Selecting Dog Shampoo

There is a host of shampoos on the market and shelves at pet departments highlight shampoos for fleas, for sensitive skin, for dark colors or light ones or aloe based or coat care…scented and unscented. Many people think that they can use human shampoos, this is not so, Dogs need the oils on their fur and these products are made to strip the oils.

While there is much good information online there is also much misinformation. Typical dish soap has antibacterial or extra grease cutting – this is great for the pan you cooked bacon in but remember as it strips the grease from the pan it also strips the oils from your dog! This damages the coat. Do not use it.

Because dogs are not bathed daily – indeed some receive baths just a few times per year, a good quality dog shampoo is worth the money. This doesn’t mean the most expensive shampoo, but does mean one for canines – the pH of a dog’s hair is different than ours. Carefully consider why you are bathing the dog – if there is skin issues, fleas, if he has a dull coat or if he just found something offensive to roll in.

A good dog shampoo cleans effectively and is safe to use. While you want to keep it out of his eyes it pays to insure the product you’re using is not going to harm his eyes if it accidentally drips into the eye. Having a good reason for the bath is important.

Don’t confuse “organic” with “safe” – there are products that are organic and are safe to use externally but toxic to consume. This is important because dogs naturally lick themselves to dry themselves off – if you have a product with, for example, pennyroyal oil or citronella make sure *you* thoroughly dry the dog to minimize the ingesting of these products. Remember – yew and foxglove is natural but will still kill animals that ingest it. Be safe, and be smart in choosing and using products on your pets.