Should You Bathe Your Dog While It Has a Skin Allergy?

Many sources of pet care information will tell you that frequent bathing can dry out a dog's skin. Yet if people are healthier when kept very clean, why wouldn't pets? Bathing makes the hair feel softer and the pet smell better, so most people want to do it often. So should you bathe your dog while it has a skin allergy?

In reality, cleanliness is important to dog health. Bathing cleans out the pores of the skin and keeps them unclogged. It also helps to kill or slow down the growth of bacteria that cause infections. If done properly, bathing can give you a chance to moisturize dry flaky skin, helping it to heal. In general, it usually improves coat and skin health when a dog is frequently bathed.

It is possible that a particular shampoo might irritate your dog's skin, so you need to be sure the shampoo is gentle and hypoallergenic. Shampoos with coal tar or sulfur in them are harsh, as are many human shampoos, including baby shampoo. On the other hand, some dishwashing detergents are fairly gentle on the skin, since they have been formulated to be easy on the hands.

One measure you can take to keep the dog's skin healthy when bathing it frequently is to follow the shampoo with a human grade conditioner. This can be left on for even more moisturizing for the skin.

When a dog has a skin allergy, it often has bad "D.O." (doggy odor.) Should you bathe your dog while it has a skin allergy, it can help at least temporarily to reduce this unpleasant smell. Dogs with skin allergies also tend to be itchy. Some shampoos, particularly those with oatmeal added, are helpful for soothing your pooch's itch.

Dogs that don't tolerate baths well can also be kept clean. There are mousse and waterless varieties of shampoos on the market for these animals. There are also deodorizing sprays available for improving your allergic dog's aroma.

A dog can be safely bathed two or three times a week if you are careful to keep the skin moisturized and to use gentle products. Once a week is certainly not too often and if anti-itch, gentle products are used, bathing can actually improve the health of a dog's skin.