Can I wash my dog ​​with human shampoo?

Keeping a pet is a rather demanding task. Feeding, walking, parenting, and hygiene - all aspects are extremely important. In this article, we will talk about the need to bathe your pet, and also consider how to do it correctly, and whether it is worth using a special shampoo or a human one is perfect.

Most often, the dogs that you keep in your apartments and let them walk in the park cannot get so dirty that they have to be bathed. However, some individuals still find themselves an alternative way to frolic, and then "please" their owner with dirty wool. In this case, the pet will have to be bathed out of turn.

By the way, speaking of the normal frequency of washing, it is enough to bathe the dog 2 to 4 times a year. That is, you can do it once a season, and it will be enough.

When you see a rather funny, but still unpleasant picture - a dog on which dirt rolls along its wool like "sausages", you immediately grab the first available detergent, be it an adult or children's shampoo. However, do not think that if such a detergent is harmless to the child, then it will be just as harmless to the dog. It should be clearly understood: the skin and hair of dogs and humans varies considerably.

In the canine family, hair is an individual indicator of any change in health.This means that if your pet has an incorrect or unhealthy diet, metabolic disorders, this will immediately affect the coat. Changes will be visible instantly.

• Wool can lose its former moisture and become completely dry and brittle, like a straw.
• In addition to dryness, the dog may begin to lose hair in large quantities. And this will become a common problem, since not only will your apartment suffer, which will literally "drown" in scraps of fur, but also the dog's digestion will significantly deteriorate, since it will lick the hairs that have fallen off itself.
• The appearance of dandruff can be an unfavorable indicator.

All these signs indicate the wrong diet or the wrong choice of detergent. In the first case, the hair follicles do not eat enough and cannot give birth to a healthy and lush coat.

The acidity of the dog's skin is different from the acidity of the human skin, which is why if you bathe it with human shampoo, the skin will be destroyed. However, in this case we are talking about multiple use of the product or bathing too often.

If your pet accidentally ended up in a puddle of mud, which did not make you very happy, and even the veterinary pharmacy has been closed for a long time, then you can wash it with your shampoo. From once, there will be no visible or at least somehow affecting health harm.

On the forums of dog lovers, you can find the statement that you really shouldn't bathe them with shampoo, but great with laundry soap! Allegedly, the coat immediately becomes soft and clean, and the dog as a whole feels great.

However, even in this situation, everything is by no means simple. Soap, let alone household soap, breaks the acidity of your dog's skin even more than shampoo... Its miraculous properties relate only to the properties of laundry soap as a detergent. That is, you can wash the dog with it once, but it will reflect negatively on the skin in the long term.

In this situation, a similar rule applies: in an emergency, you can wash your pet with such soap, but resorting to this method too often is unacceptable... And it's better to buy a bottle of dog shampoo the very next day.

The puppy, whether you are going to use shampoo or not, should be bathed for the first time no earlier than 2 months. The immune system, skin and the whole body of the baby have not yet matured and formed. Accordingly, it is definitely impossible to bathe such a representative of your family with human soap or shampoo.

If your puppy has already managed to get dirty somewhere, try to wash it off with plain water. But next time you will need to choose a special shampoo for him.

It is not worth using a universal solution. By doing this, you only risk harming your pet. Therefore, choose a shampoo based on various criteria, which are discussed below.

• First of all, you need to pay attention to the age of the dog. It's no secret that the skin of a puppy and an adult dog is different, so choose different products.
• Much depends on the breed of the dog. Some of them are more or less sensitive to certain components, and even the acid-base environment of the skin is different.
• Pay attention to the length of your dog's coat. For short-haired dogs, a regular cleanser will suffice. But their brethren with longer hair will have to look for an emollient so that the pile is easy to comb out and does not get confused.
• For those who have predominantly or completely white wool, there are special safe bleaches.
• Please note that shampoos are not only detergents, but also specialized, with the function of getting rid of parasites / dandruff.

Of course, in order to have on hand detergents for any occasion, you will need to buy several bottles. First, when the puppy is old, you will need a certain type of shampoo to wash the offspring of the wolf. The next shampoo is matched individually for the type and length of pet hair. If your dog is white, you will need a mild, safe bleach product. And finally, in case of getting fleas or skin problems - one or two medicated shampoos.

In this case, you will always have in your arsenal everything that can help your pet, and you will not have to do any harm to the delicate skin of the dog. Even if the animal completely falls out in the mud, there will be something and how to wash it.

• Don't make the water too hot. The higher the water temperature or, conversely, the excessively cool, the more stressful it is. And it will be reflected not only on the psyche of the animal, but also physiologically on the skin.
• Do not draw too much water to completely eliminate the possibility of your dog swallowing excess water from the bathroom. The ideal solution in this case would be to shower under the shower, and it is better that the watering can be fixed in the direction of the animal's back. Then the water will not pour on the face, which is rather unpleasant, but will only help you wash.
• Do not wash your face, especially gently rinse near the nose, eyes, mouth. It is impossible for any chemistry to get into these organs, because it is even more difficult for a dog to cope with unpleasant sensations than for a person.
• Rinse all soap off the dog thoroughly. This is a necessary parameter, it will not only exclude poisoning, but also completely relieve the skin of subsequent irritation by the remains of the foam.

Indeed, there are situations when it is necessary to wash the pet, but there is no special shampoo at hand. Then there is nothing left but to use the human one, and there will be no particular harm from a one-time bathing (subject to the rules described above, of course). But then it's better to go straight to the veterinary pharmacy or specialty store and get the right shampoo for your dog.

For information on how to properly wash your dog, see the next video.