Dog's skin issues: Is my medicated shampoo effective or do I bathe more?

The medicated shampoo must have contact time. You need to lather it on and then leave it on for 10-15 minutes before rinsing. You also need to be bathing in this fashion every 2-3 days until the skin is looking better. Skin issues like this take a few weeks to clear up so you won't see an immediate response.

I would recommend either applying directly to the dog or your hands first. Most medicated shampoos I would recommend leaving on for 10 minutes and than washing off. They often do not lather like people shampoo does. Also I would recommend towel drying because heat from a hair dryer can deactivate the medications.

If you bought it over the counter (OTC), no prescription is needed. Directions for use should be on the container. Do not bathe more often than directed since this may make the itching worse and can dry out the skin. Try to determine the underlying cause of the itch. This may require a visit and exam with your veterinarian. Causes may include skin infection, external parasites, allergies or food sensitivities.

All of the brands you listed are good shampoos. Duoxo is one of my go to shampoos but many are equivalent. A chlorhexadine/ketoconazole shampoo helps treat yeast and bacteria. The main thing is to lather Sibyl up and allow the lather to soak for 20 minutes or so before rinsing. If needed you can bathe every 2-3 days. I also recommend an oral omega 3 supplement such as Derm Caps. Remember if you use topical flea or heart worm prevention the medicated shampoos will strip it out. I recommend oral preventatives for dogs getting medicated baths. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/nutrition-skin-and-dogs https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pruritus-itching-and-scratching-in-dogs I hope this helps. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I would recommend starting with twice a week baths for the next 3 weeks, then you can cut back to once every 2-4 weeks for maintenance of the skin. The lotion can be given as needed : ). I would also recommend oral fish oils formulated for pets given daily. EFA3N is my top recommendation here. Fish oils are a natural anti-inflammatory for the skin. Best wishes with your pet Sasha and her dry skin. Take care!

For medicated shampoos, twice a week is usually enough, so I would call your vet to ask if there is a particular reason they recommended daily. There may be something about their skin condition that requires it. As far as the conzol, applying it as prescribed should be fine.

It depends on the type of shampoo and how long ago the advantage was applied. But many medicated shampoos are designed to strip grease and keratin from the skin and those will certainly decrease the effectiveness of the advantage. If a medicated bath is necessary and it is close to time to reapply I would plan to reapply the advantage. Or speak to your vet about oral flea medications.