Can I use baby shampoo on my dog instead of dog shampoo and conditioner?

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.

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!

A gentle baby soap should be ok to use if that is all you have. Just use a small amount and make sure to rinse it off. Keep him in a warm place until he is dry. You should get a gentle dog shampoo for future use.

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.

The "hot" oils are most toxic to dogs. These include peppermint, cinnamon, oregano, clove, wintergreen, thyme and birch oils. Tea tree (melaleuca) oil is also very toxic to dogs. A dog's skin pH is more neutral than human skin pH, 7.5 compared to human 5.5. For this reason, most dog shampoos range between 6.5 to 7.5 pH to prevent dry skin or irritation. The addition of conditioners and emollients also helps.

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.

Hello, yes you may. Flea shampoo for dogs are generally safe, although some dogs may want to ingest the shampoo can develop some vomiting or diarrhea from it. Make sure you rinse him thoroughly to remove any excessive shampoo from his coat and do not let him lick or ingest any of the shampoo. Hope this helps and best of luck.