Using dog shampoo to bathe your dog

When bathing your dog, you must first choose a suitable dog shampoo. Never use human shampoo just for convenience, or you may experience unintended negative consequences. Besides, when using dog shampoo, safety should be ensured to avoid preventable problems.

The reason dogs cannot use human shampoo is due to the difference in skin pH levels. Dog skin is mildly alkaline, while human skin is mildly acidic. The main purpose of shampoo is to neutralize acidity and alkalinity, but using human shampoo on dogs not only fails to neutralize the alkalinity but worsens it, causing skin dryness, itching, allergies, and other issues. It also lowers the skin's resistance, making dogs more prone to skin diseases.

Furthermore, human skin has 12-16 layers on the surface, while pets only have 2-5 layers. Using human shampoo can directly damage pet epidermis. Although dogs have thick fur for protection, their skin structure is more fragile and thinner compared to humans, with simpler tissue structure and more prone to damage. Improper bathing product choices easily harm a dog's skin.

It is actually hard to completely avoid shampoo getting into a dog’s eyes during bathing; many people have experienced similar discomfort themselves. Shampoo accidentally getting into the eyes causes stinging pain, and dogs can have eye inflammation because of this.

Therefore, it is best to choose dog shampoo to bathe your pet. When bathing, the head should be the last area where shampoo is applied, but rinsing should start from the head to avoid leaving shampoo on the dog’s head for too long.