What oils are safe for dog shampoo? Is it too harsh for their skin?

I wouldn't recommend adding either of these essential oils to your pets shampoo because they don't provide any health benefits for your dog. Also there is no literature to suggest what is a safe dosage that can be applied to your pet, if at all. If your pet has some skin condition then I would encourage buying a shampoo that is already formulated and tested as safe for Boovs to have. The Duoxo shampoo line (available on line through amazon.com) is a safe and effective alternative that can help if Boovs has a certain skin condition. If he doesn't have a skin condition then a regular over the counter aloe based or oatmeal based puppy shampoo is adequate. The haircoat is most affected by what the pet eats than what is applied topically. Feeding a high quality puppy food such as Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Evo, or Eukanuba are best. Best wishes with Boovs and his skin. Take care.

Peppermint oil and tea tree oil are unsafe to use on or around dogs. Lavendar, spearmint, coconut, lemongrass, frankincense, sweet orange and vanilla EOs are safe. Purchase only quality oils from reputable suppliers.

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!

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.

You are right that tea tree oil is toxic to dogs. You need to bathe Lucy immediately. Wash her thoroughly with dog shampoo or baby shampoo, wash it out, and bathe her again. As long as you get it all off of her before it has a chance to soaking into her skin, she should be fine. I hope this helps!

The problem with human shampoos is that they contain fragrences and ingredients that can strip a dog's skin's natural oils and dry it out. I would use a gentle baby shampoo instead, or you can use Dawn dish soap to wash him.

I'm not sure what you mean by this - there are chemicals in everything we use in life, which is not necessarily a bad thing :) If there is a specific ingredient you're concerned about in your pet's shampoo, feel free to post again with your concerns. We would be happy to try and give more specific information if we can.