Why is my puppy's coat dry after bathing with regular shampoo?

Bathing can strip the coat of its natural oils, so it is best to make sure you are using a shampoo designed for puppies, or one that has aloe or oatmeal in it that can help soothe the skin after a bath. Making sure not to bathe too often, and using pet or baby wipes in between baths can help keep the coat clean without removing the healthy oils from the skin. A complete and balanced puppy food can also help with dry skin. If you see any itching or redness, or the skin continues to be irritated, having a vet look is always a good idea.

Baby shampoos do tend to be fairly gentle for puppies, but any dog can be sensitive to any shampoo and it’s possible that it caused irritation or dried his skin out more. You may want to see if your vet carries a dog specific shampoo like Dermallay or HyLyt. It is common for young puppies to have dryer skin and act itchy, and most outgrow it within a few months. If he has developed skin wounds I’d recommend rechecking with your vet to make sure he doesn’t have a skin infection or parasites that weren’t obvious on his previous exam.

I would give him fish oil in the diet to improve the coat. I recommend an aloe and oatmeal moisturizing shampoo, and make sure you are using a flea control product as having fleas causing excessive itching will irritate the skin. Also as he’s a puppy please make sure he’s been treated for internal parasites which can cause a poor hair coat. To control the itching you can use Benadryl. There is a recommended dosing schedule elsewhere on this website. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Arjun.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Maggi. I would start by bathing her with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula. This will help to soothe her skin. As far as diet, I recommend Purina ProPlan Sensitive Skin and Stomach. This is a high quality diet that will be rich in fatty acids. This will help with her coat quality as well. I hope this information helps!

Bathing too often does lead to the coat drying out. You can try supplement him with fish oil tablets to see if that helps. For every 30 pounds of body weight, give Sherlock 1,000 mg fish oil containing 300 mg of EPA/DHA combined. You can try using a moisturizing shampoo for when he gets really dirty, but if he's not very dirty after a visit to the stables, just rinse him instead of bathing him. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Wyatt. I recommend bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula. Hylyt is a good brand for the fatty acid option. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a focal infection. 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 him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!