It is sometimes recommended to not give your dog baths too often. Giving your dog too many baths can damage his skin by making it too dry. Using a good quality shampoo when you do bath your dog can actually enhance the health of your dog’s skin and coat.
It can be difficult to find a good dog shampoo that is completely natural without any harmful chemicals. In this article, we cover how to make a good homemade dog shampoo using regular household ingredients.
Why Should You Make Your Own Dog Shampoo?
Dogs can get very dirty and grooming and bathing them can become an expensive and time-consuming task. However, there is a solution that can help with all of your dog bathing concerns. Learn how to make a homemade dog shampoo!
When you wash your dog using most commercial dog shampoos you might be unintentionally hurting his skin. Don’t worry because you can avoid this issue while cutting down your expenses at the same time.
This process might sound complicated but it actually requires no special skills or exotic ingredients. You probably have most of them in your home at this very moment. Various recipes have different uses and you can customize them depending on your pup’s needs.
We are going to show you a secret shampoo ingredient that is a favorite of many dog owners – Tea Tree Oil.
Pros and Cons of Tea Tree Oil
Tea Tree Oil is a great essential oil that can help your pup in a number of ways. However, if you use unsafe amounts of it there are some downsides. We are going to cover what is good about this product as well as the potential dangers and how to avoid them.
Benefits
It’s important never to use Tea Tree Oil without first diluting it in water. This substance is entirely natural but that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. The recommended ratio is one-part Tea Tree Oil to nine parts water. This makes up a 10% concentration mixture.
This can help your dog in many ways. It kills yeast, scabies, fleas, lice, and other parasites. It also soothes your dog’s skin and provides protection from allergies.
Dangers of Tea Tree Oil for Dogs
Using Tea Tree Oil without diluting in water can harm your beloved pets. The full-strength essential oil can irritate their skin and might even cause some hair to fall out.
Because animals clean themselves using their tongues they can end up ingesting the full-strength Tea Tree Oil which can damage their inner organs and can even be fatal.
Tea Tree Oil Dog Shampoo Recipe
Here is one of the cheapest and most useful recipes for making homemade Tea Tree Oil dog shampoo.
Ingredients
- Lukewarm water
- Baby shampoo or dishwasher soap
- Tea Tree Oil
Our recommendation for a good quality oil is the Naturenics Tea Tree Essential Oil. It’s a bit more expensive compared to similar products, but you get more in the bottle and it is a high-quality organic oil.
The best budget option is Organic Plant Therapy Tea Tree Oil. This might be a better choice if you don’t want too much of the oil to start with. Just in case your dog doesn’t like it or is allergic to it.
Recipe
For this recipe, we will be using a regular 25.4 oz bottle. This quantity of dog shampoo will last you for roughly three baths. After you are done using it, just put it in the fridge so you can utilize it again next week when it’s time to wash your dog.
- First off, fill your bottle with 20 oz of lukewarm water.
- Then add 2.5 oz of both Tea Tree Oil and dishwasher soap or baby shampoo.
- Close the container and leave it like that in the fridge for half an hour.
Remember to never use 100% Tea Tree Oil on your pets.
How To Use Dog Shampoo
- First, you should wet your dog’s hair well before you start applying the shampoo.
- Pour the shampoo mix on his coat and rub it in well. If you want to rid your dog of any hair parasites, like fleas, make sure you don’t miss a single spot.
- Gently massage him using the shampoo until you are sure that you have covered everything. Leave the shampoo on for seven to ten minutes.
- Then wash out the shampoo with lukewarm water.
It’s well known that dogs can get restless while being cleaned. If your dog is anxious and tries escaping while you’re giving him a bath, you need to find a way to calm him. Try gently petting him and calling his name until the process is over. Treats can also be used to keep your pup in place.
Once finished be sure to dry your dog, especially if the weather is cold outside. You can also give your dog a treat when you are done as a reward for being a good pup. This can help your dog to associate something positive with bathing and will make him more likely to stay calm next time.
Tea Tree Oil Dog Shampoo Recipe for Dry Skin
Many dogs that are washed with low-quality commercial shampoos can have trouble with dry skin and allergies. If you want to treat your dog for that problem, there is a different Tea Tree Oil recipe that can help you. It’s not hard to make, and all you have to do is perform a small modification to the original recipe that we taught you.
After you finish mixing your 25.4 oz bottle of homemade dog shampoo, pour out two ounces of it and add the same measure of apple cider vinegar.
This is guaranteed to help your dog get rid of dry skin problems.
Choose Tea Tree for Your Dog
Tea Tree Oil is a natural essential oil that can be very helpful for your dog’s skin conditions like yeast, scabies, yeast, and parasites. But its powerful properties might irritate your dog’s skin so make sure it is diluted first.
Buy the ingredients now and get started with making your own shampoo for your fur baby! The results will amaze you.
For more dog shampoo recipes you can check out our articles on a homemade dog shampoo for odor and a dog whitening shampoo recipe.
