how often should i wash my dog?

Question

he is an indoor dog, but we go for long walks daily, also how soon after neutering can I wash him? I would like to wash him often...but dont want to strip his coat of natural oils (its beautiful).

Answer 1

How often you bathe your dog depends entirely upon what kind of dog he is. If he is a dog whose hair sheds routinely, you don't want to bathe too often. If he is a non-shedding dog, he needs to be bathed much more frequently.

Double-coated dogs, those with a thick, soft, fluffy undercoat and harsher guard coats (German Shepherds, Huskies, etc.) will suffer if they are bathed too frequently. Their coats are naturally dirt repellent and water-proof. If you bathe too often, you strip the natural oils that protect their coats from the elements. Every 6 months or so is generally sufficient for these guys. If you bathe too often, you can actually cause them to get messy because their coats no longer repel dirt and water!

Dogs with very fine undercoats and harsh guard coats (Labs, Rotts, etc.) can be bathed about once a month, but probably can get away with only being bathed about once every 3 months. Again, you strip the element protection every time you bathe. These dogs will quickly regain the protective oils in their coats and can get very stinky as a result of too much bathing, as they will get extra oils to protect from the over-bathing.

Dogs like Poodles, Schnauzers, etc., who don't shed or shed very miniscule amounts, need to be bathed at least every 6 weeks, with weekly or every other week baths not being bad for them.

After neutering, you need to wait until the incision is healed. If the vet uses removable stitches, wait until he has taken out the stitches. If he uses disolvable stitches, you will probably have to wait 10 days...DO ask your vet to confirm this. Always ask your vet any questions regarding your dog's health!

Answer 2

You can wash him 1 week after the stitches come out, or longer if the vet suggests it. Make sure to ask when he has his surgery, or call the vet back if he's already had it done.

For labs, I don't reccommend a bath more than once a month, unless he happens to roll in something gross. If you must, you can do every 2 weeks, but use puppy shampoo or oatmeal shampoo to prevent drying out his skin. Using flea shampoo, or deodorizing/deep cleaning shampoo at every wash will wreak havoc on his skin and coat, and make him very itchy and unhappy.

Answer 3

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RE:
How often should i wash my dog?
he is an indoor dog, but we go for long walks daily, also how soon after neutering can I wash him? I would like to wash him often...but dont want to strip his coat of natural oils (its beautiful).

Answer 4

longer coat dogs tend to need washing more often. but you are right, you don't want to strip his coat. If he does not play outside much, you may not need to wash him much. However, I have noticed that dogs that are in kennels/crates/cages.. whatever you want to call it in your house need to be washed more often. my dog has sensative skin and is short hair, I usually wash him once every 6-8 wks. The other one I have stays in her kennel when I am gone and can get kinda stinky she may end up getting one more often.

Answer 5

I bathe my dogs once a week. As long as you use a gentle shampoo, it is fine. I believe you need to wait a week to bathe after neutering. If you notice that the skin is getting dry or coat dull, try using an oatmeal shampoo. If that doesn't help, maybe then go longer in between baths.

Answer 6

Baths once a fortnight with a conditioning shampoo won't dry out his coat.

Once a week if you think he's dirty.

As for the neutering check if his wound has healed and give him a bath. My dog's wound healed in 3 days, his stitches were off on the fourth day!

Answer 7

I do not recommend bathing a dog more than once a month, unless needed. As for after neutering, I'd suggest waiting 2-3 weeks, until the stitches are removed (if there are any), or until the incision has healed completely. The vet should be able to tell you when it's safe for the area to get wet.

Answer 8

I wouldn't wash my dog more often than once a month unless absolutely needed. You could rub your dog down with a damp towel everyday to keep him/her clean and smelling fresh.

Answer 9

You can wash him the day he is neutered, as long as you dry the incision site.

I bathe my dogs once a week with a high quality dog shampoo and have had no problems with their coat.

Answer 10

It is safe to give your dog a bath once a week at most. After he is neutered, you will want to wait at least 10 days to let him heal and prevent infection. Good Luck