If you own dogs, you know that they are the most loyal creatures in the world. They are your best friends for life. Just as you would give your kids the best, you would do the same for your dogs. Sometimes choosing a great shampoo and conditioner for your dog is overlooked. A quality shampoo and conditioner can indeed affect a dog’s health and well being. So here are some tips on choosing the best dog shampoo for your dog. But first, let’s determine how often should you wash your dog.
How often should you wash your dog?
As Purina suggests to “bathe your dog only when its noticeably dirty or smelly”. Bathing a dog too often may damage the fur making it brittle (just like human hair). A dog needs its natural oils in its coat to keep it healthy, soft and silky. Washing your dog too often, for example weekly, will strip the oils from their coat.
Washing too often could also cause skin damage and lesions on the skin. Some dogs don’t need a bath for up to a year and some need a bath just once every three months. Unless your dog is covered in mud or stinks don’t give it a bath. A vet once told us that the more frequently you give the dog a wash, the faster their body will produce oil and odour and the more you will have to wash them. So, save yourselves sometime and enjoy time with your buddy!
What should you be looking out for when picking out the best dog shampoo or conditioner?
Don’t buy any product that is not natural. And never buy any shampoo that contains these ingredients:
- Anything that says proprietary formula (that basically means that there are ingredients that are harmful which they are not disclosing
- Preservatives or Parabens such as DMDMHydatoin, Quartenium, Bromopol or Urea. These expose your dogs to formaldehyde. This can cause redness and itching.
- Sulphates (hint – anything ending with “ate”) may have carcinogens which are known to cause cancer.
- Look out for Ethanolamines. They breakdown into a class of chemicals which are carcinomic. The Nitrosamines can cause severe allergic reactions.
- Is the shampoo your favourite purple? Or is it blue? If it is then it has been artificially coloured. The colour of a natural shampoo would be around the colour of olive oil. They vary in shade. Shampoos that have a tinge of green could contain hemp so check the ingredients list to make sure that it is not from artificial colouring.
- If the shampoo has a nice fragrance or is thick and luscious, has lots of bubbles – these are all signs of artificial ingredients. Remember the health risk to your best friend.
Best Dog Shampoo & Conditioners in the Market
Oxgord – Organic Oatmeal Dog Shampoo & Conditioner
The Oxgord Oatmeal Dog Shampoo & Conditioner is a Best Seller on Amazon. Priced reasonably and has a rating of 4.4 stars, rated by 797 customers.
Customers love this this product because it is totally natural. Consisting only of Aloe Vera, Coconut and Jojoba Oils as the main ingredients. It is totally soap free. The oils give it a lovely fragrance though not strong enough for those who like strong-smelling shampoos. The fact that it is soap-free makes it tear-free too.
The Aloe Vera acts as a soothing agent for sensitive skin and helps heal any redness or abrasions on the skin. The best part is it is a 2-in-1 Shampoo and conditioner which will make your dog soft, shiny and silky.
The only set back with the Oxgord Organic Oatmeal Dog Shampoo & Conditioner is the price. It is relatively dearer than other dog shampoos.4-Legger Certified Organic All Natural Dog Shampoo
This is one of the first few dog shampoos to be certified as organic. It has exceptional moisturizing ingredients such as coconut, olive and jojoba oils. It also has Aloe Vera for dogs with irritated or sensitive skin. This product also comes in variants. Their range includes:
- Antibacterial/Antifungal Skin
- Soothing for Normal to Dry, Itchy Skin
- All dog shampoo with Aloe Vera and Lavender Essential oil
- Unscented and Gentle Moisturising
This is another truly organic product. The only downside to the 4-Legger Certified Organic All Natural Dog Shampoo is the texture of the shampoo. It is more runny than other dog shampoos and you may end up with wastage – pouring more than you need.
Vet’s Best – Hypoallergenic Shampoo with Aloe Vera
The Vet’s Best Hypoallergenic Shampoo with Aloe Vera is a little more cost effective on Amazon. It has a rating of 4.4 voted by 140 customers.
It seems to be popular not only because of its value for money but because it is specially formulated for dogs with irritable skin or those are prone to allergies. At the same time, it coats your dog’s coat with a silky and shiny finish as it contains Panthenol which is obtained from Vitamin B.
It also contains Allantoin to eradicate dandruff and treat any skin problems. To moisturize and heal the skin, it contains Vitamin E and Aloe Vera. This formulation does not contain any soap and hence bath time will not be a teary event with its no-tears formula. Customer reviews found the product to leave the coat extremely smooth needing no conditioner afterward.
There are a couple of downsides to this shampoo, many customers have found this product to be runny and hard to work into a lather. Other owners also mentioned that the shampoo had no scent at all and in fact produced a whiff.
Earthbath – All Natural Mango Tango Shampoo and Conditioner
The name of this shampoo makes me feel like I’m in the tropics ( I hope my dog thinks so too!). The ingredients in this product is somewhat different from the other three mentioned above as this is not specifically for sensitive skin.
It contains Aloe Vera and Oatmeal Extracts to promote healing, protect the skin from itch and moisturises the skin. The oils used in this formulation are Vanilla and Almond oils to naturally scent your dog. Though not organic, it is made out of totally natural products.
This 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner will leave the coat nice, soft and shiny, preventing tangles and matted fur from occurring. The more you wash your dog with this shampoo the more you’ll notice the difference (see above – How Often Should You Wash Your Dog?). Most of all both you and your dog can feel like being in the tropics at bath time!
The Verdict – Which One Do I Recommend?
If the dog has sensitive skin and allergies I would highly recommend the Oxgord Organic Oatmeal Dog Shampoo & Conditioneras it has great ingredients and valuable feedback from reviewers on Amazon. It has a good rating on Amazon (4.4 stars). The price should not act as a deterrent as the health of your dog should be vital and the bottle will go a long way.
If the dog had no skin issues whatsoever, I would go for the Earthbath All Natural Mango Tango Shampoo and Conditioner. It was reviewed by 1864 customers and has a rating of 4.5 stars. The reviews are really good as well.
So, happy dog shampoo shopping! – Don’t forget to check us out @ Canine Owners | FB
