Dog shampoo is a special formulation of shampoo that is designed especially for your pet. Human shampoos do not work on dogs because they disrupt the balance of the dog’s skin and fur.
Dog shampoos have a number of ingredients that are natural like tea tree oil, aloe vera and sesame oil. These natural ingredients make them gentler and less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
Dog shampoos are generally of two kinds- spray and standard. The standard shampoos work like human shampoos and need to be applied, lathered and rinsed to get the desired effect.
The spray shampoos can be sprayed onto the dog’s fur. They need to be left for them to perform the required action and then wiped off with a towel. There are medicated shampoos available in the market too which can be used for treating a number of diseases. Always consult your vet before buying any pet care products.
Why do dogs get allergies?
Your dog may be sensitive to a number of things in its immediate atmosphere. Some kind of sensitivity may be common in one breed of dogs and some may be special to your dog.
There are two parts to the allergic reaction- the symptom and the root cause. Treating the symptom does not always solve your problem. Let us look at the most common allergies so that you understand the problems with your dog.
Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD)
This is caused due to your dog’s sensitivity to the saliva of fleas. This is a very common condition in dogs, and becomes really serious in pups where the irritation is much more than the number of fleas on the dog.
It makes your pet very itchy and uncomfortable. To tackle this you need to keep your dog protected from fleas by repellent and proper bathing.
Food Allergies
This is also another common condition in dogs. If your dog is allergic to something that he consumes then the symptoms are likely itchy or oozing skin, coughing or sneezing, red or irritated eyes, inflamed ears, swollen paws and nasal discharge. There are some tests to confirm these allergies.
Your vet will give you a number of options to tackle this problem. You should give your dog a number of homemade food so that your dog does not develop allergies.
Environmental Allergies
These allergies are generally seasonal, mostly caused by pollen. You can clean up the environment that you keep your dog in, ensure that your pet always has a supply of clean food and drinking water and bathe your dog.
Keep checking if your dog has skin lesions or itchy and dry skin. When your dog scratches himself take it seriously.
How can dog shampoos help?
There are a number of shampoos in the market that treat dog allergies. These shampoos usually cure the allergy symptoms or making the dog more resistant to the allergen.
These are special shampoos which are gentle on the skin. They usually have a number of natural ingredients like tea tree oil, and aloe vera.
Aloe vera is very soothing to the dog’s skin and can help reduce inflammation and cure dry, flaky skin. Shampoos also help to moisturize the skin and coat so that the oil balance is maintained and the coat is back to normal.
Another way to treat your dog is to shampoo is with homemade shampoos. Homemade shampoos are gentler on the skin.
They are made from natural ingredients so it does not have toxic and synthetic chemicals that might react with your dog’s skin to cause more allergies or rashes.
Popular Homemade Anti-Allergic Dog Shampoo Recipes
Homemade shampoos are pretty easy to make and there are several recipes available that are fit for making shampoos for all your needs. Let us take a look at some useful recipes for dog shampoos that can be used for treating dog allergies.
1. Apple Cider Homemade Anti-Allergenic Shampoo
Ingredients – 1 cup water, 2 tablespoon of Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castle Unscented Baby soap, 1-2 table spoons of organic unpasteurized apple cider vinegar.
Procedure– Mix the ingredients together in a bottle. Place the lid and shake the components well. This is enough to create your shampoo. You should apply this shampoo after wetting your dog’s fur. Use enough of the shampoo to cover all parts of the fur, especially the denser areas.
The itchy areas are also really important since those places are the most sensitive to allergies. Avoid putting the shampoo on the head and eyes. Massage all areas well with special attention to the itchy areas. Most pet owners will find these ingredients fit for one wash, without leftovers.
Wash it off after leaving the shampoo for 5-10 minutes. Rinse it thoroughly to remove all the ingredients from the dog. Large dogs will need twice this formulation for a complete bath.
2. Oatmeal Homemade Anti-Allergenic Shampoo
Ingredients– 1 cup of oatmeal, 1 cup of baking soda, 20 drops of essential oil, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 ½ cups of water
Procedure– Grind the oatmeal well so that that it has a texture like flour. You can use a standard food processor or this action. Mix all these ingredients in a container and add all ingredients except water and honey. Slowly add water while you stir the mixture together to a slushy mix.
Finally add honey and stir it well. Hairy dogs will require 2-3 cups of water for the same set of ingredients. Similar to the application process above, wet your dog’s fur and apply the shampoo generously. Leave the shampoo for five minutes and rinse off.
Lavender Oatmeal HomeMade Shampoo for Sensitive Skin
Ingredients– 1 cup of oatmeal water, 1 cup of apple cider, 1 cup of castile soap (Dr. Bronner’s lavender scent)
Procedure– Oatmeal water can be made by adding 1 cup of rolled oats in a bowl of water and leave that in for 8 hours. Strain the water using a coffee filter or a tea strainer.
Take this oatmeal water and mix all the ingredients together to make the shampoo fit for one bath. Wet your dogs fur and apply it everywhere, especially in areas which are sensitive. Lather well and rinse off after keeping it on the fur for 5-10 minutes.
4. Homemade Oatmeal Anti-Allergenic Shampoo
Ingredients– 1 cup of oatmeal, ½ cup of baking soda, 1 quart of warm water
Procedure– Grind the oatmeal well in a food processor. Ensure that it is ground well so that it has the consistency of flour. Mix the oatmeal with the other ingredients in a container. Shake the container well to mix it. Make it fresh before every bath. Wet your dog’s fur well and apply the shampoo everywhere.
Lather well. Allow the shampoo to stay on your dog for at least 5 minutes. Rinse off completely and dry your pet. The resulting fur will be fluffy and clean. The sensitive areas of the skin will be calmed down because of the soothing effect of oatmeal.
5. Homemade Shampoo for Sensitive Skin
Ingredients– 8 ouncoes of Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Unscented Baby-Mild Pure Liquid Castle Soap, 2 tablespoons of neem oil, 5 ounces of shea butter and 5 ounces of certified organic non-GMO liquid soy lecithin
Procedure– measure out the shea butter and melt it in a double boiler or in a microwave. Mix the lecithin in the melted butter so that there is a liquid mix available. Mix the neem oil and liquid soap into the liquid mixture.
Put this mixture in a container and shake it well. Ensure that you have shaken the mixture so that it becomes of a good consistency. You can store this recipe for use.
Whenever you use it next, mix it well so that the ingredients do not separate out. Use the mixture only when the mixture has cooled.
Apply the shampoo to the dog’s coat which has been wetted. Lather well and keep it on for 5-10 minutes and rinse off. Neem is not advised for cats so use this formula only for dogs.
Precautions to be taken
The needs of every pet are different so you need to consult a vet before you buy new products for your pet, especially when they are chemical in nature. Even when you are using homemade shampoos there are a few precautions that you should observe.
If the mixture is hot, allow them to cool down before you apply it to your dog.
There are some recipes for heavily scented shampoos, avoid them since your dog is much more sensitive to smell than you are.
Since these are natural ingredients, they do not last very long. Hence, try to make fresh batches every time you shampoo your dog.
Ensure that even the compounds in the homemade shampoo are not those that your dog is allergic to them
Summary
Homemade shampoos are a good way to save money and go natural. These shampoos are easy to make at home and require very few ingredients. Since the ingredients are natural, they are gentler on the dog’s skin.
We would still recommend that you consult a vet before you invest in making a homemade shampoo since some ingredients in these shampoos may not settle well with your dog.