Which Dog Shampoo is Best For Preventing Dry Skin on Dogs?
Many dog owners may notice that their dog has very dry skin. Dry skin on dogs is a fairly common occurrence. You may have noticed that your dog has flaky skin and dandruff all over the coat. This can be caused by over bathing your dog. When you give your dog too many baths, you might be getting rid of your dogs natural oils. Many dog shampoos actually lead to negative results because the pH level between the shampoo and moisturizing agents differ too greatly.
Your Dog has Natural Oils
In order to understand dry skin on dogs, you need to know that your dog produces oils naturally. Your dog needs these oils to keep their coat healthy. When s dog owner uses human shampoo to wash their dog, they are making a mistake. This is because of the pH levels vary. This usually results in flaky or dry skin on your dog. Unfortunately, dog shampoo manufacturers use shampoo designed for humans as a base. This could cause the dog shampoo to not work as effectively as it should.
Many shampoos are water based, which can cause dry skin on dogs. Dog shampoos that use aloe vera as a base have proven to be much more effective than water based shampoos. Dogs who were bathed in this shampoo showed a much healthier coat and had no dry skin whatsoever. The skin was actually moisturized by the shampoo and looked very healthy. Oatmeal has also shown to be an effective additive to shampoo beacuse the texture helps remove excess dirt. Oatmeal mixed with aloe vera turned out to be an excellent solution for preventing flaky skin. So when you pick out a shampoo for your dog, be sure it is aloe vera based, not water based.
Why Are Water Based Shampoos Bad?
Water is bad for your dogs skin coat because it prevents the production of oil and causes your dog’s skin to dry out. There was an experiment conducted with different Oatmeal shampoo variations, and it showed that the water based variants caused a negative pH balance. Aloe vera based shampoo left a shiny, healthy coat with no flaking or dandruff.
Please note that just because the shampoo says it contains aloe vera, does not mean it is aloe vera based. There are water based shampoos out there that contain aloe vera, but can still cause dry skin on dogs.
Dry Skin On Dogs – Step By Step Treatment
Dry skin on dogs is a common issue because many dogs expose themselves to environmental factors that can cause dry skin and itching. As humans, our skin is not nearly as sensitive as dog skin. Before you try to treat dry skin on your dog, it is important that you rule out other factors first. There are a few serious factors that cause itching on dogs. These factors include itching from parasites, fleas, infections, and skin allergies. When you determine your dog is not suffering from these conditions, you can make an effort to reduce his dry skin and relieve your dog from scratching.
There are a few different ways you can help dry skin on dogs:
Step 1: Check on your dog’s nutrition
Proper nutrition can make a huge difference in helping your dog’s dry skin. A balanced nutrition diet is necessary for preventing your dog from developing dry skin. Make sure your dog has dog food that included Omega-3 fatty acids. These oils will definitely help a dog that has dry skin. Many dogs with dry skin have been found to have a deficient of essential omega-3 fatty acids.
Step 2: Dry skin on dogs: Rule out any routine grooming factors
Many shampoos can by harmful to your dog’s skin. Shampoo can take away all of your dogs natural oils that are meant to protect their skin. When these oils are gone, your dog’s skin will be more sensitive and could possibly start itching and flaking. Make sure you are using an all natural shampoo with the essential oils included for dogs with sensitive skin.
There are also rinses that can be bought that include hydrocortisone. Hydrocortisone can reduce any inflammation and greatly relieve itching. Your dog will thank you for using this. It will relieve them from severe itching from dry skin.
Step 3: Treat dry skin on dogs using oatmeal
Oatmeal paste has shown to be soothing to a dog with dry skin. You can simply mix oatmeal in water, forming a thick paste. Then, just apply the paste on your dog’s skin. It also helps to apply a warm towel over the paste. Leave this for about fifteen minutes then remove the oatmeal and towel. If done daily, you should notice an improvement over time. There are oatmeal shampoos for dogs that can also sooth dry skin on dogs.
Step 4: Limit your dog’s sun exposure
There are many factors outdoors that can trigger your dog’s allergies and cause dry skin. Many dogs are allergic to certain plants, grasses, pollen, and other factors. It can be hard to assess which factors are triggering your dog’s allergies. You have to carefully examine which plants your dog has been around to see which ones they may be reacting to.
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