Fashion house Dolce & Gabbana has launched a new alcohol-free perfume for dogs called "Fefe" in honor of Domenico Dolce’s poodle, but not all vets and pet owners agree it is safe or appropriate.
The perfume costs 99 euros ($108) for 100 milliliters (3.4 ounces) and has been certified suitable for animal use. It follows a Safe Pet Cosmetics protocol designed to ensure a degree of safety of cosmetic products for animals comparable to that required for humans, Dolce & Gabbana said.
"Through a compliance recognition to this protocol granted by Bureau Veritas Italia, participating companies demonstrate their sensitivity in creating products that ensure the safety and respect of the animal, in accordance with established standards,” the company said in the statement issued for the launch of the perfume.
Bureau Veritas Italia is a publicly held company that provides inspection, laboratory verification and certification services.
All of the dog owners consulted agree that the fragrance is "gentle and well accepted by their pets,” and veterinarians approve of the product, according to the company web page dedicated to ‘Fefe,’ which cites performance reviews by veterinarians and customers.
But not all veterinarians agree on using perfumes for dogs, as they may interfere with the animal's sense of smell and cover up bad odors that could be a symptom of diseases.
"Dogs recognize themselves by smells; they recognize a person by a smell,” said Federico Coccia, a veterinarian in Rome who holds a doctorate from the University of Teramo.
"When the dog arrives, he sees you, wags his tail, but first smells you and then recognizes you because you are stored in one of his ‘smell drawers.’ Therefore, this world of smells should not be changed,” Coccia added.
Coccia said becoming aware of an ongoing dermatological disease can be problematic if dogs’ natural odors are covered up. "In the case of sebaceous dermatitis, for instance, the smell somehow completes my diagnosis.”
"The smell of breath and the smell of earwax are disguised by the perfume. So, it could be a problem even for us vets,” Coccia said.
Among the enthusiastic users of pet fragrances are groomers who take care of the hair and aesthetics of dogs.
Aliof Rilova Tano, a dog groomer at Morgana Carpentieri’s La Boutique delle Birbe parlor in Rome, said that in general he is in favor of using fragrances for pets.
"Our dogs live with us, so a little dog at home on the couch next to us with a perfume is always pleasant,” he said.
Grooming customers often feel the same way, so much so that customer Mariarita Ricciardi said she favors "anything that has to do with a natural scenting and that can also help the quality of the hair.”
However, there are also pet owners who would never use perfumes on their animals.
"Especially brand perfumes, it seems to be a very exaggerated process of humanization,” said Francesca Castelli, a dog owner strolling in Rome’s Villa Borghese.
