May 20, 2021

Can You Use Human Shampoo On Dogs?

What Do to Wash My Dog with Human Shampoo?

There is no dog shampoo on hand. Can you use human shampoo for bathing your dog in this situation? Yes. It won't cause immediate harm, but it's not a long-term solution. Baby shampoo can be a good alternative because it contains ingredients that are milder than regular human shampoos. Baby shampoo has a pH value of about 7. Please use baby shampoo when you can't buy dog shampoo.

shampoo on dogs

Why Not Human Shampoo?

When bathing your dog, recommend using dog shampoo, not human shampoo, because the dog's skin is thinner than human skin, while the PH value also has a distinct difference. If you use human shampoos for a long time, it will destroy the balance of the dog's skin oil, which will cause increased dander, dry skin, dry hair, and other symptoms, and in severe cases, can lead to skin diseases.

1. The Ingredients Are Different
Dog shampoo contains a specially formulated formula, such as an insecticide formula for fleas and ticks. At the same time, Dog shampoo may also have many ingredients that are beneficial to dogs. Elements such as salicylic acid, menthol, and aloe vera can suppress itching or prevent some skin irritations in dogs. Lactic acid and glycerin can make your dog's skin less dry and sensitive. Almond and coconut oil can keep the dog's coat smooth. These ingredients are not always present in the human shampoo we use, so using our body wash may not provide the care.

2. Different pH Levels
The pH value of dog skin is 7.5 on average, while our skin is 5.5. The human shampoo we use is generally weakly alkaline to neutralize the pH value of our skin. If used on a dog, it will fail to balance the pH value of the dog's skin, destroy the protective oils on the skin surface, make some bacteria and fungi available, and irritate the dog's skin and cause skin diseases. Long time, the dog's skin will become very dry, and the coat will become rough.

3. The Dog's Skin is Thin
The epidermal layer of the dog's skin is only 3 to 5 layers, while the human skin epidermal layer is three times that of the dog. If the dog with more sensitive skin uses our human shampoo, it may reduce the dog's immunity and cause skin diseases.

4. Dogs Do Not Have Sweat Glands
Dogs do not have sweat glands distributed throughout the body like humans. They secrete a protective film in the subcutaneous tissue, which plays a role in waterproofing and resists bacteria and fungus. If you use human shampoo may directly destroy this protective film.

5. Dogs Will Eat It by Mistake
Dogs often lick their fur after bathing. We use human shampoo usually contains a variety of chemical ingredients. If not rinsed clean and lead to human shampoo left in the dog's fur and skin, it is likely to be eaten by dogs, and long-term accumulation will also affect the dog's gastrointestinal health.

How to Choose the Right Dog Shampoo?

1. Skin Condition
Owners need to know if their dog's skin is prone to dryness, itching, and peeling. If any of these conditions occur, the owner should try to choose a moisturizing dog shampoo. At the same time, the owner should not use some scented dog shampoo, and they usually contain some skin-irritating chemicals. You can use some dog shampoo containing natural ingredients. If the dog still has skin problems after the bath, the owner needs to consult the vet as soon as possible.

2. Fleas & Ticks
If your dog has more fleas and ticks and other parasites, the owner can buy some special dog shampoo to inhibit fleas and ticks. These shampoos contain insecticidal drugs, but this shampoo only plays a preventive role and can not solve the underlying cause. In addition to bathing, the owner also has to do deworming to the dog and home cleaning.

3. Odor
If the dog has a heavy body odor or often plays outside, the owner can choose some deodorant dog shampoo to effectively remove these not-so-good smells.

4. Shiny Coat
If your dog's coat is not shiny, the owner can choose some dog shampoo containing minerals, vitamins, and proteins to restore the shine of your dog's coat.

5. Tangles
If your dog's hair is prone to tangles, the owner can pick some dog-friendly conditioner when bathing in addition to combing the dog's hair more often, and use the conditioner to coat the dog's hair after washing the dog's body to replenish the natural oils and make the hair smoother.

Avoid Using Shampoo Containing the Following Elements

1. Proprietary blend of coat and skin conditioners and moisturizers
2. Artificial fragrance
3. Pthalates
4. Artificial colors
5. Formaldehyde preservatives
6. Isothiazolinone preservatives
7. Paraben preservatives
8. Cocamide-MEA
9. Triethanolamine
10. Mineral oil
11. SD Alcohol 40 (isopropyl or SD-40)
12. Polyethylene glycol
13. Propylene glycol
14. Sodium benzoate preservative
15. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
16. Sodium Laureth Sulfate
17. Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
18. Polysorbates
19. Cocamidopropyl betaine

Three Things To Know About Bathing A Dog

1. No Bathing After Eat
As we all know, people can't bathe after eaten, and more can not be hungry when washing, the same for the dog, we can not let it eat too much to clean it, this time will bring a significant burden to the dog's body.

2. Control Time
Dogs in the bath time are too long, for example, like Golden Retriever such dogs may bath the whole time to more than two hours, we can not let it has been in the water bubble, must be in the middle of the bath time let the dog slightly slow release, you can let it rest a few minutes, bathing is also a tricky thing.

3. The Outdoor Weather
Do not mind the dog bathing outside, but pay attention to the temperature, do not let the dog catch a cold. Sometimes there is also the phenomenon of diarrhea after the bath. These are a manifestation of the dog catching a cold. As far as possible, choose to go to the bath indoors and ensure that it has been blow-dried before letting it go out to play. Many people will also say that the choice of towels and the number of baths, frequent baths will cause shedding.

When buying dog shampoo, owners are advised to go to a pet store and pay attention to the ingredients in the shampoo so as not to irritate or harm the dog's skin. Owners can also consult their vet before purchasing.

Do You Use Dog Shampoo?

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