Using Human Dandruff Shampoos On A Dog?

[Stitch]

Recently a fellow showperson said to me that they use human grade anti dandruff shampoos on a dogs coat if it has scurf and it 'cures' it quickly.

I was under the impression that the pH would be different between a dog and a human??

Anyone have any experience/knowledge on this subject??

[oakway]

Recently a fellow showperson said to me that they use human grade anti dandruff shampoos on a dogs coat if it has scurf and it 'cures' it quickly.

I was under the impression that the pH would be different between a dog and a human??

Anyone have any experience/knowledge on this subject??

Correct, many people with some dogs that require it use nothing else.

[Stitch]

Interesting - do you know what brand they use?

[k9angel]

Interesting - do you know what brand they use?

When one of my dogs had dry, flaky skin the vet recommended I use Head & shoulders anti dandruff shampoo. It made a huge difference to his coat.

[Marion 01]

I have a dog who has had itchy skin going into sores etc, and I have been using human Selsun gold (not the blue) on her for years, and it was the only thing that worked. If any of my dogs get itchy skin, I bath them in that. I really don't think it makes any difference using human shampoo, I used that and dog shampoo on my show dogs, whichever worked better for them. When you consider what sort of chemical dips we use on dogs, human shampoo is the least of our worries. The main thing being to rinse it off well, or even use a vinegar rinse to neutralise any residue.

[Dogsfevr]

Yep we use head or shoulders or selsum .

I have used Human shampoos on my dogs for over 25 years.

We also use Cowboy magic which has been a good product .

As for an after wash we use distilled water if required .

[oakway]

Interesting - do you know what brand they use?

Yes, some use Selsun or Head and shoulders. :)

[Jumabaar]

I tend to tweak the diet of my dogs when they get scurffy- it doesnt always fix it but it is something to consider.

[WreckitWhippet]

The only thing I will use on one of my SBT's is head and shoulders. It certainly does do the job.

His diet is excellent and he gleams but he tends to scurf up with bathing and excitement and stress

[ktig]

I use head and shoulders on my horse who gets a seasonal queensland itch and ends up with awful scurf-y mane and tail - it's the only thing that helps him - with the dog I tend to tweak his diet a bit - haven't needed to resort to it on him :)

[Steph M]

We used to have a cat with sensetive skin and we used baby shampoo on her, which isn't the same thing but it did the job!

[Erny]

Calendula Tea. Wet up the skin. Leave in (don't rinse off).

But still give consideration to what might be the underlying cause for the dandruff. Diet? Medical? etc., if the dandruff continues to return.

[Stitch]

Erny, one of my lot has itchy skin with red spots down the spine. I was NOT intending to use dandruff shampoo on her but I asked the question cause I was curious and it may come in handy to use prior to a show.

I am taking her to the specialist skin vet tomorrow (I think it may be a bacterial/fungal thing) however I did apply Calendula tea down the spine. It took the redness out but still left the itch. Does Calendula tea, if continually applied, stop the itches in most cases?

I have only applied it once so far.

[Erny]

I have found that the Calendula does relieve the itchies as well as helping the skin to heal. In my experience, the itchies were at least reduced if not removed quite immediately. If you noticed improvement in the skin, I'd be inclined to use the Calendula a few times before you deduce that the itchies persist. Calendula is not a cure to the cause of the itches, so if the cause persists, the itchies will too.