human shampoo for doggies??

[Jamieejo85]

I have a question. My next door neighbor's dogs (1 great dane and 1 saint bernard) always smell so goood! I asked her what it was and she said it was because she used Herbal Essence shampoo on them. I have never heard of someone using human shampoo for dogs so I was just wondering if it was safe. Because right after she told me that, I wanted to bathe Chico with it:) But I was just curious if any of you knew if it was safe or if anyone has ever used regular shampoo for your dogs.
~Jamie

[Glacier]

I've used Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo on both my dogs and cats for years. Never been a problem.

[aly]

The Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo is good to use, but I think the other kinds will dry out their skin. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt if you did it once though. I'll do a search and see if I can find anything out.

[guster girl]

Originally posted by aly
The Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo is good to use, but I think the other kinds will dry out their skin. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt if you did it once though. I'll do a search and see if I can find anything out.

Hey, Aly, your pm box is full, too. ;) And, I have only ever used pet shampoo, but, I would J&J would be fine, too.

[aly]

Yeah, I confirmed what I had thought to be true. Here are a few things I found.


Human shampoo is too drying for use on a dog. Use only shampoo formulated for dogs. Many human shampoos also contain chemicals that are very irritating to a dog's skin. Many dogs break out in rashes, itching, or dandruff if human shampoo is used on them. It should only be used in an emergency. http://www.bcrescue.org/humanshampoo.html




Lastly, a word about human shampoos is needed. While many do use human shampoos on their dogs, it is better not to. Human skin is more acidic than dog skin, and dog and cat skins are much thinner than that of a human. Other differences exist too, all of which means that for the optimum health of your pet’s skin, you should use shampoos designed for pets, not humans, when bathing your pets. http://www.petalia.com.au/templates/StoryTemplate_Process.cfm?Story_No=1628



Dish detergents and shampoo intended for humans should never be used on dogs or cats. Your dogs have skin that is thinner and much more sensitive than human skin, and shampoos for humans have completely different pH levels. http://roo.pixelgate.net/vetsbest/clinicroom7.html


(I do use Baby Shampoo on my bottle babies who are covered in fleas because it is so much more gentle than dog or cat shampoo and I've not had any problems)

[Glacier]

I should point out that the baby shampoo was recommended by a friend who has Sphynx cat. The cat needs a weekly bath and that's the shampoo recommended by the breeder. I have a handicapped cat who needed baths when she was smaller so I used J&J.

I might bath my dogs once or twice a year and the J&J works fine for them. If I bathed them more often, I'd probably get a pet shampoo.

[LorraineO]

My only concern is the eyes,,, alot of human shampooos REALLLY hurt when you get suds in the ol eyes,,,,, but with baby shampoo such as J+J I would think would be ok ...

[Kfamr]

I personally would never use any human shampoo on my dogs.

I use Lambert Kay's Fresh N Clean Oatmeal/Baking Soda Shampoo & Conditioner
http://www.lambertkay.com/products/prod_results.aspx?Prod_ID=14

It smells GREAT! In fact, my dad gave Simba & Nala a bath today. When I got home from school [ Just a bit ago] I asked "What smells so good?" And it was them!
They get sooo many compliments about their coats how nice they look/ how soft they are. I've even thought of using it for myself before.

[wolfsoul]

The only one of my animals that I've ever used human shampoo on before were rats. I started out wiht baby shampoo, but didn't lik thatsuff, so now Icarus gets bathed with my regular shampoo and he smells SO good, like flowers.

Timber gets bathed with this natural orange stuff. It smells very citrusy. I keep reminding my aunt that she can be a bit cheap though -- this shampoo costs $15 a bottle! :eek: I always wonder why pet shampoo can be so expensive.

There have been a few times where I have run out of shampoo, so I just use Caleb's shampoo. :o

[petslover]

I have bathed mine in human shampoo quite a bit , and they don't seem bothered by it. I don't see a problem with it. Like LorraineO said just be careful around the eyes.

[heinz57_79]

Technially, you're not supposed to bathe a dog in human shampoo. THe pH of our skin is very different from that of a dog, and it can cause all sorts of skin probs. As a groomer for several years, there are lots of really nice dog shampoo out there that smell even better than a lot of human shampoo and you don't risk all the problems that can come along with people shampoo. :)

[sammy101]

i did bath my dogs in human shampoo,but i recently switched over to "Top Paw" shampoo and it smell really good:D

[Jamieejo85]

Thanks for all the responses. I will not be using human shampoo on my dogs but I was just curious. I think I will try to locate the brand that Kay mentioned if it smells that good;)
~Jamie

[binka_nugget]

I use Mane and Tail on my two. I think it was originally for horses but people started using it on themselves as well as their dogs. I use it on myself as well. It makes my hair (and their fur) REALLY soft! I love it!

[aly]

Originally posted by binka_nugget
I use Mane and Tail on my two. I think it was originally for horses but people started using it on themselves as well as their dogs. I use it on myself as well. It makes my hair (and their fur) REALLY soft! I love it!

I used to use that (on myself) in juinor high. I love that stuff!

[Tonya]

I use dog shampoo, but if I am out and I want to wash my dogs, I will use mine. I don't stress to much about it. My RB Rosco had sensitive skin though so I never used any human stuff on him. I always use my conditioner on my dogs. I love how their fur feels after.

My mom used to use dishsoap, I think that is waaaaay to harsh. It's meant to cut grease, how could it possibly be good for them?

[Tonya]

Oh! And p.s. I used Mane and Tail in highschool too!

[wolf_Q]

If you don't want to spend a fortune on dog shampoo, may I recommend this..

http://www.petedge.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=35&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=0&iSubCat=0&iSubSubCat=0&iProductID=35&AS=1 (if that link takes you to a map just submit your zipcode and it should bring you to the product)

Yes it is $37.27 for a gallon but it dilutes 34:1 (that means 34 parts water to 1 part shampoo!) One gallon would last you forever. Just put a tiny bit in the bottom of an empty shampoo bottle, fill it with water and mix and you have enough to wash your entire dog. It also smells nice, cleans and suds very well and it does not harm their eyes. It also works on cats and is safe to use on puppies/kittens. It's kind of like the baby shampoo many of you use for your pets but this is actually made to use on pets. ;)

[Giselle]

Ha! My dog's shampoo smells better than mine. We use ...umm...Veterinarian's Best Nature's Salon Strawberries and Oatmeal. Smells as good as it sounds :)