What's in your dog's shampoo?

What's in your dog's shampoo?

Nice post, I've been warning about these ingredients in dog and human products for years. It is important to pay attention and read the labels. Thanks. :dogsmile:

Bathing a dog once per week is WAY too often, IMO. I bathe my dogs MAYBE once per year and they don't smell "doggy" at all. I brush them all once a week. Most people say they'd not even know that I have dogs in my house if they didn't see them! I've got 9 dogs, 8 of which have rough coats.

When I DO bathe my dogs, I only use Earthbath Puppy shampoo (yes, puppy shampoo on all of my adult dogs). It smells GREAT, is all-natural and one stripe down any dog's back will suds up the ENTIRE dog. It's expensive for one bottle but lasts, seriously, 10x longer than any other shampoo because you have to use so little of it.

It does depend on products used and dogs. Most products marketed as "shampoo's" clean skin and hair. A select set of gentle products are "fur/hair cleaners" not shampoos or detergents. Hence none of the sodium lauryl type ingredients for suds. There is a good side to going "poo-free." (see first link below)

I'm not familiar with the product KK3 uses (i'm going to check it out tho) but there is a school of thought that shampooing is damaging to hair and skin. Being a uber allergenic person myself I know how hard it is to find products for humans and dogs without the ingredients KK3 listed. Cleaning my hair and not shampooing helps me not spend over $1000 a month on steroids for my skin. It's worth exploring for dogs, kids, and sensitive adults.

http://www.naturemoms.com/no-shampoo-alternative.html
http://www.headcoverings.com/cleaning_hair.htm

I had a GSD mix that really never needed a bath and never got dirty or smelly b/c she cleaned herself like a cat and was fastidious. My Goldens however are more houndy and one gets the hound-made waterproof oil through her coat much faster than the other so needs more frequent maintenance.

KrazyKaine3, is this "castile soap" in liquid form, then? Wow, adding your own essential oils, i never would have thought of that.
I never knew fragrance was bad for dogs, it is toxic or something?
Dang, i loved how Buddy smelled extra good after his baths..

I used to have bathe Buddy regularly, til his nutrition caught up to him. Now is about a month, he never ever smells doggy at all anymore, but i bathe him because he just shines and is so soft after a bath, feels just like a bunny then....

I don't bathe Bella too often, although she is quite used to being in the bathtub and even if it's not her favorite thing to do, she'll get in on command and suffer being washed without any complaints or struggles.

More than bathing, Bella will get frequent wipe downs with some wet cloths made for dogs. It seems to do her fur good; her fur feels soft and smooth when I'm done with her.

I found with all her running that I don't need to clip her nails - except for those hanging ones - and I do brush her teeth although we still need to get a little more comfortable with that one.

Excellent post!! Castile soap is very mild, and doesn't strip the coat. Also, for dogs with allergies, bathing at least two times a week, in the seasons when they are very itchy, helps them feel much more comfortable.

Good post. When selecting a pet shampoo don't forget to consider the pH level of your pooch. Dogs run a pH level of 7 - 7.5 while we run between 4.5 - 5.5. The shampoo that you use should be formulated specifically for dogs. Otherwise, the two point pH difference will give Fido itchy/irritated skin.

I just happen to write an article on pet shampoo ingredients this last weekend on Pet-ETail com.

Hope you find it helpful.