Caring For Your Pup’s Skin at Home
While we love it when you come to see us for grooming, we know quite a few of our clients bathe at home from time to time, so we wanted to share with you some helpful tips on how to properly do this at home, along with some general skin-care information.
Bathing your pup once a month is best for their skin and coat health. Quality products are important to ensure you are not using harmful or stripping ingredients. Time and time again, we recommend products by IV San Bernard or Doglyness. The Fruit of the Groomer Orange Shampoo/Conditioner by IV San Bernard or the Immortelle Shampoo/Conditioner by Doglyness are our personal favorites!
How to properly bathe:
Starting with the dirtiest areas first, apply the shampoo to the feet and work your way up their body, making sure to pay close attention to the tail, stomach, crevices, and between their toes. Shampoo works by binding to dirt and oils that make your pup dirty, so it’s best to leave the shampoo on for a few minutes for it to work its magic before rinsing.
Always use conditioner. Even gentle products remove some of the natural oils from the skin, so it need to be re-moisturized with a high-quality conditioner. Unlike shampoo, where you start from the bottom up, conditioner should be worked in from the top down, and left on for at least a few minutes.
Rinse thoroughly to ensure all product is washed out
Always dry thoroughly, paying close attention to crevices. It is taught at Le Pawsh to not think of it as drying the coat, but instead, as drying the skin underneath.
For any outdoor activity where they are getting wet, it is important to dry them off to prevent fungal growth and hot spots.
Lastly, let’s talk a little bit about your pup’s internal health and how that can affect their skin. Of course, we are not veterinarians, and we are only going to scratch the surface here. That being said, what we feed our companions greatly affects every aspect of their health, including their skin and coat. (We will be covering this topic more in a future blog post.) At Le Pawsh, we recommend trying your best to stay away from antibacterial/antifungal shampoos or sprays. Like humans, dogs have good bacteria all over their skin that works to protect them. Continuous use of these bacteria/fungus-killing products disrupts their natural skin barrier and can cause all sorts of problems that are much harder to treat. If your dog has an infection of any kind and requires antibiotics orally/topically, then of course, follow any vet advice. Unfortunately, we see the overprescribing of these products as more and more clients request to bring in special shampoos, typically antibacterial/fungal, when it may not be necessary. Antibiotics should only be used when completely necessary as they wreak havoc on your pup’s natural microbiome. The most important takeaway is to be mindful when using these products. What we recommend doing instead, when possible, is approaching things a little more holistically. If your pup is experiencing skin problems, it may be best to look within. Vets tend to diagnose most skin problems as an “allergy.” The holistic vet community, including us at Le Pawsh, believe that what you feed your dog has a greater impact on their well-being than most people consider. We recommend feeding your dog a biologically appropriate, fresh food diet whenever possible. If anyone is interested, we recommend the book “The Forever Dog” by Dr. Karen Becker for a closer look at pet nutrition and pet food.
