# Baths & sensitive pups



## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

What's a good shampoo to use for sensitive dogs? We have some prescription stuff from the vet for her paws, but it's not cheap so I don't want to use it to bathe everything. We've tried oatmeal based & she itches like crazy for a few days after her bath.

Photo for attention! Oldie, but goodie, hahah!


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

You could try the John Paul Pets puppy and kitten shampoo. I used it for Bailey when he was small. It's tear free and really gentle. It also rinses out well which I think helps if the dogs have sensitive skin. As I recall it was around $10 a bottle.


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## Ffcmm (May 4, 2016)

you could try Isle of Dogs tearless puppy shampoo! This is what lily uses and it's been great. She smells nice after too!


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## Pilgrim123 (Jul 26, 2014)

If Dory was itching for days, she must be allergic to one of the ingredients in the shampoo. I know I have trouble with tea-tree oil, for instance, that a lot of dog shampoos use over here. (My dogs don't seem to mind, but my skin sure does!) Can you find a hypoallergenic dog shampoo that has no perfumes or essential oils?


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## usually lurking (Apr 21, 2017)

I tried 8-10 different shampoos on mine - oatmeal, tea tree, puppy, hypoallergenic, etc. The one that finally didn't make him itch was diluted Eqyss Microtek.


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

Thank you, all. I guess it'll be a lot of trial and error. She enjoys being high maintenance.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Kalhayd said:


> Thank you, all. I guess it'll be a lot of trial and error. She enjoys being high maintenance.


What about NOT bathing? At least not regularly. I bathe my dog only when truly necessary. That might mean twice a year. But I brush her pretty much daily, which keeps her clean, smelling sweet, and her fur shiny. People always comment to me that she is so clean, was she just groomed, did she just have a bath? Usually the answer is, nope! :smile2:


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## danoon58 (Jul 1, 2015)

Lisa -

We use Earthbath - they make a regular and a hypoallergenic shampoo. I use a squirt in a pitcher of water, mix well, and put in on the boys. That way it rinses out easier! I also use it on my hair! My stylist says she has never seen hair so soft!

With Seamus and his allergies, a lot of time I just do a rinse. No shampoo. It helps a lot with the allergies because it rinses out the pollen,etc.

I LOVE the photo.


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

Sweet Girl said:


> What about NOT bathing? At least not regularly. I bathe my dog only when truly necessary. That might mean twice a year. But I brush her pretty much daily, which keeps her clean, smelling sweet, and her fur shiny. People always comment to me that she is so clean, was she just groomed, did she just have a bath? Usually the answer is, nope! :smile2:



We don't bathe regularly, but Florida has had a VERY wet and muddy summer- so she is constantly dirty, lol. We've been doing monthly. But I am not opposed to doing less.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

I love the bathtub picture.


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## Ajepperson (Feb 19, 2017)

Lambeau has a lot of allergies so the dermatologist wants us to bathe him weekly with "malasab" it's prescription but I found it cheaper at chewys or 1800 pet meds. The shampoo really helps him. We haven't had any infections since starting it. Good luck


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## tikiandme (May 16, 2010)

I use regular human baby shampoo. A dollar store brand will do. I dilute it to about one part shampoo/six parts water. Rinse well, then rinse again.


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## Siandvm (Jun 22, 2016)

I am a fan of Hydrapearls shampoo by Vetoquinol, but that is because it works for us, not because it is inherently special. One thing I would note is that the pH of dog skin is different from that of human skin (off the top of my head, I don't remember which is more acidic -- bad vet!) but that means that human shampoo is not the best idea as it can be rough on their skin. Some dogs will handle it just fine, but if they are already prone to skin problems, why add another reason to itch? Another point is to use lukewarm water. Hot water is actually drying to the skin and can lead to itchiness. Finally, making sure to rinse well is very important as residual shampoo can be irritating as well. I am also a subscriber to the method of diluting shampoo in water and pouring that over Rayder and then lathering. Their double coat makes it so hard to rinse out undiluted shampoo as it just sits where you put it rather than distributing. The dilution helps, in my opinion.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Kalhayd said:


> We don't bathe regularly, but Florida has had a VERY wet and muddy summer- so she is constantly dirty, lol. We've been doing monthly. But I am not opposed to doing less.


Might be worth a try. For a muddy dog, dry her off really well, and then brush her. The great thing about the Golden coat is that dirt does tend to just fall of it. You might have to sweep or vaccuum a little more often, especially where she lies down, but it will be worth it if it helps her skin.


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