Let’s be honest, the saying that goes ‘dog is man’s best friend’ is not completely wrong. Odds are you live with a dog or you live next to one and you are not alone. Around the world, millions spend their every moment sharing their lives with their canine partners.
But although it is possible to share everything with your dog, your shampoo should never be shared with your dog. And although you might be asking yourself what’s wrong with it? Isn’t it just soap? The fact is human shampoo contains chemicals that should never get to the skin of a dog.
So, what is Dog Shampoo?
Dog shampoos are just like human shampoo except this was made specifically for dogs to maintain their hygiene. These are adventurous animals that would rather spend their days roaming about looking for things or playing in the sand or a less hygienic place.
The key difference between human shampoo and dog shampoo is in the ingredients. The best dog shampoo contains ingredients that clean out a dog’s coats beautifully while keeping it nourished with all the required vitamins and nutrients to ensure it keeps looking shiny and moisturized.
In this manner you cannot simply bath for yourself with just water without any shampoo for proper hygiene. Dog hygiene also demands you apply shampoo to your dog’s coat from time to time to keep it healthy.
In addition to this, dog shampoo can also be used to maintain a variety of conditions a dog might have. Today we have dog shampoo for hair fall, dog shampoo for dry skin, sensitive skin, and so on.
However, it is not all fun and games when choosing a shampoo. The right shampoo choice can leave your dog the envy of the neighborhood while the wrong choice can set your dog’s hygiene back by months.
Steps before buying the Best Dog Shampoo
Just as you wouldn’t use just any shampoo for yourself, you should not just use any type of shampoo for your dog’s skin. In order to choose the best dog shampoo, let’s look at the following factors:
Underlying Skin Condition:
By now, it should come as no surprise that dogs also have skin conditions as we do. A dog could have dry skin, itchy, or flaky skin. If your dog happens to fall within this category, you might want to consider a moisturizing shampoo to take care of this. A great quick google search on ‘Best dog shampoo for dry skin’ would be a great place to start and another great move would be to also avoid any shampoos with scents as they often contain chemicals that could further irritate the skin and it would be great to go for shampoos that contain natural ingredients.
If your dog’s condition continues or flares up after applying shampoo, please take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible.
Beware of fleas:
Every dog has had its fair share of a consistent battle against fleas and ticks and that is why there is a huge variety of such products on the market. Depending on what you’re looking for, you could choose to pick up shampoo to kill fleas or fend them off. However, it is important to mention that this is short-term protection and it needs to be supplemented with other measures.
Age:
You should know by now that dog products are primarily differentiated by age. Puppies have special products made for them and adult dogs have theirs. Puppy shampoos are usually gentler and are usually made with a no-tear formula that does not irritate their skins.
Smell:
Call it natural behavior but dogs enjoy finding their way into messy and smelly situations. If your dog is particularly adventurous, you might want to opt for a deodorizing shampoo that has a powerful scent to get rid of any unpleasant smells.
Coat luster:
The right shampoo can make your dog’s coat regain any lost shine or luster. These shampoos are usually packed with proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Coat color:
For dark-colored dogs, any type of shampoo color might be able to fly as it would not leave any discoloration. But dogs with light coats might choose to opt for special shampoos that contain brighteners to prevent yellowing.
