Guidelines for Choosing the Right Dog Shampoos
Choosing the best dog shampoo is essential for you and your dog. To help you buy the best shampoo suitable for your dog, we have listed things to consider before making a purchase. They are:
Shampoo Ingredients
When shopping for shampoo for your dog, the first thing to do is go through the ingredients. Ensure it is free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, dyes, mineral oils, and other detrimental ingredients that can cause health problems. Also, look out for mineral oils in place of artificial fragrances.
Even if the label says "natural," don't be tempted to not read the label. You could put your dog's health at risk by such oversight.
Skin Sensitivity
The sensitivity of your dog's skin is another essential factor. Getting regular shampoos for your dog isn't a good idea. Appropriate shampoos for sensitive skin are those with Aloe Vera and Oatmeal as ingredients. Aloe Vera has a cooling effect and antibacterial qualities that help with skin irritation and itching.
Skin Type and Dog Breed
To get the best dog shampoo for your dog, ensure you know its skin type. Is it dry, normal, or oily? Your answer would determine the kind of shampoo to get. Shampoos are formulated to satisfy specific skin types; therefore, using the wrong type can cause problems.
For white-colored breeds of dogs like an American Eskimo, whitening shampoos should be your pick to remove stains or unusual coloring.
Allergies to Specific Ingredients
It is essential to know if your dog is allergic to particular ingredients present in shampoos. Allergic reactions can have extreme results. To avoid such effects, you might have to carry out certain tests to certify that they are safe to use. One of such tests is a patch test, where the product is used on a small area of the dog's coat to check for reactions.
This is another reason you should always go through the ingredients mentioned on a shampoo label before purchasing.
Dog Age
Most shampoos in the market are suitable for grown dogs and puppies above eight weeks old. However, medicated shampoos aimed at flea and ticks elimination are not recommended for puppies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use human shampoo on a dog?
You can only use human shampoo on your dog on a short-term basis. Unless your dog has extremely sensitive skin, it wouldn't hurt.
However, you shouldn't use it more than twice. The pH level of human shampoo is too low for dogs; therefore, continuous use may cause harm to your dog. So, we recommend you get a dog shampoo instead; there's a reason it's called "dog shampoo."
How often should I bathe my dog?
The answer is dependent on various factors. But most importantly, you should know that dogs are not to be bathed regularly. Dogs have natural oils in their fur that keep them clean.
If your dog is an indoor dog, it would have less contact with things that get it soiled. But a dog that spends the most time outside will most likely get dirtier and would need a more regular bath than the one that spends more time inside.
In conclusion, you should give your dog a bath when it appears dirty.
Conclusion
Dog shampoos are different, and selecting one out of the many for your dog can be tricky. However, this article should help. Our overall best choice is Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Pet Shampoo. It contains Oatmeal and Aloe Vera and is suitable for most dogs.
Whichever shampoo you choose for your dog should be based on its needs. Ensure you follow our guide; we're confident you'll get the best dog shampoo with it.