Dog shampoo $$$!!

[cheapcheap]

Fellow couponers, have you all noticed the price of dog shampoos at pet supply stores lately? They ranged from $7.99 to $15 at Petsmart. I don't remember ever paying that much for dog or human shampoo... ever! What do you all do? Is human shampoo okay? TIA!

[kval07]

I guess I haven't noticed...I got Chester a huge bottle for $7-8 last June. It has lasted over a year and I won't be buying any anytime soon either. He is a little dog though, lol.

[crystal12605]

Pet smart uses dawn dish soap (original) with a little human conditioner (to prevent dry skin). That is what they told me to use too. It also gets rid of fleas.

[cheapcheap]

Oh, interesting! I'll give Dawn a try. Although I don't think Scooter is that greasy!

I used a sample bottle of Aveda shampoo with Rosemary and Mint and she didn't seem to mind until we started pouring the doggie conditioner with a very strong smell. I read on Dogster that dogs can be hyper-sensitive to certain scents.

[meems]

I use suave clarifying shampoo with no problems...I like the clarifying to remove oils around the ears, etc.

[navybrat]

People and dogs have different skin Ph levels and the people shampoo is not correct for them.Not even baby shampoo. Also, Dawn will not kill fleas. It might drown a few if you leave it sit long enough but it will not "kill fleas". Dawn is also VERY harsh on dogs skin, please don't use it regularly. If there is motor oil or something on the fur, it's ok, once, on that spot, but otherwise it is really not good. The only thing you can safely use routinely and not cause problems down the line with is pet shampoo. I don't know why Petsmart told pp that they use it with human conditioner because they DON"T. I know what they use as a regular and it's not Dawn.I don't mean to sound snotty but I have been a groomer for 14 years and I see people do this all the time then bring me the dog with tore up/dry skin and ask me "what's wrong, can you fix this?" Even if you get the Dollar Store brand dog shampoo that's only $1, at least it will be made for dog's skin. Really just trying to help here! :)

[bama chick]

I agree with Navy Brat. Thanks for sharing I`ve heard the same thing before.

[kval07]

My MIL takes dog grooming one step further. She uses human shampoo and then sprays her dogs with body spray when they start to smell. Drives me NUTS. Who sprays people perfume on their dogs????

[motherofmolly]

i use human shampoo everytime i wash my dogs..but this is not an everyday or every week thing either....

if it does dry out their skin, give them a little fat in their food. dogs need the oil (my grandma always had us give the dog bread n butter)...i met an old man who put a teaspoon of oil in his dogs food every day and once a week put baking soda on his coat to get the "dog funk" out..

times are tuff now..human shampoo wont hurt your dogs ..use in moderation ...

i have been a dog owner for 20 + years and a dog trainer for 10

[shashabell]

I just washed my two dogs this week end. I was also told by people to use Suave, Dawn, etc. until I called the vet and the tech said only to use dog shampoo. Their hair follicles and skin is different than ours. I did go out and buy dog shampoo for 7.99. I wish they would make a smaller size bottle because I will never use that much shampoo on my dogs.

[Weinergirl]

I got Seargant's brand dog shampoo at the grocery store (GE). It was $5.99 or $6.99 and I found a $1 q on their website.

[maggiew]

Baby shampoo isn't safe to use? Really??

I've used it a few times before in desperation. We have a huge bottle of Hartz right now.

On another note, is there anything such as a dog lotion for their skin? Sometimes in winter, my Molly gets a bit dry, and I'd love to help her out. It can be a bit itchy.

[navybrat]

Maggiew- it's not that baby shampoo isn't safe, it won't kill your dog, it's just not good for their skin/coat. Again, the Ph is different. Please note, this is not just my opinion, it's a fact. But to answer your question, yes, there are moisturizers for dogs! You can order them from petedge or ryans, places like that. Some vets/groomers sell them. The animal hospital I work at does too.There are different kinds. Leave-ons, like lotion and remoisturizers that you use with the bath and let sit 5-10 minutes then rinse off. They aren't typically expensive when you figure how long the bottle will last. Usually quite awhile! There are even some spray-on moisturizers. You would just have to browse and see what you like. Personally I like the Nature's Specialties rinse-off remoisturizer. It has a great scent too!!

[tuckll]

I am a dog groomer. We use Dawn as a degreaser and flea killer. Head & Shoulders for dogs with dry or sensitive skin. I have bought shampoo for my dogs from Pet Edge and Davis. Right now I am using a Lavender Shampoo it smells awesome. Purchased from Davis's. It has lasted me over 4 months so far for 4 dogs. The shampoo comes in a concentrate form so I have to mix it in a separate bottle 10 parts water and 1 part shampoo. I purchased it for $10.00. Hope this helps. Good Luck.

[Smee]

I know I'm weighing in late on this whole thing, but there are a lot of myths regarding pet shampoo vs. people shampoo. This is IMO a very credible source of independent research, though this is an old article:

Transformation Pet Center - Pet Shampoo MythsGroomers Love Affair (http://www.transformationpetcenter.com/articles/pet_shampoo_myths.html)


Myth #1 - The pH of pet shampoos is different from that of human shampoos.
Absolutely not true. The pH range of pet skin is different from the pH range of human skin (pet=6.2-7.2pH; human=5.2-6.2pH), but the pH range of the shampoo products is pretty much the same, with most products being in the 6.0-7.5 range. In our G-TNT test, the pet products actually covered a wider spectrum of pH than did the human products tested. Dawn dish soap tests at 7.0 pH which is the absolute neutral point. "Balanced pH" on a label usually means the pH is neutral, 7.0, considered the balance point between the acidic side and the basic side of the pH scale. It does not mean that the pH has been adjusted to the pH of pet skin.

[...]

Myth #3 - The ingredients in pet shampoos are different than those in human shampoos.
NOT. Pet and human shampoo manufacturers are shopping and mixing from the same pool of available ingredients. The same surfactants, emulsifiers, foaming agents, and preservatives show up in human and pet products in various combinations. The similarities are far greater than the differences. The biggest difference is that human products are required to show the ingredients on the label. If pet shampoos listed the ingredients, you would not be able to identify the differences.

[meggers]

Remember the Pert deal? I'm putting it to good use.

[tarita]

We have been using baby shampoo, since my puppy is recovering from an infected paw (result of a broken leg)... our vet suggested it and said it was fine to use all the time...he has had no problems and smells so good and it left his coat super soft.

[Snookibear]

Johnson's Baby Shampoo works perfect for Wally! And I love sniffing him afterwards!

[kbullsexy07]

i bought this generic dog shampoo at dollar tree for $1. The ingrediants are the exact same as the bottle i have from hartz.. the funny thing is people are always complimating me on how nice my dogs coat looks ha ha!

[CLN123]

The vet told me that use a dog shampoo that was oatmeal based. He said it would make the coat shine better. Has anyone ever heard this? I personally would never use a people shampoo on a dog, especially Dawn.

[kval07]

The vet told me that use a dog shampoo that was oatmeal based. He said it would make the coat shine better. Has anyone ever heard this? I personally would never use a people shampoo on a dog, especially Dawn.

I have always used oatmeal shampoo, and both of my dogs look absolutely handsome. I'm not biased either. :whistle67:

[mego1977]

I just got a bottle of flea and tic shampoo/conditioner from Target. I paid almost $5. The same bottle was selling for $9 over at petsmart.

[cheapcheap]

Update... went to another Petsmart and found store brand shampoos for $3.99. It contains natural ingredients and seems to be fairly good quality. I got the moisturizing formula with coconut oil. My furry baby smells like a coconut macaroon... mmm!!!

[lmk123]

I don't like using stuff with smell to it, that has to be annoying like fingernails on a chalkboard to their senses. Thanks for the link. I put our dog in the shower with me once a week and she doesn't mind at all.

I used to have a hard time finding the appropriate "shampoo" for our Sphynx cats, now I just add some oil into a small cup with whatever shampoo I am using for them and it cleans their *very* oily skin much better.

[christinamikayla]

I am a groomer and I use Dawn to kill fleas. Yes, it does kill fleas. Much safer than any "flea" shampoo that is full of harmful pesticides and toxic ingredients. I let it sit for about 10 minutes rinse off and then use an oatmeal dog shampoo. I don't use it for every dog just for the dogs that come in full of fleas.

[cheesecake]

The vet at Petsmart told my daughter to only shampoo her boxer every 2 weeks or it would dry his skin -- and to use Head & Shoulders shampoo. Like with everything else, it depends on who you talk to!!

[Lmnde]

Dog breeder [12+ years] and pet owner [30+ years] speaking here - countless bottles of expensive pet shampoo and conditioner later - of course the opinion you get depends on who you're speaking to! Vets, groomers and pet stores make their living on value added sales!

In reality a good/better quality ppl shampoo is better than a cheap doggy shampoo [especially stuff like Hartz and Sergeants! Hartz' fleastuff kills countless pups and kittens every year - I'm not even sure why they are still in business]. I used to buy the doggy shampoos + conditioners, and while the better stuff is great and makes for great coats, so does quality people shampoo. The problem with any bathing routine is when you overdue it or have a dog that already has a sensitive coat/skin to begin with. "Frequent washers" [what I call furmoms with a clean-nick] who shampoo their dogs weekly or bi-weekly, need to use good or better quality shampoos and also should condition every time they bathe [let sit in the crate for 5-10 minutes before rinsing off]. Weekly or bi-weekly bathing is not normal for a dog and can create skin and potential allergy issues if not done carefully and supported by quality food that helps replenish the natural skin oils.

A normal, fleafree dog [or cat] with a healthy coat [unless you have a puddle wallowing piggy] shouldn't require bathing more often than once every 4-8 weeks. Regular brushing is actually more important than bathing, as it stimulates oil secretion and hair/coat health. Before you all start yelling at me, I do realize that not all dogs are created equal, some have/get doggy odors no matter how often you bathe, others can go for weeks before needing a bath...

That said = Pert [like Dawn] also kills fleas nicely, and so does Loreal Vive [shampoo and let sit in a draft free, warm area for 10-15 minutes in a plastic crate]. I prefer using that to a pesticide shampoo, as I will still need to put some flea killing spray or topical afterwards [we're in GA and fleas are a way of life here], and I don't like to overdo it [as we have little doggies]. I also get some of the nicest results with Dove shampoos and conditioners, as well as Pantene.