How to Choose The Right Shampoo for Your Dog

6 Basic Guidelines How to Choose The Right Shampoo for Your Dog

With all the different types of dog shampoos available, how do you choose the right shampoo for your dog's needs? Shampoo for dogs is not the same as Human shampoo. Human shampoos are designed for a more acidic skin with many sweat glands and are often too harsh for pet skin. Occasionally using an expensive, moisturizing human shampoo is fine for dogs, but using human shampoos consistently can make dog skin unhealthy.

Rather than using human shampoos routinely, use a product which specialy made to benefit dog skin. That's why we need to choose the right Shampoo for our dog. But with lots types and variant of dog shampoos these days makes us confuse to choose the best one.

Here are some guidelines for choosing the best dog shampoo :

1. Choose a dog shampoo based on your dog's skin type.

You can find dog shampoos designed for dogs with dry, normal, or oily skin. It may be prudent to ask your vet what your dog's particular skin type is so you can make the right choice.

As a rule of thumb, red, blotchy and/or raised bumps are never a good sign when seen on your dog’s skin. If this is something you’ve never noticed, again, please consult with your physician before making any decisions about grooming. However, if your dog has a simple case of dry, flaky skin, some dandruff, or even mild allergies, a good oatmeal shampoo is best. Oatmeal-based shampoos are of the mildest and most soothing varieties available to the grooming world. So, when in doubt, go with oatmeal. An aloe-based shampoo can sometimes be nice and soothing for an itchy-skinned canine friend.

2. Choose a dog shampoo based on your dog's hair type.

Is your dog’s hair normal, meaning not greasy or dry? Is the coat free of knots and does he/she have healthy skin? If you’ve answered yes to all of these, then you can go with a basic everyday cleansing shampoo. There are many different and wonderful products on the market today. If you are looking for more natural products then you can go organic. If you’re partial to strong, yummy scents then you can base your decision on a wonderfully aromatic shampoo. If you personally don’t want any kind of lingering scents on your dog, go with something hypoallergenic. These will be dye and odor free. You can also pick a shampoo with a conditioner built into it; often referred to as a “conditioning shampoo”. This will make your bathing job one step quicker.

Now, if your dog’s coat seems dry you may want to opt for a crème rinse conditioner. These are usually thicker, and are left on a bit longer and need to be rinsed well. For adding extra moisture to the coat, a conditioning finisher spray can even follow the grooming. Just be careful not to over condition the coat, as you run the risk of weighing it down and making it appear greasy.

3. Use and all natural dog shampoo.

If you see a wealth of synthetic ingredients with names that are difficult to pronounce on the label, opt for a different shampoo. A good choice might be an oatmeal based shampoo which tends to be less irritating to the skin.

4. Does your dog have a problem with fleas and ticks?

If so, you may want to consider a dog shampoo containing pyrethrins. If you choose this option, avoid getting it into your dog's eyes or mouth during the bathing process. Also be sure to let your vet know your dog is using a shampoo with this ingredient since it can be toxic if ingested at high levels or if it interacts with other chemicals.

5. Does your dog have a problem with itchy skin?

If your dog is scratching frequently, have your dog seen by a vet to rule out skin conditions requiring treatment as well as parasites. If your dog gets a clean bill of health, consider investing in a shampoo with aloe vera as it can help to relieve itchy, irritated skin. If your dog has a more serious problem with itching, choose a medicated dog shampoo or a shampoo with a low dose of hydrocortisone to alleviate the constant scratching. It may also be helpful to use a hypoallergenic shampoo to prevent aggravation of any skin allergies.

6. Go light on the scented shampoos.

The wonderful smells that humans find so pleasing can sometimes be irritating to your dog's skin. Go light on the perfumes and be sure to read the label to make sure none of the ingredients will be irritating to your dog's skin.

By following these guidelines for choosing the best dog shampoo you'll have a happy dog who comes out smelling like a blooming flower!

sources :
http://voices.yahoo.com
http://www.hartz.com
http://www.1800petmeds.com

For your reference only, you can look the list of Best Dog Shampoos Plus Conditioners below :

Image	Rank	Category	Product ID	Title	Top 100	List Price	Sale Price	Savings	Savings %	Comm	Rating	Reviews
	1	Dog Shampoos Plus Conditioners	B0002IEYIE	Earthbath All Natural Dog Shampoo, Oa...	NA	15.99	12.24	3.75	23	0.49	4.5	445
	2	Dog Shampoos Plus Conditioners	B0037Z6VK8	SynergyLabs VF Clinical Care Antipara...	NA	15.99	6.99	9.00	56	0.28	4.4	214
	3	Dog Shampoos Plus Conditioners	B00079PHUW	Earthbath All Natural Puppy Shampoo,...	NA	14.00	11.45	2.55	18	0.46	4.5	445
	4	Dog Shampoos Plus Conditioners	B001AWH582	Tropiclean SPA Tear Stain Remover, 8...	NA	11.99	6.26	5.73	48	0.25	4.1	92
	5	Dog Shampoos Plus Conditioners	B0045IPMJW	FURminator deShedding Conditioner, 16...	NA	15.99	10.99	5.00	31	0.44	4.6	94
	8	Dog Shampoos Plus Conditioners	B00079PHVG	Earthbath All Natural Hypo-Allergenic...	NA	14.00	11.55	2.45	18	0.46	4.5	445
	11	Dog Shampoos Plus Conditioners	B0006341VK	Earthbath All Natural Tea Tree and Al...	NA	14.00	11.57	2.43	17	0.46	4.5	445
	13	Dog Shampoos Plus Conditioners	B0006341VA	Earthbath All Natural Mango Tango Sha...	NA	14.00	11.60	2.40	17	0.46	4.5	445
	18	Dog Shampoos Plus Conditioners	B00079PHUM	Earthbath All Natural Eucalyptus and...	NA	14.00	12.52	1.48	11	0.50	4.5	445
	31	Dog Shampoos Plus Conditioners	B0009X49TQ	Earthbath All Natural Orange Peel Oil...	NA	14.00	11.40	2.60	19	0.46	4.5	445
	34	Dog Shampoos Plus Conditioners	B0009XLVEW	Earthbath All Natural Clear Advantage...	NA	16.00	12.22	3.78	24	0.49	4.5	445