Here, all your questions about dog care, bathing and showering your dog will be answered

Keeping a dog healthy does not only mean playing, feeding, going on walks and regular visits to the doctor. A well-groomed coat and healthy skin is vital for your four-legged friend.

Should I bathe my dog?

Due to its ingenious nature, a healthy dog fur is virtually self-cleaning. The light greasy film, which keeps dirt and moisture away, ensures that the coat is well cleaned. The skin of the dog has no sweat glands (except on the nose and paw pads). Sweat glands are located on the entire body of the dog (in humans only on the head / face). Too frequent or too aggressive cleaning attacks the natural protective layer of the dog's skin and is therefore a health risk.

Nevertheless, I am in favor of bathing a dog, but with the right product!

Let me explain:

What harms your dog's coat and skin?

  • Vermin, such as mites, fleas or ticks, can cause anemia, especially in young animals. Further, they can lead to infections and / or transmit diseases.
  • Bacteria and fungi can cause skin infections and blood poisoning
  • Dry skin causes dandruff, can cause itching, can lead to infections
  • If your dog's skin is exposed, Bacteria and fungi can "settle in" more quickly, and the sun can cause more damage

Vermin, bacteria, and fungi are usually picked up during walks or transmitted during encounters with other animals. Dry skin can have various causes (wrong shampoo, heated rooms in winter, etc.). Special attention must be paid to exposed skin, when the coat no longer protects the skin.

Make sure to have your dog examined by a veterinarian if you notice the following:

  • red / irritated skin
  • Excessive scratching
  • Fur/hair loss
  • Very flaky coat
  • Injuries, weeping wounds

Often, various allergies can cause the same symptoms.

Washing your dog with the right shampoo will help prevent these diseases and keep the skin healthy and robust against any infestation. While bathing your dog, you are close to it and detect any diseases or vermin infestations early.

How often should I bathe my dog?

Generally, as little as possible, but it also depends on your behavior and that of the dog. If your dog suffers from skin diseases, you must follow the instructions of the product or the vet.

Your dog likes to roll in the dirt, feces or carcasses? Then your dog will not be spared the immediate bath. It's not only about the unpleasant smell, but also about bacteria and fungi and even vermin that can be picked up by your protégé.

Does your dog like to dig for mice? When doing so, it's likely that they pick up mushrooms. A bath after the digging session prevents diseases.

Water rats and pond hoppers also need our attention. Usually, standing waters contain a lot of bacteria, even in lakes bacteria and vermin can be found. Certain types of algae are harmful when ingested, but also the contact can cause harm. A bath with water or a well diluted, gentle shampoo makes perfect sense after an adventure in the water.

Walks in the woods: watch your dog, has he sniffed a carcass or had his nose in a pile of feces? A short shower would not be bad, of course a moistened cloth (possibly with shampoo) is also sufficient.

Walks in the street: Not that many diseases are picked up when walking in the streets, but droppings lie around, fleas from hedgehogs sleeping in bushes find a new host, etc. It should not be underestimated that our vehicles emit some damaging substances. That's why, we think a bath very now and then is also appropriate for these dogs, even if only with water or a highly diluted gentle shampoo.

Where does your dog sleep? If the dog is allowed to sleep in your bed or even with your children, I recommend bathing the dog more often and with a mild shampoo or definitely checking for fungal or vermin infestation.

You've got small children in the house? In this case, I recommend to pay special attention to the hygiene of your dog, and to bathe him a bit more frequently and with a mild shampoo.

I recommend an immediate bath for the dirt rollers, the mouse hunters and the pond hoppers. But it does not have to be a full bath, sometimes it is enough to just shampoo the area that was exposed. If you bathe your dog often, please use a very gentle shampoo, a concentrate can always be diluted with a little more water than indicated on the instructions. After a bath in the lake, sometimes only water is enough.

A monthly bath, I recommend to dogs with minor skin problems, such as dandruff (unless otherwise recommended on the product instructions or the vet). In this case, moisturizing and very mild dog shampoos are necessary. If there are small children in the house, a weekly bath won't hurt your dog.

I recommend an occasional bath for dogs that have few skin and coat issues. Dogs, which live mainly outside, may be bathed somewhat less. Usually, the natural balance of such dogs is not a problem.

Why should I use a dog shampoo, can't I use baby shampoo?

You should definitely use a shampoo designed for dogs! Because the acid-base value (pH) is higher in dogs than in humans.

  • pH value below 7 = acidic (human)
  • pH value above 7 = base (dog)

In humans, the pH value ranges between 5.5 and 5.8. In dogs, on the other hand, the pH value ranges between 6,8 and (even) 8.7. This shows, that a dog's pH value is way more acidic than in humans and therefore, the shampoo must be designed for another pH value.

Which shampoo should I buy?

The most important thing: a dog shampoo as mild and gentle as possible.

The shampoo should be suitable for the needs of your dog's skin and coat.

If you buy a concentrate, try to dilute it a bit more than indicated by the manufacturer. I only recommend diluting it less when the effect is not satisfactory.

Puppies:

Look for a suitable puppy shampoo for your puppy, as these shampoos are mild and gentle. Get your puppy used to a bath, but don't bathe them too often.

Matting and dogs tending to mat:

The best thing is if you don't let it get that far. Brush and comb your dog regularly and keep it's coat as short as possible. A shampoo or a conditioner that helps to detangle knots and brush through the fur is the best choice.

Dry skin, brittle coat:

Moisturizing products or a little conditioner usually help. We recommend using dermatological and very gentle shampoos. Generally speaking, dogs with dry skin and brittle coat should be bathed as little as possible and if so, please follow the manufacturer's instruction.

Skin irritations (dandruff, itching):

There are various medical shampoos for this purpose. Again, less is more. If possible, look for natural shampoos with natural ingredients, such as aloe vera, jojoba, chamomile, or other healing additives.

The NanoSanitas line is highly recommended here, as it is mild, designed for regular bathing, and differentiates between male/female and short-/long-haired dogs. Of course, dermatological shampoos are recommended.

Miscellaneous

As miscellaneous, I count the following needs:

  • a shiny coat, shampoos with additives for glossiness
  • a more intense color, color intensifying shampoos that highlight light or dark color pigments
  • a better fragrance, shampoos against bad odor

Ingredients

Completely natural shampoos for dogs are very rare to find. The development of a purely natural dog shampoo, completely without chemicals is very difficult and expensive, therefore practically impossible.

In order for dog shampoos to serve their purpose well (moisturizing, cleaning, detangling), certain synthetic ingredients are necessary.

Water

Water cleaned from mineral impurities is the main component of a dog shampoo and accounts for between 70 - 80%.

Thickening agents

They have no effect on cleansing, but without a thickening agent (usually salts) shampoos would be very runny and therefore, impractical.

Acidity regulators

In order for a dog shampoo to be adjusted to the pH of the dog, it needs acidity regulators. That is why you will often find citric acid, carbonates, hydroxides, chlorides, etc. as ingredients.

Petrochemicals, mineral oil

They are usually preferred to vegetable oils because they are cheap (by-product of fuel production). Vegetable oils such as argan oil, etc. are increasingly found in good dog shampoos today.

Surfactants, sulfates

Surfactants cleanse the skin and hair of dirt and grease and make shampoos foamy. They are almost indispensable in any shampoo (also those for humans).

Aggressive surfactants/sulfates/alcohols such as SLS or SLES are harmless but can cause dryness, itching and redness. In the long run, they are getting replaced by less aggressive ingredients.

Silicones

They are mainly recognized by the suffixes -cone and -xane. Those substances are not related to the skin and are not biodegradable. They are mainly used as softeners. However, silicones accumulate in the hair over time and can make the coat heavy and limp.

Dyes

They are used to give the shampoo an attractive color, they are food safe and harmless. Different colors help the user - such as the groomer- to quickly reach for the right shampoo bottle.

Perfume/fragrance

In most cases, flavorings are added to the shampoo not only to provide a pleasant scent to the coat, but also mask the inherent taste of the ingredients. Mostly synthetic aromas are used because they are cheaper and better tolerated than oils such as essential oils.

Preservatives/Parabens

Unfortunately, manufacturers cannot do without preservatives in dog shampoos. The purpose is to ensure shelf life and prevent the proliferation of microorganisms and fungi. Parabens can cause allergic reactions and are said to increase the risk of cancer. Today, most manufacturers do without parabens and replace this with the much more compatible preservative phenoxyethanol.

Special ingredients

Antibacterial or antimicrobial ingredients help with skin problems, for example. Added silver nanoparticles have a healing effect. Very often, plant extracts of chamomile, aloe, etc. are also added to the dog shampoo.

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