So over the weekend it was time for our dog to get his bath. Usually my husband is in charge of this process but I happened to be in the bathroom and I was looking at the shampoo he picked up awhile back at the pet store and I was like what?!
It was some flea and tick shampoo that had a list of ingredients a mile long with all sorts of chemicals no one has ever heard of plus what really got me was the warning at the bottom of the shampoo in red.
Pesticide storage and disposal instructions! What in the heck! “Avoid exposure to moisture.” Um… it is shampoo? I do everything I can to make our home and the things our family is exposed to as green and natural as possible and here we have a bottle of pesticides sitting on the edge of the tub. Sigh. Our dog, Milo, has been with us for almost 9 years and it genuinely part of the family. To be soaking him in these types of chemicals without realizing it makes me incredibly upset.
In college I had a cat that almost died after he was trying to get a flea collar off and got it caught in his mouth (thus he was ingesting the stuff on the flea collar.) After a frantic ER Doc visit and hundreds of dollars later, he was fine but it for sure taught me a lesson to really pay attention to what you give your pets.
So I did some research and found an all natural dog shampoo that worked really well for our very beloved doggie. Please note you have to be really careful with making homemade shampoo for your pet and what works for a dog, won’t necessarily work for a cat.
I have a few other notes that you will find at the bottom of the post– but if you would like to consider making your own dog shampoo- here is the recipe I used:
Add 1 cup Dish Soap to a jar or container (I suggest a high quality dish soap that is free of any dyes, fragrances etc… An organic dish soap is best such as JR Watkins, Method etc… I used the Whole Foods store brand that is free and clear. A regular dish soap can be way too harsh and drying for a dog’s skin.
And add 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (apple cider vinegar is less harsh then white vinegar and helps to clean and hopefully acts as a natural flea repellent.)
Add 2 cups of water to the mixture.
Now add 2oz of glycerin to your mixture. Glycerin can be found in the baking aisle of Walmart or craft stores- (usually with the Wilton baking things not with the cake mixes and bags of flour.) You can also purchase it from Amazon here. The glycerin helps to moisturize and will hopefully help with any dander etc…
OPTIONAL– add 1-2 drops essential oils for extra moisturizing. Please use a therapeutic grade oil and not an oil from the store. Those are not safe for topical applications and some might be toxic to your pet. Young Living has an entire line of essential oils specifically created for animals that are safe to use.
Go ahead and seal your jar or container and give it a shake and now is the time to sweet talk that little pooch up into the tub! Make sure you rinse extremely well and from what I have read it is not a good idea to wash a dog twice because it can be too drying.
You don’t want to use this on the dog’s face- we have a short haired dog and he stays indoors a lot so he doesn’t get super filthy. I usually just use a washcloth with a little water to clean his face as needed.
And here is our handsome boy getting ready for his bath…. this is his least favorite thing in the world to do. See that sad face? he knows whats coming:
Which is so funny because once bath time is done he gets an extra spring to his step and prances around like a Rock Star.
So we lathered him up and he looked clean and shiny and handsome as always after his bath. The only possible drawback to this shampoo is that my husband doesn’t care for the smell of apple cider vinegar. I personally like the smell so that didn’t bother me at all. I think you can probably add a drop or two of essential oils – rosemary or maybe lavender- if you like. The vinegar smell of course does not linger on your pet. Milo just smelled fresh and clean to me– no wet dog odor at all.
So easy peasy!
Now I always get nervous to post anything about pet care because people tend to get very – shall we say- passionate with opinions ;). I did do a lot of research on whether this is actually safe to make your own shampoo and here are some things to consider:
— If you use topical flea and tick products, please speak to your vet first. You might need special shampoos to work with those products or a simple solution is to just wash the dog before applying the solution.
— Again a dog’s skin is super sensitive and you want to be careful you aren’t using products that are too harsh. There is a bunch of stuff about ph balance etc… on a dog’s skin to be concerned about so human shampoo is probably not a good idea and also harsher dish soaps like Dawn or Ajax or something. Those will likely make your dog itchy and no one wants that.
— Some people prefer to use baby shampoo instead of dish soap. From what I read, baby shampoo can be too drying so if you decide to use that instead, you might consider diluting it before use and again try for an all natural, fragrance free option.
–I have also read about replacing the dish soap with Castile soap. I don’t think that is necessary- according to Dr Bronner’s you can simply use plain castile soap and nothing else to wash your pet. No need to fuss with extra ingredients if you happen to have castile soap on hand. (You can buy Dr Bronner’s from a natural foods store, Whole Foods or Amazon here.) The peppermint she mentions is super yummy! I think once this shampoo runs out I might just try the Dr Bronner’s alone and see how it compares.
And last but not least it doesn’t hurt to check with your vet before you try something new for your pet!
And if you have leftover Glycerin after making your shampoo, you can use it to make these super thick and bubbilicious homemade bubbles for the little ones:
Happy Bath Day to you! Please come back and let me know how this works for your pet.
Recipe for Dog Shampoo courtesy of PetCareRx.
My Vegan Journal says
Thank you for caring so much about your dog, Charlene! Such great info to share with your readers… Those shampoos should be banned. Can you imagine washing our hair with it? Crazy! It’s also a good idea to double check the “treats” that people give to their companion animals. Lots of recalls on those made in China…I’d avoid those for sure! Sad that products given to animals aren’t monitored more carefully 🙁 Animals are truly part of the family and deserve the very BEST! 🙂
Natasha says
Any help for a cat shampoo ?
I use flea tick meds but rather stop bc it’s
Drying out the skin plus trying to go green .
Thanks !
XeiaieX says
<3
dodi says
My groomer for our dog Friday only uses natural products. Those ingredients are just plain nasty! I wouldn’t want to touch it with my hands let alone wash my dog with it! Thanks for sharing and caring about our furry family members.
franki says
my furball is feline. I bathe her once a month during hot weather, and she’s so good about it. I guess I got it pretty good, if cats are similar. I wet her fur, rubbed in some baking soda (like I do my own hair), then washed with castile soap & a little vinegar. I have a deep sink in the garage (ty hubs!) with faucet sprayer that’s perfect for her and my back :). Then wrap her well and make sure she isn’t exposed to any drafts for a couple of hours
betty says
Sounds great. Glycerine can also be found at Wal-Marts in the aisle with Hydrocortisone cream. Actually saw some the other day.
Marisa says
This is a great post! Thank you for sharing all the information you learned with us!
Charlene says
Oh you are welcome Marisa! I am not an expert by any means but I researched several vet medicine web sites and online journals and hopefully that is correct information.
Charlene says
Oh really? Interesting. I’ll have to check there!
Nicole says
We bought glycerin at Target, but it is behind the Pharmacy counter. You have to ask for it 🙂 We love that stuff for bubbles in the summer!!
Annye says
Thanks so much for this, Charlene! As usual, your timing is perfect; we’re almost out of doggy shampoo and I was dreading buying more — both for the expense and the what’s-in-this-stuff-anyway? questions it raises. Glad I’m not alone in wondering that.
Please give Milo a big hug for all of us — and give yourself a special treat, too, for being such an awesome Doggy Mommy!
Dawn W. G. says
I started noticing the chemicals 2. I found a nice recipe.
1 cup of steel oats ( or anything but instant)
1 cup of baking soda
Mix in a food processor, ( I use my mini $5 chopper)
put in a bowl or container
add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and put in warm water until you reach the desired thickness
Oatmeal=good for skin
baking soda= odors and removes dirt
olive oil-makes fur shiny not greasy. and good for skin
If they eat or lick it oh well
It does leave some oatmeal in my tub, i just wipe it with a rag
LJCM/OneDay says
This is a great recipe! I’m currently using a blend of diluted lavender and peppermint Dr. Bronner’s and it works quite well. It smells heavenly (as does my dog) and it lathers beautifully. My furry lady acts like she’s at the doggy spa every time I wash her. Blissful expression with eyes closed hahaha. I will keep your recipe in mind just in case I ever need to switch. Thank you!
shelly says
Dish soap is terrible for dogs sensitive skin, even if it is organic. I’ve discovered baby shampoo is gentle enough for my fur babies. Never put dish soap on your dog!
Charlene says
Shelly – I actually researched this recipe quite a bit and the information in veterinary journals and other reputable sources offered the information that I provided in the post. Interestingly from what I read, shampoo made for humans is not appropriate for dogs. You might think baby shampoo is super gentle but I have small children and I can tell you they cry like crazy when a drop of it hits their eyes. I think it isn’t as gentle as one might think. 🙂 You could always use the Dr Bronner’s as I suggested or talk to your vet with any concerns.
Thanks for sharing your opinion!
Heather says
Thank you for this. I went to buy pet shampoo instead of taking my furry friend to the groomer. and i was very disappointed with what i found. I may have to try this “recipe” and see how it works for us. Found your link through Nibbles by Nic link party. Im glad i did 🙂
Sinea Pies says
What a handsome boy you have there! My Lexi needs a bath and she’s so big, I think making my own shampoo will be a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing this at my Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop !
Michelle says
Thank you for posting this. I am pinning it for later 🙂
The Women Of Westwood says
This is scary! I can’t believe I’ve been such a careless pet parent! Thanks so much for posting and I will most definitely be making this!
Nici says
I’ve made a concoction like this for our dog as well. I was hesitant at first about the vinegar smell, but it really does evaporate pretty quickly and they smell so clean. I’d love for you to share this at my Creative Ways Link Party that’s live right now. Hope to see you there!
Blessings,
Nici
Erlene says
This is so awesome. I’ve never tried making my own dog shampoo. Pinned. Would love if you shared this on Merry Monday Linky Party on Sunday at 6pm PST.
Beverly says
What a great recipe. I have tried many different ones. I would like to get something that is safe for our doxies.
Thanks for sharing,
Bev
Julie@Sweet and Spicy Monkey says
I just washed my 3 dogs too this weekend and also like you, am looking for more natural ways to deal with fleas and ticks. I love that you actually made your own soap!! I’ve also read that you can add certain essential oils (diluted in the soap) to help repel those little buggers. Thanks for sharing your recipe and the tip about castile soap too!
Shirley Wood says
Pinned it. Our dogs have to get a lot of baths in the summer. They live outside. Down here in the south, we think the mosquito’s and fleas will be too bad. I totally agree that some of the ingredients in those shampoos can be disturbing!
Our Vet suggested using Dawn dish detergent to bath the cats for killing fleas.
Pinned it!
Judy says
I shampooed our Border Collie yesterday with this recipe. It worked GREAT Charlene! Thank for for sharing.
Tori says
Hi! I came across your post via Pinterest and am wondering if in your research you found anything about using coconut oil as a conditioner for after the shampooing? I think my new pup will need a bath in the next few weeks and I am thinking coconut oil may mask the vinegar smell and make him super soft and shiny (he’s a yorkie mix). Thanks for sharing and doing the research!
Charlene says
Hi Tori, I have not heard anything about that…. Hmmm… Personally I din’t find the vinegar to linger at all but you could do some drops of theraputic grade essential oils. The only concern about coconut oil is just I know in my hair it turns super greasy looking if I don’t really rinse well. It is a great conditioner though…
here is one thing I can see– not sure how credible this is:
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Coconut-Oil-for-Flea-and-Skin-Treatment-on-Dogs
Tori says
Thanks for the reply! I will be trying this recipe soon, I was really dissapointed to see un-nameable things in the “natural” puppy shampoo. It was not a certified organic one and I was at a Target with a really poor selection. May try the local specialty pet store, but I think this will be cheaper by far. Also, the coconut oil website was interesting. I wonder if it can really kill fleas. My pup doesn’t have any, but never hurts to be prepared. Thanks again!
Lynne says
My dog has major allergies and I have been using a hydrocortisone shampoo for his itchy skin otherwise he gets welts from scratching. This was recommended by our vet. In your research, would something like this work for him and could I add a little hydrocortisone lotion to it for itching? Is the vinegar too drying for already sensitive skin? The less chemicals the better. He takes daily allergy meds prescribed by his vet.
Charlene says
Sorry I don’t know :(. I can say I just got an expensive hair care treatment from Phillip B that is a hydrating product that provides shine. That has apple cider vinegar in it- one of the main ingredients.
rebecca ingersoll says
Hi, can I add lavender or rose oil?? Just for smell??
Leslie Phillips says
Hi – I live somewhere that doesn’t have ticks or fleas (I know, I’m lucky). Could I substitute white vinegar for the cider vinegar since I don’t need it?
Charlene says
Hi Leslie- the white vinegar is harsher and their skin is quite sensitive. I wouldn’t make the substitute- especially since cider vinegar is really, really inexpensive 🙂
aly says
Thanks for the great idea, I am going to make you jealous, you know how my bouvier is about baths: open the shower door, call her and in she goes, she loves water in any way shape or form!
mjw says
For those ofus who love and care for our animals, thank you. Our dog recently got a sore on his leg that we could not get to heal, went to the vets. It was probably a spinder,or another insect that I cannot remember right now. He had to have shot and ammoxicillian for two weeks. He is just a little we tie. Doing much better now
Charlene says
Ha ha! I hope she likes her new shampoo too 🙂
mjw says
That is a little Westie….