Dog Shampoo FAQs
15/04/2019
What can cause skin irritation in dogs?
When your dog is showing signs of skin irritation, there are factors other than a product’s ingredients (such as shampoo) that you’ll want to take into consideration when trying to assess the skin problem. First, a good diet is key to healthy skin and coat. It’s important that your dog receives a balanced diet that provides sufficient calories to meet their daily needs for growth, activities and repair. Grooming comes next. In addition to identifying ingredients causing dog skin allergies, there are other causes of skin irritation. One is an easy fix: in many cases, shampoo residue is left on the dog’s coat because it was not properly rinsed. This can irritate the skin and signifies the importance of rinsing your dog well when you bathe him/her.
My dog has allergies. What should I do?
If you are concerned about your dog’s skin problems or allergies, you should first understand that there is no such thing as a "non-allergenic" product. The FDA failed to regulate the use of the claim hypoallergenic. For the most part, the basic ingredients in so-called "hypoallergenic" pet care products are the same as those used in other pet care products sold for the same purposes. You can take steps to protect your pet by establishing whether or not your dog is allergic to a certain product. Once this has been determined, you can try to find out which ingredients your dog is allergic to and look for alternatives that are more suitable for your dog’s skin sensitivity. One way to discover allergies is to work with your vet to analyze the dog’s routine, including the food it eats, the shampoo it uses (if any), the air quality in its environment and so on. When shopping for products for your allergic dog, carefully scrutinize the label of ingredients and if needed, request more information from the company on its products before purchasing them. Organic Oscar does not use the term hypoallergenic because we don’t want to propagate a term that is not properly regulated. We do, however, have extremely gentle products that are safe for most dogs unless they have been diagnosed as allergic to one of the ingredients in our shampoo or conditioner, specifically.
How often should I shampoo and condition my dog?
The frequency that you should bathe your dog really depends on several different factors: the length of your canine’s coat, type of coat, existing skin problems, if your dog has sensitive skin, etc. It also depends on the lifestyle that your dog leads. If your dog is outdoors most of the time, you’ll probably want to bathe him/her more often. In general, bathing your dog once a month is good; however, you will be the judge of that. Just remember that dogs have protective natural oils that build over time and moisten their skin. If they are bathed too often, the dog’s skin will increase in dryness and irritation. It’s highly recommended not to wash a dog every week (unless it’s very dirty).