How to Wash a Dog to Relieve Dry, Itchy Skin

A dog's skin is so complex that some vets specialize in canine dermatology. One day your dog may have regular skin with no itching, and several days later it could develop a constant itch and flaky skin. Allergies are a common cause of canine skin problems. Your dog may have developed an allergy to the shampoo you use to bathe it or even the food that you feed it. Bathing usually helps alleviate dry and itchy skin and sometimes even stops the problem completely.

Things You'll Need

  • Hypoallergenic dog shampoo
  • Water
  • Baking soda or colloidal oatmeal (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Bathe your dog in cold water. Warm water will make the itching worse. Use a hypoallergenic dog shampoo. Sometimes the cause of your dog's itchiness and dry skin is due to a shampoo that it is allergic to.

    • 2

      Wash all of the shampoo from your dog's fur. You typically have to rinse your dog several times with cups of water or a sprayer to completely rinse the shampoo out of the fur. If any shampoo is left in the fur, it will cause your dog to itch even more. Pat your dog dry with a towel; do not rub the towel on its fur to dry it off, it will increase the itch.

    • 3

      Bathe your dog in cold water without shampoo. If the itching and dry skin persists, you may need to see a vet, because the problem may be due to food or environmental allergies. In the meantime, you can bathe your dog in cold water ever two or three days, but do not use shampoo. Bathing your dog with shampoo too much can cause skin to dry out even more. Instead, pour either 1/2 cup of baking soda or colloidal oatmeal into the bath water. Soak your dog in the water for about five to 10 minutes. Pat the dog dry with a towel.