Can I use a shampoo other than dog shampoo to give my dog a bath?

Question

I can't get to the pet stor (I'm only 14) and I don't have any baby or dog shampoo like people say to use. So should I wait till I get to the pet store, or can you use some kind of people shampoo?

Answer 1

It won't kill your dog to use human shampoo on him or even diluted dishsoap like dawn. BUT it is much better to get a dog shampoo that fits his skin type. Does he have dry flaky skin? Then something like an aloe/oatmeal blend for dogs. Does he stink? Fresh Scent with Baking Soda and aloe. Some dogs are very oily and dawn or palmolive dish soap works good but rinse real well.
Don't overbathe your dog. You don't have to wait to bathe your dog if you can't get to a pet store for a long time. Avoid human conditioners.

Answer 2

Just wait, Human Shampoo has too many chemicals and alchol in it. It will dry the coat and skin out more. Also there are more fragrances added to people shampoo. Can be a BIG cause of Skin allergies to a dog thats not used to that shampoo. Also dog grease and oils are diffrent from humans. So the shampoo made for humans are not always effective for cleaning, and deodarizing effects. Emergency wise, its fine Ive used some Herbal Essence on a dog that puked on itself when i had company she was fine, but I wen the next day and got the doggie shampoos and conditioners that i generally used.

Answer 3

We wash my dog with people shampoo all the time. We use Suave. It's cheap. Depending on the size of the dog you might use a lot of shampoo. I have an 80lb long haired dog and we probably use almost half a bottle. Just keep it out of his eyes just like you would a human. I think that they say to use dog or baby shampoo so that it doesn't dry out the skin so if you want you can use conditioner but we don't and it's fine. Just don't buy anything too expensive because you'll go through a lot of it.

Answer 4

You can use people shampoo. The dog will be fine. It may dry out the skin however - people shampoo has more alcohol in it so don't wash around the dog's eyes or mouth. Stop right behind the ears.

Make sure to rinse the dog COMPLETELY!! The residue from the shampoo will cause the skin to become irritated. Towel dry the dog then let it air dry.

Good Luck

Answer 5

If you want to give it a bath before you can get dog shampoo, go ahead. It won't hurt anything. However, I've heard opposing points of view on this. The theory is that human shampoo is too harsh on a dog's skin and that dog shampoo is formulated specially for them. My dog seems to react poorly to dog shampoo whereas my shampoo doesn't bother her. I do put a little conditioner on her though if I use the human shampoo. Good luck.

Answer 6

If you use people shampoo, make sure to put conditioner on the dog too, and rinse it off. It will help keep their skin from drying out so much after the people shampoo.

Answer 7

yes. you can also use a small amount of conditioner on his/her back to keep the skin from drying out so much. Just don't use a lot of it. Something else you can use is Mane and Tail shampoo/conditioner. It's actually made for horses but humans and other animals can use it as well.

good luck

Answer 8

We used regular shampoo on the dog for years. The one time he got fleas, we used the dog shampoo, but Boomer's fur was never so soft and clean as when we used Pantene!

Answer 9

Only in an emergency. "People" shampoo can really dry and irritate an animals skin..plus if it gets into the eyes, it can really burn and you would need to rinse the dog thoroughly...I would wait until you can use the proper shampoo...you and your dog will be happier!

Answer 10

Avon bubblebath is safe to use on dogs... as for other shampoo I am not sure, check out the ingredient listings and compare with dog shampoo ingredients you find online if they are similar go ahead.