Shampoo Therapy

Skin conditions in pets can be very frustrating, both for the animal and the owners.  Shampoo therapy can be a very effective management tool if it is done properly.

How to Properly Shampoo Your Pet

1. Determine the appropriate shampoo and conditioner combination to use. Dog skin is less than half as thick as human skin, and cat skin is even thinner.  Human products are too harsh to use on your pets skin and can cause severe drying and irritation. Talk to your veterinarian about which product is best to use on your pet.

2. Thoroughly wet your animal’s fur with lukewarm water. 

3. Apply shampoo product to most severely affected areas first, then distribute through the rest of the coat.  If you are using different products for different areas, treat the most severely affected area first, then apply the second product to the rest of the coat.

4. Leave the shampoo on the animal for 10 – 15 minutes.  It needs to be in contact with the skin to have the desired effect.  Do not leave shampoo on for longer than 15 minutes as it can cause irritation.

5. Thoroughly rinse coat until water runs clear.  Any shampoo left on the coat can cause irritation and can cause the coat to look dull and feel sticky.

6. Apply conditioner to coat and massage through. 

7. Thoroughly rinse coat until water runs clear.  Any conditioner left on the coat can cause irritation and can cause the coat to look dull and feel sticky.

8. Shampoo as often as recommended by your veterinarian.  Do not shampoo your pet more than 2 – 3 times per week, as this can cause skin irritation and can cause conditions to worsen.  Cool water baths with no shampoo can offer relief to an itchy pet in between shampoo baths.