said to be long lasting: they are typically effective over several days or several weeks. These are interesting products as you do not have to treat as often, and they guarantee the insects elimination. They are obviously more expensive than natural repellent products and many of them have negative side effects that can result in health issues. Please let us know what you use and we can send you the toxicology profile of the active ingredient you are using.

There are also specialty products containing an active ingredient preventing the larva developing into its nymph form, which is the most resistant form. Recent studies have been performed inside our laboratory to show that these products are effective but last a relative short period of time. Furthermore, they are very expensive. They can be purchased under gas propelled spray that is a one-time use.

For “industrial” surfaces, such as garages, gravel, we can use stronger chemical or physical treatments (lime, sodium hydroxide, fire,…). Fire treatment is perfectly suited for large cement surfaces such as the ones found in kennels. 

You then need to avoid the insects re-appearing, by protecting the potential carrier. You need to effectively treat all your pets at home with a repellent collar for instance and if possible, ban access of foreign animals to your house, you should also systematically treat any new pet(s) you bring into your home. 

Overall, the most efficient way to fight against pests is Prevention: prevent the pest from coming in, instead of fighting it when it has already nested in your home and pet. Our natural repellent line is particularly suitable for this purpose and because it is safe, there is no concern with the frequency of application (following packaging instructions) as opposed to synthetic insecticide products.

In general no, but certain people are an exception and are “devoured” by fleas. In these cases, bitings generally occur around the ankles and the calves and appear themselves as small red stains which strongly itch. If it is the case, consult your doctor and start a complete desinfection and clean-up of the house.

Collars advanced technology is using the properties of some specific plastic materials.

The active ingredient is incorporated inside the plastic matrix itself and is being released from this matrix under a constant speed over a long period of time. The active ingredient migrates to the surface of the plastic under the form of micro drops or powder depending on the active molecule. Since the release is very slow, the product can be effective for several months.

At the end of the product life, the content of the active ingredient inside the plastic is very small and the collar will become more rigid; you will then need to replace the collar with a new one.

When we touch a window or a mirror, we leave a print. It is due to a fat called the sebum which soaks our epidermis and our skin. The sebum has a very important role; it is in particular a nutritive and softening factor for the skin.


The skin of the dog and the cat is also covered with sebum. It is this sebum which will transport the active ingredient. Indeed, the molecules used in the collars are very soluble in the sebum. They will diffuse via this fatty layer on the whole surface of the body. Thus, a flea collar carried around the neck protects the animal completely, from the head to the tip of the tail.

It is quite difficult to get rid of fleas from the house. Despite what most people think, fleas do not live permanently on the animal but on the floor, on carpets, pillows, etc…

Fleas generate eggs. From the eggs, a larva follows different development steps to turn into a nymph and to finally become an adult insect. Nymph are inside a cocoon and they have the particularity to stay “asleep” a very long period of time and to turn into an adult insects after extended periods of time that can last for several months.

It is the reason why we can see fleas appear in a house left empty for several months in the absence of animals. In that case, these nymphs can wake-up, for example when they start feeling vibrations on the floor.

The adult insect has to bite a target (a dog, a cat or an human) in order to feed himself with blood. After feeding, the flea falls to the floor where it lives and deliver its eggs. And so on….

Fleas and larva are affected by most of the common insecticides: insecticides used on animals (collars, powder,…) or household environment insecticides. But we still recommend following the preventive approach with natural repellent products before the season starts. It is healthier and preventing is much easier than fixing the problem! However, the eggs are not affected by those and nymphs are quite resistant to those.

If it is the case, it probably means that the environment in which your pet lives is infested with fleas. As a matter of fact, and despite common belief, fleas do not permanently live on the animal. Fleas are more often on the floor, in carpets, pillows, etc… Fleas “jump” on the animal only when they need to be fed with blood.

The treatments you are using kill fleas that are present on the animal. But if there are a large amount of fleas in the environment, new ones replace dead ones giving the impression the products are not effective. Therefore, THE ENVIRONMENT ALSO NEEDS TO BE TREATED.

Once it is treated, you will have to prevent fleas coming back by treating them as soon as they re-appear with a shampoo, a powder, or a spray. Ideally, you will permanently have a collar on your pet. You would need to replace it at the end of its life as described on the packaging; it would permanently protect your pet against fleas.

It is sometime difficult to develop a natural collar which is both effective and odorless. If you feel the scent is too strong, you can first leave the collar out from the packaging from 1 hour to 1 day outside before putting in on your pet. Then you can also remove it when your pet is inside your house and put it back when he/she goes outside. And remember to wash your hands with soap after handling it.

If you have used another natural-based brand of spray or spot-on within the last 15 days, shampoo the fur around the entire collar area prior to using the ALZOO® Collar. (Since ALZOO® Collars, Spot-on, and Spray have been developed so that they can be used together, this is only required with another natural brand).

Yes and no. The spot-on is formulated with almond oil. Almond oil has 3 purposes:

a- protect the skin from the active ingredient
b- help diffuse the active ingredient throughout the skin
c- protect the active ingredient from rainfall.

So if your pet is outside when it is raining, the active ingredient will not disappear as it will be protected by the almond oil, which is water resistant. But if you wash your dog with a shampoo, the shampoo will “dissolve” the oil and a spot needs to be re-applied after you wash your dog.

Yes. Almond oil has real benefits:
a- protect the skin from the active,
b- help diffuse the active throughout the skin and
c- protect the active from rainfall. If you want to minimize the oily sensation when applying the product, space out the hair and apply slowly directly on the skin in the back area of the neck; then go down the spine of your pet and apply slowly while avoiding to put too much product on one spot. That way the product will be well dispersed and adsorbed on your pet’s skin.

If you see a stain on fabrics coming from the spot-on, a classic stain remover, degreasing agent will easily remove the stain.

For our product, we advise :

  • small size <35lbs
  • medium size: 35 to 74 lbs
  • large size for more than 74 lbs

If you are experiencing this, we suggest adding just a little bit of vegetable based cooking oil to the buckle (either 1 spray, or 1 drop or you can rub it on with a Q-Tip). This should make it easier for the collar to pass through the buckle.

Deodorizer

It is a push down, pop up mechanism. Instructions are imprinted on top.

A little bit everyday, this concentrate should last you for around one month.

Stain & odor remover

Any type of stains, whether caused by pets or another source.

Calming

The mechanism is very different between the cat and the dog.

  • For the cat, the nepeta cataria active gets them excited, playful and they tend to forget their anxiety.
  • For the dog, the active blend in Alzoo (Lavandin oil and valeriane) have a calming, mellowing effect.

The mechanism of this Alzoo plant based formulation blend is different from the mechanism obtained from synthetic pheromones. Both have similar end results. Please contact us if you need more detailed information.

Grooming

Dogs are distinguished from humans by their skin which is much finer and thus more fragile: dogs skin comprises of 5 layers of cells corneas different from the human skin which comprises 9 of them.

 The other difference relates to the pH. Human skin has an acidic pH of approximately 5.5. Human shampoos take this into account and are also acidic in general. On the contrary, the pH of dogs skin is rather basic (between 8 or 8.5).

The human shampoos, even soft, will not respect the balance of the pH of the dog skin and it is consequently not advised to use them.

Even for an adapted shampoo, it is necessary to avoid too frequent washings. A skin washed too often will become very fragile and sensitive to eczemas. One or two shampoos per month is a maximum frequency. In the event of local “accident”, you can always locally use a lotion “without rinsing”.

The dry shampoos make it possible “to cleanse” and to scent the hair without wetting the animal and subjecting him/her to aggressive detergent agents.

Half a tube corresponds to about 60 drops.

Yes in most shampoos, foaming is coming from soap or sodium Lauryl sulfate.

Our shampoos do not contain any of those: no sulfate, no paraben, no dye, no synthetic perfume. Healthy and plant based ingredients leading to a bath experience with less foam and easier to limit water waste from shampoo rinsing.


Correct, use it with the concentrated shampoo stick by adding water at home. Check the video in the product section. You can use the aluminum bottle over and over. By using this product, you contribute to saving the environment: no more single use plastic bottle, no more shipping around water across the country for lower CO2 emissions.

As for the concentrated grooming shampoo, the aim of the product is to “replace” the liquid ones. Thus, 16oz will last the same as the conventional shampoo. It will depend on the hair and the size of the dog.

Herbal collar for horse

The collar includes a two-piece screw-clip to properly fasten the collar.

Other questions

Not at all!

Cats and dogs do not belong to the same species and they are as different from each other as a rabbit from a horse! Especially, they have a different metabolism and a different physiology. In other words, what can be safe for one, can be a deadly poison for the other one.
Cats are fragile animals and a large number of chemical substances cannot be eliminated by their liver.

So, it is very dangerous to take a risk in regards with this question; numerous cases, some with tragic ends, have happened.

It is the reason why you need to use the products specifically designed for your pet. They have been studied and developped to be safe to their health and for their well being.

If you have any doubt, please contact your veterinarian before doing anything. He is a specialist and he will know how to direct you.

How to alzoo®

Did you know that for some flea and tick products, your pet has to be bitten first? After feasting on your pet’s chemical-treated blood, pests die. In contrast to conventional pet collars and spot-ons, ALZOO® repels pests. Laboratory tests show how the Active Ingredient repellents both reduce the incidence and severity of bites. Trust us, your pet says thank you.

You may also be interested in trying:

ALZOO® LITTER FRAGRANCE & DEODORIZERS

Stinky litter box?  It takes less than 25¢ a day to fix that malodorous problem!

Try one one of our 4 unique Fresh scents: Lavender, Ocean Breeze, Island Paradise or Vanilla to deodorize your litter box and not just mask the bad small.  Each shaker lasts 30 days. Go ahead, invite your friends over again!  This litter box odor solution works with every brand of litter.