I read sometimes that one should not wash dogs often so as not to dry out their skin. Is this true? I wash my hair all the time without ill effects.
I got a big galvanized tub at the feed store yesterday and we had a dog wash, it was a lot of fun. One dog kept on jumping in while another dog was being washed, and all of them looked like they were having a good time, so I thought maybe I'd do a dog wash every couple weeks.
Maybe I could just use cream rinse on them so their skin doesn't dry out.
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Tracy Collins Webboard User Reg: 10-09-2008
Posts: 1917
Loc: St. Louis, Missouri
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I wash them when they need it. Regular brushing usually suffices to keep mine decent. Or paw washing as needed. Full-on baths maybe 5 times a year. Mine currently haven't had a bath since April. But I don't think there's any real harm in bathing more often if you like to. Just use a gentle shampoo made for dogs and rinse the coat very thoroughly.
The dog specific shampoos that are being manufactured today are very different from the stuff that was used in the past and VASTLY superior to using human shampoos. The healthy PH levels are very different for the tow of us.
Using a high quality dog shampoo on a weekly basis is safe and should not dry out the skin, especially if you use a moisturizing shampoo or a conditioner as well. BUT if the dogs really don't NEED a bath, and you are doing it for a fun activity, then do it with just the water and no soap... We do this as well...
The kind I use (and I bathe weekly 'cause we have children with allergies in the house) is Ultimate Shampoo since it is HIGHLY concentrated (50:1 !!!) and rinses cleanly (the most important step in bathing) and has a great price point. And the conditioner I use is The Solution Conditioner . These are just my choices though...
Lynne Barrows Webboard User Reg: 09-22-2007
Posts: 2531
Loc: S. Florida
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I really like this product (I got it from Vitacost at a much better price than list) Cloud Nine Herbal Shampoo, from Halo
I like it because it lathers really easily and rinses out easily, and it doesn't have any crap in it...
Melissa Thom Webboard User Reg: 12-04-2007
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Loc: Upper Left hand corner, USA
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I wash my dogs all the time. Sometimes twice a week for these little guys.
The lab gets washed once a quarter or when she starts to look like a chocolate lab as opposed to a black lab.
The key is to use a good dog shampoo which dilutes. The stuff I use currently dilutes 54 : 1 followed by a conditioner. I'll have to give it a run sometime but I bet I could wash my dog every day for a month with this stuff to no ill effect.
Lori Hall Webboard User Reg: 06-12-2007
Posts: 1039
Loc: So. California coast
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Kasey has environmental allergies, so we have to bathe him every week per the dermatology vet. We've been doing that for 3 years and he doesn't have dry skin - we also use one of the good dog shampoos that you dilute. The derma vet said what you put IN the dog (meaning diet) has more to do with dry skin than bathing it does.
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
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Loc: North-Central coast of California
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Quote: LucilleHollander
I read sometimes that one should not wash dogs often so as not to dry out their skin. Is this true?
No.
As others have pointed out, it's a big mistake to use shampoo formulated for humans, but otherwise no, it's not true.
It was a big eye-opener to me when I read Shawn Messonnier's allergy book* and realized that an allergic dog benefited hugely by getting rid of allergens (like pollen, dust, etc.) on the fur and skin, just as Lori's derm vet said .... not because of contact dermatitis, but because of the constant proximity to the dog so that he is breathing in his allergens 24/7, as well as transferring them to the dog bed and the carpets for even more constant exposure.
So I started frequent bathing (sometimes just a good rinse) of the allergic dog I had at the time and found that he was right about lessened allergic response and also about the dog not becoming dried out or dandruffy or anything at all negative.
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How often do you wash your dogs?
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