Choosing a Shampoo for Your Puppy

TLC Pet Food discusses the different varieties of puppy shampoos and what to look for when choosing a shampoo for your puppy.

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When bathing your new puppy, you will want to select a shampoo specific to not only puppies, but your puppy’s coat and skin needs as well. Choosing a shampoo for your puppy may be something you want to consult your breeder or veterinarian about, depending on your pup’s needs. We layout the different varieties of puppy shampoo and what they do to help your puppy’s skin and coat.

Three Different Skin Types

Dog shampoos usually come in three varieties being normal, greasy, or dried-out skin types. If your puppy has dry skin, find a shampoo that contains aloe and or oatmeal. Both of these ingredients are natural soothers and can help dry skin. If your dog has oily skin, find a shampoo that is “anti-microbial.” This will help break up the oil and provide a thorough cleansing. Judge your pup’s skin type when choosing a shampoo for your puppy and select one that’s appropriate for their skin type. Prepare to pay quite a bit more for your dog’s shampoo than you do your own – it’s specialized and will last quite a long time since frequent bathing of your dog is discouraged. Bathing your pup too often can interfere with the oils in your dog’s coat and make for dry, itchy skin.

Special Purpose Shampoos

Besides shampoo for different skin types, there are also many different special-purpose shampoos your pup may need. Some shampoos cater to a particular medical condition, climate, or specific allergy. Medical shampoos can remedy bacterial and yeast infections, itching, odor, greasiness, scaling, and kill mites. Consult your veterinarian or retail associate on what types of shampoo that they recommend if your puppy has one of these issues.

Scented Shampoos & Irritation

Groomers sometimes recommend avoiding shampoos that have a heavy scent or perfume in them. You may love the smell of it. However, the chemicals that create that scent could be detrimental to your dog’s respiratory system due to their much better and acute sense of smell. Many dog shampoos also come in a ‘tearless’ formulation which, as the name describes, will not irritate your dog’s eyes as much as a normal formulation should they get it in their eyes.