WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER USE DISH DETERGENT TO BATHE YOUR DOG
I love Pinterest and have loads of boards where I catalog everything from laundry rooms with adorable custom doggie showers (see a gorgeous one below!) to collections of my favorite vintage dog books, adding to my boards is one of my favorite ways to relax late in the evening with Agatha snoozing at my feet.
Yet while I love all the pins related to canine care, some of them that I simply shake my head over, everything from DIY flea spray which tells the reader to “add 2 ounces of dish soap to a spray bottle topped off with water and feel free to spray directly on your dog’s coat” (Eek!!) to making homemade dog shampoo using Joy or Dawn dish detergent (double EEK!). The one that nearly sent me over the brink was the pin that told dog owners to use 1/4 of a bottle of dish detergent as the base for your super inexpensive (read super damaging to your dog’s coat!) concoction!
Working as a veterinary technician, it seems that skin problems often topped the list of our daily appointments, dogs are funny creatures and their skin is surprisingly sensitive with a pH as high as 7.4 which is much more neutral than our human pH of 5..4. Until you’ve seen a dog with a corneal burn or ulcer from detergent, it’s hard to appreciate how much damage many everyday products can cause.
Even using human shampoo can upset your dog’s natural balance, stripping the protective oils from her coat and leaving her susceptible to a host of unpleasant skin conditions, did you know that even baby shampoo which we all consider entirely safe and gentle, is 150 times too acidic for your dog’s skin and coat! Speaking of baby shampoo,,, do you know why it’s labeled “tearless”? Turns out there are numbing agents (Novocain) to keep the pain sensors in the eye from responding to the irritant suds, tears are the bodies natural defense to wash and cleanse the delicate eye tissues, turning those protective tears off for your dog can spell disaster.
Of course I’m a proponent of top quality products for our dogs, including organic dog shampoos, it’s hard not to share a product when you know it’s simply the best on the market. Our Agatha’s Luxury Lather Dog Shampoo is amazing, it leaves damaged dry coat shining and restored with natural essential oils and healing aloe barbadios. I can’t believe how thrilled I am with both it and Agatha’s Healthy Shine Coat Conditioner. If you aren’t using our products, please make sure you do use a product that is beneficial for your dog’s coat. Look for one that is sulfate free, contains essential oil fragrances, and aloe based.
In the meantime, please save the Dawn for your dishes, your dog will thank you, I promise!
Leave a Reply