My chihuahua has itchy ringworm. Can I use Head & Shoulders shampoo?

Actually the active ingredient found in head and shoulders is "Zinc Pyrithione" and the safety of this was studied and published in a journal article titled Skin Pharmacol Appl Skin Physiol. 2002 Nov-Dec;15(6):434-41. It studied the safety of Zinc Phyrithione and Ketoconazole and also how efficient they were at treating canine seborrhea (dry skin). They both were deemed safe for use, avoiding any product going into the eyes, and Ketoconazole was found to be far superior for treatment of canine seborrhea than Zinc Pyrithione. So to answer your question, yes Head and Shoulders, with the active ingredient Zinc Pyrithione, is safe for use in bathing pets as long as none gets in the eyes or is ingested (zinc in large quantities can be toxic to all pets). But there are more effective options out there such as Ketoconazole based shampoo's.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. No, I do not recommend using human shampoo on your dog. The pH is different between our skin and a dog's. This can cause irritation. I would use a moisturizing pet shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula. I hope this information helps!

Head and Shoulder is OK but not the best product for this issue. Dandruff is called seborrhea and I would use a dog shampoo made specifically for this issue like this one. It also comes as a mousse that you can apply instead of bathing with a shampoo. http://www.allivet.com/p-6684-douxo-seborrhea-shampoo-for-dogs-and-cats.aspx http://www.allivet.com/p-6678-douxo-seborrhea-mousse-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx I, personally would get the mousse since his seborrhea is just in one location. I would use it every 3-4 days until improvement noticed. If no improvement within a few weeks I would get Pokey to your vet for an exam. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Ringworm is typically treated with antifungal medication and medicated shampoos prescribed by your veterinarian. it would be best to speak with the vet that diagnosed the ringworm so that they can get you started on the correct shampoo and medication to help Chulo feel better. As ringworm is extremely contagious to other pets and people, it is best to make sure to keep him separated from other pets until the ringworm is treated, and to thoroughly wash hands, clothing, bedding, etc to avoid the spread to yourself or other members of the family.

You can wash the area or your puppy with an anti seborrhea shampoo. That will improve the excess oilyness. As the skin heals from the ringworm hopefully this area wil it be as oily. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Brik.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a skin infection. Although in theory possible, ringworm seems unlikely. You can try to use a medicated shampoo containing chlorhexidine twice weekly for 2 weeks. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good day!

Hello there! I'm sorry Taco (very cute name for a Chihuahua) has been in trouble with her skin. What happened with some dogs, specially the ones with pink skin, they can have allergic contact reaction with pretty much everything (as you just have described is very likely the case)! The best way would be try to figure out what is the trigger of this condition so we can treat the cause and not only the symptoms: walking in a park, contact with grass, type of food, different cleaning product you might had used, period of the year that happened (dry season, etc). Also, check your back yard for insects, especially ants! Make sure little Taco had her prevention for fleas and ticks, sometimes monthly instead of every 3 months as is saying in the pack. Is probably fine give a good bath with the previous products. Good lucky!