Bath Time Question

[Anyu]

So I have heard that using white vinegar as a rinse on your dog is a good deodorizer & that the smell disipates when it dries. Has anyone heard of this or does this with their dog?

Also, how often to you guys bathe your dogs & what do you use? Someone suggested using coconut oil as a conditioner so as not to dry out their skin.

Any & all input welcome. Cheers!

[Chicagocanine]

I haven't done that. I did use liquid Ivory and vinegar as a shampoo once when I didnt have dog shampoo.
I also tried a sugar scrub once for my Shepherd, it deodorizes and removed dirt really well and worked great. I saw it on a professional groomer forum and I was bored one day so I decided to try it. I used turbinado sugar because I had some around, and olive oil, and then did the usual shampoo after.
For shampoo I usually use either True Colors shampoo or sometimes Earthbath or Chris Chistenson shampoos/conditioner. If I have an itchy dog or one with allergies I use Douxo.

This is where I read about the sugar scrub:
Anyone sugar scrub their dogs?

[mego]

I use earthbath shampoo if she's really really disgusting - only given her 1 bath - but I use the earthbath wipes that are like babywipes to give her a good rubdown every few days just to get smells off and they do a good job + dont bother her skin!

[volcano]

my pup is like a self deodorizer, she eats fresh green tripe whipping it around and eats raw chicken holding it with her paws. The only smell shes made is when her ears smelled and needed zymox. Ohh and one time she did make a mess in the crate, she got the petsmart puppy shampoo bath.

[Freestep]

Vinegar makes a good rinse. Dilute it with water and your dog won't smell like pickles when dry.

Mix a tablespoon of coconut oil in a gallon of hot water, shake well, and pour over the dog for a conditioning treatment. Leave it in and dry as usual. If you want to use the vinegar rinse, do it after the coconut oil rinse.

You can bathe your dog as often as necessary if you use a mild shampoo like Earthbath. About every three weeks is good, but I usually bathe my own every eight weeks or so.

[Anyu]

Thanks for all the tips!

Originally Posted by Chicagocanine

I also tried a sugar scrub once for my Shepherd, it deodorizes and removed dirt really well and worked great. I saw it on a professional groomer forum and I was bored one day so I decided to try it. I used turbinado sugar because I had some around, and olive oil, and then did the usual shampoo after.

If I have an itchy dog or one with allergies I use Douxo.

This is where I read about the sugar scrub:
Anyone sugar scrub their dogs?

I think I'm going to have to try this sugar scrub out of pure curiosity. It looks quite interesting. She has been scratching alot & it's not fleas. I'm hoping its just dry skin. If it persists we're going to have to go get checked for allergies.

Originally Posted by Freestep

Vinegar makes a good rinse. Dilute it with water and your dog won't smell like pickles when dry.

Mix a tablespoon of coconut oil in a gallon of hot water, shake well, and pour over the dog for a conditioning treatment. Leave it in and dry as usual. If you want to use the vinegar rinse, do it after the coconut oil rinse.

You can bathe your dog as often as necessary if you use a mild shampoo like Earthbath. About every three weeks is good, but I usually bathe my own every eight weeks or so.

LoL, Pickle Dog! Too funny! I think I will try the oil rinse. You're the second person recommending Earthbath so I might have to check them out too.

I normally bathe her every other week, but she has been itching alot lately so I am afraid that I might be over bathing & drying out her skin.

[volcano]

Sugar sounds like itll feed all kinds of bacteria?

[Courtney]

I used apple cider vinager as a foot soak diluted with water for Rusty. He was licking his paws & there was a strong corn chip odor (yes I smelled his feet). The ACV really worked & he stopped licking his paws. The vinegar smell disappeared fast. I have read ACV is good at soothing irritated skin.

[Freestep]

Just read that thread on the sugar scrub--I have heard of it, but haven't tried it. I was afraid that the sugar would feed yeast, but the people who have done it say it works wonders and doesn't exacerbate yeast issues. I will have to give it a try.

I did notice that one of my shampoos lists sucrose on the ingredient label.

[Chicagocanine]

Yeah it's kind of surprising/interesting, sugar actually has been used to treat infections when applied topically (like honey). Taken internally it's different. I've even found scientific studies about using sugar to treat wound infections.
I was pleasantly surprised on how much gunk it took off my dog, I mean I didn't even think she was that dirty but I rubbed in the mixture well, and it got off all this stuff/dirt I didn't even know was there. She also smelled nice for quite a while after the bath.