What to Consider Before Choosing the Right Dog Shampoo?
Who doesn’t enjoy petting a clean, soft, and silky fur? But maintaining a clean and healthy fur demands a good dog shampoo. And, with so many shampoos available today, finding the correct one for your dog can be a challenging task. Here are a few things to consider before you make up your mind on the perfect shampoo for your dog.
Factors to Consider While Choosing the Right Dog Shampoo
Skin Condition
So what is your dog’s skin type? If your dog has a dry or flaky skin, you should look for a moisturizing shampoo. If your dog’s skin is itchy or irritated, a medicated shampoo is the way to go. As a general thumb rule, choose chemical-free shampoos with minimal scents for cleaning and bathing your dog. If your dog is suffering from a specific skin condition, consult your veterinarian about medicated shampoo that alleviates it.
Coat Type
Dogs have all kinds of coats: thick, fine, silky, wavy, curly, wooly, double, corded, and more. If your dog has fine hair that tangles up frequently, you should buy a detangling shampoo or a conditioning shampoo. For white coats, consider shampoos that are specifically meant for them, as other shampoos turn the coats dull and yellow. For dark coats, use shampoos that don’t fade them.
Life Stage
It is essential to consider the age of your dog while choosing the right shampoo. If you’ve got a pup at home, look for a mild cleansing shampoo, as puppies have very sensitive skin and pets need skincare. The same goes true for senior dogs as well. While picking a shampoo for seniors, look out for more natural ingredients on the label.
Odor
Dogs have a way of running into food, garbage, or other bizarre substances, and may end up smelling stinky. A deodorising shampoo is recommended for these smelly canines. Instead of just masking bad odors, these shampoos can actually eliminate them.
Luster
Poor diet or other health conditions may make your dog’s coat rough and lifeless. There are shampoos available on the market enriched with special ingredients that can nourish your dog’s coat and make it shine.
Ingredients
The most important factor when choosing the perfect shampoo for your pooch is its composition. Read the label carefully to avoid purchasing shampoos that contain harmful chemicals that damage dogs’ skin and coat in the long run. Mild shampoos with natural components like honey, oats, vitamin E, etc. are preferable to chemical-based ones.
Allergies
Some shampoos may contain ingredients that your dog is reactive to. Such allergic components may cause scratching and redness, so rule out such components while choosing the best for your dog. There are shampoos that soothe irritated skin too, so you can choose them to soothe your dog’s allergy.
Skin & Coat Issues
Above everything, ensure that you have a shampoo to soothe it. There are shampoos that are anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-pruritic for skin infections. Some shampoos even relieve, treat, and prevent seborrheic dermatitis, a condition that causes flaky, scaly skin in dogs.
Human Shampoo vs. Dog Shampoo: Do Dogs Really Need Their Own Shampoo?
Dogs’ skin is very different from human skin. Dogs have fewer layers of skin as compared to humans, so their skin is more prone to infections. Moreover, the normal pH of human skin is on the acidic side, whereas dogs’ skin has a neutral pH.
Due to this difference, it is not recommended to use human shampoo on dogs. But what if you’re running out of dog shampoo and your dog shows up covered with something gross? However, if this is a once-in-a-while scenario, there’s no harm in using a gentle human shampoo on dogs.
But the best way is to stock up on your dog’s essentials to avoid such circumstances. Check out the best shampoos for dogs on BudgetVetCare and never run out of your pets’ staples!
