I'm Out of Puppy Shampoo for My Dog: What Else Can I Use?

When you've run out of shampoo for your puppy, your first instinct is to jump in the car and head to the store. However, this is not always possible. You can use an alternative product from your house a couple of times, but you should get shampoo formulated for your puppy as soon as possible.

  1. Puppy Shampoo

    • Puppy shampoo is a mild form of dog shampoo. Most use a tearless formula with the correct pH for a puppy. The ingredients vary from brand to brand and type of shampoo, but puppy shampoo often contains fragrance, distilled water and some form of soap. It may also contain additives like dyes, aloe vera, oatmeal, sodium benzoate, sodium polyacrylate, jojoba oil, triethanoline, polysorbate 20, polysorbate 80, olive oil and fruit essences. Natural shampoos have different ingredients than nonnatural shampoos.

    Alternatives

    • In a pinch, use baby, dog or human shampoo, but take extra care not to get the product in the puppy's eyes and wash the soap out completely. Do not use human shampoo on the puppy more than one or two times in a row. It has a different pH than puppy shampoo. It can cause skin irritations, hair loss and other problems, depending on the puppy.

    Homemade

    • You can make your own puppy shampoos with glycine or mild dish soap, water and vinegar. You can add other ingredients, such as aloe vera and ground oatmeal. Because this is not a tearless formula, you will need to carefully wash the puppy with the mixture. If you like natural shampoos, you can use all-natural dish detergent to make a natural shampoo mixture.

    What to Avoid

    • Choose the temporary replacement wisely. Don't use alternative shampoos that contain flea repellent or excessive fragrances. Avoid medicated shampoos as well. Use the mildest shampoo you have on hand.