The price of dog shampoo on the market is also dazzling; from mass merchandisers and pet stores to professional animal hospitals, there are various functions, colours, fragrances, and various products.
How do you choose the most suitable for your furry child’s shampoo?
Follow Fetchstop to learn about the three common shampoo myths, selection principles, and pet bathing methods so that you will no longer be in a hurry when bathing your dog.
Why do dogs need specific shampoo?
Can I use human body soap or shampoo for pet bathing?
The metabolism rate, epidermal thickness, and pH value of human skin differ from those of dogs and cats, so pets cannot use human body soap or shampoo.
The following is a comparison between dog and cat skin and human skin:
Never bathe a furry child with human body soap or shampoo! Even if it purports to be all-natural or baby-friendly! Because the pH of hairy children’s skin differs from that of humans, using human shampoo may cause their skin to dry out.
When selecting a shampoo for your furry child, consider their skin condition; shampoo containing oatmeal is often milder.
If your dog is prone to skin problems, consult with your veterinarian about which shampoo to use. Washing a tiny area on the back of a dog with sensitive skin can reveal any abnormalities in the skin.
Do dogs need to use “medicated” shampoo for lousy skin?
“Medicinal” shampoo contains pharmaceutical ingredients and belongs to animal medicine. This antibacterial shampoo is usually used to treat bacterial, yeast, and fungal infections or excessive proliferation of the skin.
The most common bactericidal ingredient is chlorhexidine.
Furthermore, the cleaning power of this type of shampoo is usually better for controlling skin infections, so it is only suitable for 4 to 6 weeks of treatment, not ideal for long-term use, especially for some sensitive skin dogs and cats, such as for patients with orthotopic dermatitis, if used for a long time in the stage where there is no inflammation or infection, it will cause excessive skin irritation.
How to choose pet shampoo? Follow these 3 tips.
1. Choose a reliable brand
As long as it is a well-known brand of pet-specific shampoo for dogs with normal skin, it can be used with peace of mind.
Although the price of big brands may be relatively high, the ingredients are developed and formulated by a professional team, which is relatively inexpensive. You need to worry about poor-quality ingredients.
2. Pay attention to moisturising in winter
In the cold and dry winter, the skin-moisturising work of dogs is also very important. Especially for dogs that often suffer from repeated skin diseases, the choice of shampoo should be given more attention.
When taking a bath in winter, we usually increase the water temperature. If we use a general shampoo, the process of bathing will wash away too much sebum.
Dogs are prone to symptoms such as itching and dander after bathing. In this case, it is recommended to use a shampoo containing oats or ceramide.
Take Virbac Epi-Soothe Shampoo as an example. It contains natural oatmeal moisturising ingredients, which have a soothing and moisturising effect. It is suitable for dogs with general and sensitive skin problems.
3. Follow your doctor’s advice
If treating skin disease, follow the veterinarian’s doctor’s advice, use a specific antibacterial shampoo, and bathe regularly.
If necessary, combine it with other drugs to heal the skin disease. After the course of treatment, remember to discuss with the veterinarian the suitable shampoo and do not arbitrarily use the “medicated” shampoo on the market to avoid other skin problems.
How frequently should you bathe your dog?
The frequency of dog bathing varies from dog to dog. For dogs with oily skin and frequent outings, it is recommended to wash them once every 1-2 weeks, while for dogs with dry skin who rarely go out, you can bathe them every 3-4 weeks.
If the dog belongs to the long-haired breed, it is recommended to comb the hair well and comb it apart before taking a bath to avoid pulling it when using the shampoo, which will cause pain and leave a wrong impression on the hairy child. In addition, you can use an ear cleanser before bathing to clean your ears.
Next, using warm water similar to human body temperature, rinse the shower head against the skin and slowly wet from the back, buttocks, limbs, chest, and head, avoiding letting the water flow into the eyes and ears and moving gently to reduce splashes. Splashes frighten the dog, so rub and wash from the back down with the dog shampoo.
Pay attention to rubbing with “finger pads” instead of fingernails when bathing furry children.
Wash the dog’s entire body numerous times, especially in the lacrimal gland area. After rubbing, thoroughly cleanse the whole body with clean water.
Before the dog goes out of the bath, it will dry the water by itself. At this time, you can prepare a large towel to press, absorb the water on the dog, and then use the hair dryer to dry the dog’s body.
