# Shampoo Recommendation



## HobNob (Jan 10, 2011)

I am taking Duke to the groomers on Friday for a bath & brush.

Duke is having skin problems right now. I feel pretty sure he has yeast overgrowth. Possibly allergies as well. (stinky musty/corn chip smell, constant scratching, flaking, and just recently started getting little red spots with white heads) We will be taking him to the vet for this, but in the meantime I want to purchase some shampoo and ask the groomer to use it. I don't like not knowing what all they are putting on his skin. 

I want to find a shampoo that is good for treating/helping reduce yeast. I know tea tree oil is antiseptic and antifungal, so I may look into shampoos containing tea tree. But does anyone have any specific recommendations? I don't want a shampoo full of chemicals or fragrances. And I don't want an oatmeal shampoo. Besides that, what would you all recommend?

Thanks in advance!


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

if you have a good groomer, explain Duke's issues and THEY should use a shampoo suited for him..If you like it, you can usually purchase from the groomer


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## HobNob (Jan 10, 2011)

JakodaCD OA said:


> if you have a good groomer, explain Duke's issues and THEY should use a shampoo suited for him..If you like it, you can usually purchase from the groomer


Weeeeell, I think "good groomer" is the key issue here. We take him to PetSmart for grooming. I'm not saying they don't do a good job, but we are looking for a new vet for him and will probably want to take him to a different groomer as well. When we talk to the groomers at PetSmart it seems they only have two tracks of mind...medicated shampoo or oatmeal shampoo.


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## HobNob (Jan 10, 2011)

Lucy Dog said:


> Where's he have that yeasty smell? Is it all over or only certain parts... ears, paws, etc?
> 
> Did this issue just start or has it been going on for a while?


His whole body exudes the musty/corn chip smell. His ears look fine, and last time I smelled them they were fine (it's been a couple of weeks though). He chews and licks his paws a lot, and his pads are starting to look swollen. =( We've only had him for 12 weeks. He seemed a little itchy on his lower belly (where the spots have developed) right after we got him and he had a little bit of the "dog" smell to him right away. But over the 12 weeks we've had him it has all gotten worse and worse. The smell is worse, the scratching is worse, the flaking is worse. We just noticed the little pinl/red bumps with white heads last night. I feel bad for him. And it's driving me crazy! I wish he could smell good and not scratch all the time.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

ahhh gotcha I like tea tree oil based shampoos for skin problems,,oatmeal never seemed to do much Also aloe vera based seems to work well , and yeah I'd go buy some first


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## KLCecil (Jul 1, 2010)

My aussie use to be yeasty but it went away when we changed foods to a no grain diet. There are special shampoos that you can get from your vet. I've only ever used #1 All Systems for my dogs and never have had an issue with it.
Just got this link off of another topic;
http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/apple-cider-vinegar-for-dogs.html


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

KLCecil said:


> My aussie use to be yeasty but it went away when we changed foods to a no grain diet. There are special shampoos that you can get from your vet. I've only ever used #1 All Systems for my dogs and never have had an issue with it.
> Just got this link off of another topic;
> Apple Cider Vinegar for Dogs | Benefits of ACV



I was just going to suggest this. Macy smelled nasty and we never wanted to touch her. I switched her to taste of the wild and I swear in just a few days her coat and smell changed. Now she has been on it for 4 months, her coat use to be white but now is changing to a rich golden color. I use to giggle when I heard people talking like this about a specific dog food but for my dog it has made dramatic improvements that no $20 shampoo could do.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I also agree with the no grain diet.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

A no grain diet may help. Also a good product brand is Isle of Dogs products. They have so many I'm sure you could find one that does what you want. Pyrate had itchy issues until I started using shampoo with chlorhexidine in it.


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## HobNob (Jan 10, 2011)

Duke is on a grain-free food. He eats Blue Buffalo Wilderness (the duck formula). He was on a grain-free food (Nature's Domain) at his foster home for 6 weeks. Then we adopted him and switched him to Blue Buffalo Life Protection which does have grains in it. After 2 bags of that (about 6 weeks), we switched to the Wilderness line to go grain-free because he had started to get a little stinky and itchy. Could his problems still be from that 6 weeks on the Life Protection with grains? After he eats he always rubs his nose/mouth on the carpet and scratches his face. I've been wondering about food allergies, but he doesn't have any digestive upset. Poops every day, sometimes twice a day, and his poops are well formed and decent size. I know we should probably try an elimination diet, but I'm scared to take that on. It seems like such a hassle and it's basically RAW feeding, right? I would love to RAW feed him, but in the beginning it is quite an undertaking.

I'll look into the Isle of Dogs shampoos. Thanks for the recommendation.


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

They have limited ingredient diets in kibble, too... so it doesn't necessarily have to be raw (though you do have the most control with raw or homecooked). I'd just look for something with minimal ingredients and no grains.

As far as shampoo, we rarely actually use shampoo when we "bathe" (rinse off) our dogs. When I do use it, I use an oatmeal shampoo with some pure Neem oil added in. The Neem is fantastic for the itchies, and is also good for pest control.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

For allergy dogs with yeast and/or bacterial colonization of the skin, I use Keto Chlor. It makes a pretty coat when finished. 

Ketochlor Shampoo Rx


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## KLCecil (Jul 1, 2010)

HobNob said:


> Duke is on a grain-free food. He eats Blue Buffalo Wilderness (the duck formula). He was on a grain-free food (Nature's Domain) at his foster home for 6 weeks. Then we adopted him and switched him to Blue Buffalo Life Protection which does have grains in it. After 2 bags of that (about 6 weeks), we switched to the Wilderness line to go grain-free because he had started to get a little stinky and itchy. Could his problems still be from that 6 weeks on the Life Protection with grains? After he eats he always rubs his nose/mouth on the carpet and scratches his face. I've been wondering about food allergies, but he doesn't have any digestive upset. Poops every day, sometimes twice a day, and his poops are well formed and decent size. I know we should probably try an elimination diet, but I'm scared to take that on. It seems like such a hassle and it's basically RAW feeding, right? I would love to RAW feed him, but in the beginning it is quite an undertaking.
> 
> I'll look into the Isle of Dogs shampoos. Thanks for the recommendation.


How long has he been on the grain free? It can take a couple of months sometimes to "clean out" the system. Also Raw is super simple if you want it to be. Everyone has there own way of doing it. I personally feed Chicken Quarters with Nupro Silver and an egg (raw), once to twice a week she gets beef instead of the quarters. Whats nice about the quarters is they normally already have organ meat still attached to them.


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## HobNob (Jan 10, 2011)

KLCecil said:


> How long has he been on the grain free? It can take a couple of months sometimes to "clean out" the system. Also Raw is super simple if you want it to be. Everyone has there own way of doing it. I personally feed Chicken Quarters with Nupro Silver and an egg (raw), once to twice a week she gets beef instead of the quarters. Whats nice about the quarters is they normally already have organ meat still attached to them.


He's been on the grain free food for about 5-6 weeks. 

Thanks for the tips on raw feeding.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Samba said:


> For allergy dogs with yeast and/or bacterial colonization of the skin, I use Keto Chlor. It makes a pretty coat when finished.
> 
> Ketochlor Shampoo Rx


This is a good tip. Virbac makes good products. I use their CET Chews all the time.


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

It almost sounds like something my dog went through when I moved to my current home. She never had an itching problem, but did have some flakeyness to her skin. After about 4 months and an almost completely raw muzzle, we went to the vet. She wanted to switch foods and dose her with revolution to rule out mites. I only chose to do the revolution at that time. Sent in blood for allergy testing. She almost completely stopped itching within 36 hrs after the revolution. So it wasnt the food. Blood results came back, severe allergy to dust mites. I have since switched her over to a raw diet that is comercially prepared. So no guessing on my part about percentages in her diet. If you want to take a look at that, they are Oma's Pride. I also purchase supplements from K9 Power Products. I buy salmon oil, show stopper and puppy gold when we have a litter. The winter is very drying and we heat with a wood stove, so things get really dry in our house and the raw diet and supplements really help.


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

KLCecil said:


> I personally feed Chicken Quarters with Nupro Silver and an egg (raw), once to twice a week she gets beef instead of the quarters. Whats nice about the quarters is they normally already have organ meat still attached to them.


This is not a well balanced raw diet, IMO. Too much chicken, without enough red meat. I would round it out by feeding more red meat and less chicken. Also keep in mind that only the tiny little chicken kidneys are attached to the chicken leg quarters, so you still need to feed liver. Liver should account for half of the 10% of organ meat the dog should be getting.


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## KLCecil (Jul 1, 2010)

Rott-n-GSDs said:


> This is not a well balanced raw diet, IMO. Too much chicken, without enough red meat. I would round it out by feeding more red meat and less chicken. Also keep in mind that only the tiny little chicken kidneys are attached to the chicken leg quarters, so you still need to feed liver. Liver should account for half of the 10% of organ meat the dog should be getting.


You do realize this is your opinion not a fact. No wolf is out there make sure he has his percentage of meat, bone and organ correct and are known to go days without food.

You might want to go tell Leerbrug that he has been feeding his dogs incorrectly for years.

If I read all the sites it says 10% ORGAN meat does not specify which.
I've been feeding the same diet for years and all of my dogs look great feel great and get a excellent vet report.
LIKE I SAID BEFORE EVERYONE HAS THERE OWN OPINION ON HOW TO FEED RAW. 
I'm not looking for someone to tell me my feeding is incorrect because it's not, it's the way I do and it works for me and my dogs.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

please change the food the dog is eating 
please look at giving him some good food sourced anti fungals
please give the dog some good probiotics and digestive enzymes.

please look at a systemic fungal problem called malassezia Malassezia dermatitis

shampoo -- anti fungal -- Mane n Tail Protect - anti fungal , anti microbial , etc etc . Selsun BLUE 2.5% , good for ringworm also.

I helped with a case of an 8 year old female pug that had been part of a raid on a puppy mill. This poor dog was on deaths door, worn out from so many breedings and abject neglect. Her entire body was a dusty blue grey . She had weeping sweaty skin, dry brittle hair , sores in her facial folds, and stunk like you would not believe.
My friend who managed a local pet store in Ajax adopted her . She was with her all the time in the store. I was made responsible for her dietary changes , approved by a holistic vet in the area, and I came and did shampoos in the grooming room at the back of the store. It took over a year for the dog to be normal . Ruby lived well into her 12th year. Everyone that went to that store always asked for Ruby the pug. 

This is not the first case that I have helped out with. 

In any case shampooing is just treating the symptom , you have to address the cause , outside, and inside.

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

KLCecil said:


> You do realize this is your opinion not a fact.


Yes, I do, which is why I put IMO, which means "in my opinion." 



> No wolf is out there make sure he has his percentage of meat, bone and organ correct and are known to go days without food.


 
The raw PREY MODEL diet is modeled after whole prey, that is where the percentages are coming from. We are trying to mimic these percentages. When you look at a whole prey animal, the percentages of meat, bone and organ found inside is approximately 80/10/10. The liver is the largest organ in the body, so that is why half of a dog's organ intake should be liver. This is my opinion, based on studies I have read and consulting with canine nutritionists that have a heckuva lot more experience than I do. I do not claim to be an expert... very far from it!

Oh, and chicken would not actually make up a very high percentage of a wild wolf's diet... most would be red meat.



> You might want to go tell Leerbrug that he has been feeding his dogs incorrectly for years.


I am actually not a follower of Ed Frawley or ANY of his methods, therefore I really could care less what he does or does not do. 



> If I read all the sites it says 10% ORGAN meat does not specify which.


I got my information off of the Yahoo Rawfeeding group... I believe there are something like 10,000 rawfed dogs on that list. This is also what my canine nutritionist recommends.



> I'm not looking for someone to tell me my feeding is incorrect because it's not, it's the way I do and it works for me and my dogs.


My response was more for the original poster and anyone else who might be reading this thread, as I assumed you are happy with how you feed the raw diet and wouldn't intend on changing.


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## HobNob (Jan 10, 2011)

Rott-n-GSDs said:


> Yes, I do, which is why I put IMO, which means "in my opinion."
> 
> 
> The raw PREY MODEL diet is modeled after whole prey, that is where the percentages are coming from. We are trying to mimic these percentages. When you look at a whole prey animal, the percentages of meat, bone and organ found inside is approximately 80/10/10. The liver is the largest organ in the body, so that is why half of a dog's organ intake should be liver. This is my opinion, based on studies I have read and consulting with canine nutritionists that have a heckuva lot more experience than I do. I do not claim to be an expert... very far from it!
> ...


This argument is exactly why I don't want to take on raw feeding yet. It just seems so **** complicated...so many different opinions...so many different approaches. I'm sure once you get started with it it becomes easy. But in the beginning it seems like a daunting task.


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## HobNob (Jan 10, 2011)

Ketoconazole and chlorhexidine...I don't know anything about these medications. Apparently they are antifungal and antiseptic. I will ask what the medications are in the "medicated shampoo" they've been using on Duke at PetSmart. I'm wondering if it might be one or both of these. 



carmspack said:


> please change the food the dog is eating
> please look at giving him some good food sourced anti fungals
> please give the dog some good probiotics and digestive enzymes.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I will look into that information. We do give Duke coconut oil in his food every day, which is naturally antifungal. It helped soften his coat, but doesn't seem to have an effect on the skin irritation. We also were giving him plain yogurt in his food as a probiotic, but that didn't seem to help either and he got to where he wouldn't eat much of his food if it had the yogurt in it. I'll be looking into better sources of probiotics.


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## HobNob (Jan 10, 2011)

Grrr! I just called PetSmart to ask exactly what medicated shampoo they use. The girl told me they use one made by HydroSurge. I don't even think the stuff is medicated!  I asked her what medications it uses and she didn't know. She offered to read the list of ingredients to me . Instead, I listed the keto and chlor medications and asked her to check the ingredient list to see if they were listed. Neither was. I also asked if it contains tea tree oil. No. She said they use the Apricot scent and the bottle says it soothes itchy, dry, flaky skin. I looked on the HydroSurge website and I only see one apricot shampoo listed...it certainly does not appear to be medicated. It doesn't provide a list of ingredients either. 

So, I asked the girl if we buy our own shampoo can they use it. She said they can only do that if it is prescribed by a vet. Ugh! :headbang: I'm already looking for a new groomer.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

well you can get a chlorhexiderm shampoo from your vet not sure about carrying it in petstores but they might..Something else to try and I swear by this stuff, is Vetricyn..Its' antifungal, antibacteria, anti just about everything, good for sores, open wounds, fungal, etc...I'm not sure they make a shampoo, but I have the big bottle of liquid gel..

I have a male aussie who gets nasty fungal sores, and I mean nasty they crop up when he eats DIRT, I gob up the stuff on his sores and it's definately relieving and clear up pretty quickly..

I gotta warn you, it's not cheap, it can be used on humans, animals, (you will find it at some petstores I got mine at a horse show)...One person said they used on their own sore throat and it helped

While I do agree it could be food related , when it comes to allergies, unfortunately it could be ANYTHING((

I'm sure groomers like petsmart/petco,,use their own cheap products and it sounds like atleast THIS groomer, doesn't know what's in the products they are using.

I do think you'll be better off going to a pro groomer, who when you call, ask them if they are knowledgeable in using specific shampoos for specific conditions..

I would think "apricot" in shampoo would be more of 'scent', which could make him much more itchy


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## HobNob (Jan 10, 2011)

Well, we went into PetSmart today to talk to the groomers, look at the actual bottle of shampoo they have been using on Duke, and to look at the shampoos they sell. We found one made by Vet's Remedy that has BOTH ketoconazole & chlorhexadine in it! It's a lavendar antifungal & antibacterial shampoo. I was so glad to find one in the store with both medications. We took it in to the groomers and it turns out all we need to do is take it over to the vet desk and tell them we want the groomers to use it on our dog but the vet needs to put a sticker on it first. A lady in the grooming center said they'll do it no problem. Whew! The girl on the phone earlier today made it sound like we had to have a Rx for it. So, I'm taking Duke to get groomed tomorrow afternoon and I'll ask them to use the Vet's Remedy shampoo. They do make a conditioner as well...not the same antifungal & antibacterial line. It's a conditioner with hydrocortisone basically for symptom relief. Should I get that and ask them to use it too? The groomer said we should get a conditioner, but I wanted to check with you guys first. Is it necessary?


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

it it has hydrocortizone in it, and not a bunch of junk, like "scents", I'd try it.

I would still look for the vetricyn and use that as a topical in conjunction...


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## HobNob (Jan 10, 2011)

JakodaCD OA said:


> it it has hydrocortizone in it, and not a bunch of junk, like "scents", I'd try it.
> 
> I would still look for the vetricyn and use that as a topical in conjunction...


Here is the link to the shampoo I bought. It doesn't appear the company makes a matching conditioner. Vet's Remedy Anti-Bacterial & Anti-Fungal Shampoo & Conditioner for Dogs - Grooming - Dog - PetSmart

And here is the link to the other line of shampoo/conditioner made by the same brand. For some reason the site only shows the shampoo and not the conditioner, but the ingredients are almost the same in both products. Vet's Remedy Itch Relief Shampoo & Conditioner for Dogs - Grooming - Dog - PetSmart

Unfortunately the site does not list the ingredients for all products...which I find annoying. 

I will look into the Vetricyn. Thanks!


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

One bath at the groomer is probably not going to do too much for the yeast issue. Are you able to bathe him at home? A bathing protocol (weekly or bi-weekly baths with medicated shampoo) may help. 
One type I have had good results with for my pets is Douxo. You start with a shampoo 2-3 times a week, and then after several baths you can switch to the spray. One of the nice things about it is you don't have to keep doing bi-weekly baths for weeks/months since they also have the spray.
You may be able to get it from your vet, or otherwise you can find it online. The Douxo Chlorhexidine PS + Climbazole Shampoo might be a good choice if you think it's yeast related.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

looks fine to me, good luck with it, let us know how it works


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## HobNob (Jan 10, 2011)

Well, the dumb vets at Banfield would not approve the shampoo & conditioner for Duke because the vet he last saw was not on duty and there is nothing in his treatment notes about using a "medicated shampoo." (Eyeroll!) 

Thank GOD the nice lady I had spoken to the night before at the grooming center was there...she went ahead and agreed to use the shampoo & conditioner.  This lady alone is enough to keep us going to PetSmart for grooming. She was understanding of Duke's grumpiness with strangers and instructed the young groomer on how to handle him. I was so glad she allowed them to use the $17 shampoo and $17 conditioner I had already purchased. 

Duke looked and smelled great when we picked him up. He did not scratch at all until the next day. He is scratching a little and chewing/licking his feet a little too, but his symptoms are WAY reduced after his bath. We plan to get him bathed with these products every 1-2 weeks based on the severity of his symptoms while we find another vet and schedule an appointment to have a skin scrape done. We need to find out what's going on that's causing these symptoms. For the time being, though, he has relief of his symptoms with the shampoo & conditioner we bought.


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