Shampoo Rec please! Weekly baths on a large dog

[rlneub]

Edit for clarification: it’s not the dirt that’s the problem it’s that he’s allergic to everything that we come in contact with when we hike- so it’s really that we have to get all of the stuff from the plants and the leaves and the grass and the dirt off of him.

Hi! So my dude gets weekly baths - he gets absolutely filthy from backpacking trips and hiking every weekend. Just rinsing or doing a brush out and spray does not help at all. He is also prone to hives from grass and plants (yes we have checked him out completely and he’s just “sensitive”), so we just do a bath every Saturday. I use Davis Grubby Dog right now- which I love- the smell lasts a long time (I double wash at correct dilution) and it doesn’t dry him out. I would love some other options though to have different smells that clean well, don’t dry him out, but have a long lasting scent. Also would love a rec for a conditioner without silicones

https://imgur.com/a/lBwALxG

 

[naturex]

@rlneub I hike dogs for a living, and my dog hikes literally every single day and still doesn’t warrant a weekly bath. A warm water rinse really should suffice, yeah they’re not going to be perfectly clean but a dog shouldn’t really be perfectly clean because you’d be stripping them of their natural oils.

 

[rlneub]

@naturex I made a clarification in my post, it’s not that he’s dirty if it was just dirt I would be fine with it and I would brush it off and we’d be good, it’s that he gets hives from the dirt and leaves and the grass so we have to wash after we hike because it’s super dusty and he climbs in the underbrush

 

[naturex]

@rlneub Maybe a onesie would be a better solution for you guys then!

 

[rlneub]

@naturex I’ve considered it! He does have a reflective jacket as well so when he wears that I only have to wash off his legs and face.

I’m going to try some conditioners and see if a water rinse and conditioner will work.

 

[naturex]

@rlneub Ooo that’s a good idea. If it doesn’t help or you want an added layer of protection I’ve seen lots of companies that make custom onesies for dogs that are super light and UV rated! Threadz n tailz is a great one, you can find them on IG!

 

[rlneub]

@naturex We are trying out conditioner washing this week and so far so good!! I have the sun guard conditioner from natures specialties which I diluted and then used a curry to really get it in there. It seems to have cleaned enough of the mud and plant matter off and so far no hives!

 

[naturex]

@rlneub That’s so amazing!!!!

 

[rlneub]

@naturex He’s such an awesome dog but he has severe allergies to life .

 

[marlou]

@rlneub Use a gentle oatmeal shampoo, or try a leave-on coat conditioning spray while you use the velocity dryer.

Natural Dog Co. has an Oatmeal-Aloe Vera sensitive skin shampoo you can try!

 

[knr80]

@rlneub As a groomer, and someone who formerly worked at a veterinarian office, I really wouldn’t recommend washing more than once every four weeks (minimum), unless there is a medical issue with medicated shampoo.

It’s good that he isn’t drying out, but we all need natural oils to keep healthy skin.

Personally, I would say stick to a puppy shampoo if you plan to continue to washing him this frequently (earthbath has a really nice cherry scented one that I LOVE, and all my clients LOVE), and a corresponding spray that helps deodorize.

However, if he were my dog (and I hike with mine every weekend as well, husky/mal/GSD mix with much less coat than you’d expect, Newfoundland who I keep relatively short, who has a very distinct personal smell, that regardless comes back after a little longer than a week after even a deep wash, and formerly another husky/mal/GSD/Pry mix (white too) with a dense coat).. I would simply wait until any mud/dirt/yuck dried, spray liberally with a deodorizing spray and brush like my life depended on it.

Mine I wash every four to five weeks, proper desheds and everything as well and only the newf has the issue of being stinky. Never really had any problem with my method and they swim in the creek or lake or anywhere they can as well.

Oh and an edit!: I’d feasible for you, I would recommend getting a high velocity dryer for at home use for after the bath. Drying fully helps prevent any “wet dog” smell from popping up, and if he blows his coat, it’ll help maintain the tuftballs around the house as well. I always use mine outside. It can be tedious keeping dogs in tip top shape, but a good dryer can last for a really long time with proper use and maintenance.

 

[rlneub]

@knr80 We do a high velocity dryer!

Unfortunately because of his outdoor allergens- I have to wash him after hiking. It’s almost impossible to figure out what he reacts to and instead my vet just said to wash him well after hikes. She knows it’s weekly! He gets the red paw pads and huge hives if I don’t - we did a medicated shampoo at first but then she said I can try whatever and if he reacts to go back to the medicated one.

 

[joyathome]

@rlneub If you buy the appropriate dog shampoo they are gentle enough these days and Ph balanced so that you can use them weekly.

My favorite company is Quadruped it's made in NY with US sourced ingredients their yucca shampoo and four in one conditioner concentrate are my two top picks and they have a gorgeous flower scent that reactivates when the dog gets wet again. (The ingredients of both these formulas are also very skin soothing)

They also have hypoallergenic scent free versions of both of these products and all of their soap formulas are tear free (I check with my own eyes) Allergies to perfumes are usually more common with people than dogs but I figured I'd mention those scent-free lines (and also say that all "no scent" products do have some kind of vague smell that comes from the ingredients themselves, just no added perfumes)

Zymox is another brand that's great for dogs with allergies (it smells like bubble gum or cotton candy though) it has vitamin D3 which will help to restore the dogs natural moisture barrier

 

[rlneub]

I’m going to clarify in my post but he needs the bath there’s no other option we can’t do dry shampoo it’s “a bath is necessary”

 

[cathya]

@rlneub Dry shampoo! I use dry clean from Pet Head, works great for getting the mud off my white dog.

 

[ayen]

@rlneub I have used Nova Pearls for years and used it in my grooming shop

 

[hannahgrace]

@rlneub I love the iGroom Prebiotic shampoo and conditioner

 

[hannahgrace]

Zymox shampoo and creme rinse is another great option for a contact allergy prone dog

 

[josh0302]

@rlneub Are you sure he is just allergic to plants? Fragrances and colors are main causes of sensitivities and allergies to products. Get unscented /hypoallergenic shampoo and conditioner. Dilute it at least 10x and wet the dog thoroughly before you apply the shampoo, and rinse it out very, very thoroughly. Same with the conditioner. This "long-lasting scent" can easily be killing his skin. If more than a faint scent remains, you haven't rinsed out all of the product. Anything left on him is another irritant.

 

[rlneub]

@josh0302 He’s an oddball. No it’s not fragrances- when I started weaning off the medicated shampoo she had me doing hypoallergenic shampoo once a month, but then he started up with hives after getting in dirt/grass/etc. so we increased baths again. He has no reaction/ redness/ itching at all with grubby dog, same with a few of the natures specialties I’ve tried. No dryness, no hives, his skin is perfect so long as he gets washed after really getting dirty.

Ideally I would like to find a conditioner and just rinse him, condition and use the zoom groom, and rinse and see if that’s enough.