The Benefits of Oatmeal Shampoo for Dogs

Using oatmeal shampoo can help relieve your dog’s itchy skin, and it may even help clear up some canine skin conditions. Let’s find out how oatmeal shampoos help stop canine itching and their other benefits, and also learn how to make your own oatmeal shampoo.

How Oatmeal Shampoo Relieves the Itch

Oatmeal has been a cultivated crop since the Bronze Age, and many classical civilizations, including Greece, Rome and Egypt, recognized the benefits of oatmeal in protecting and beautifying skin.

Oatmeal comes in several forms when it’s used as a breakfast cereal, but one type works best for skin care. This is the colloidal oatmeal, which has been ground into a powder for pastes and baths.

Oatmeal is a skin soother because of certain chemicals called avenanthramides and phenols. Both help relieve skin itching and irritation. Oatmeal has also been shown to balance skin pH levels, which makes it a useful tool in relieving symptoms of eczema and psoriasis.

How Oatmeal Shampoo Helps Canine Skin Problems

Oatmeal shampoo offers many benefits to dogs with skin problems, including moisturizing and soothing itchy skin. It also helps relieve symptoms of allergies, dry skin, hot spots, and flea and tick problems. Oatmeal shampoo also helps clean and soften a dog’s coat.

What to Look for in an Oatmeal Shampoo

When choosing an oatmeal shampoo, read the product label and ingredients list carefully. Look for ingredients that provide skin benefits for your dog, such as vitamin E, tea tree oil or aloe, and steer clear of those with lower-quality ingredients. If you’re unsure of which product to select, try to choose those labeled for dogs with sensitive skin or those that are hypoallergenic.

How to Make and Use Oatmeal Shampoo

If you prefer, you can make your own canine oatmeal shampoo using a few simple ingredients found in most kitchens.

  1. Grind 1 cup of oatmeal to powder with a blender, coffee grinder or food processor.
  2. Combine it with 1 cup of baking soda and a quart of warm water.
  3. Blend these ingredients until they are well-combined, then apply the mixture to your dog’s completely wet coat.
  4. Keep the mixture on your dog for at least 5 minutes, then rinse him off and towel him dry.

An alternate method calls for 1 cup of ground oatmeal to be added to a tub of warm water.

  1. Stir the water to spread the oatmeal throughout the tub, then place your dog in the tub and allow him to soak in the oatmeal-water mixture for about 15 minutes.
  2. Massage the water-and-oatmeal mixture into your pet’s coat so his skin is treated along with his fur.
  3. Rinse your dog with lukewarm water, then towel him dry.

Repeat twice weekly until your dog’s skin and coat condition improve.

You can also make a dry oatmeal shampoo that can be used on your dog’s coat.

  1. Combine 1 cup of oatmeal and 1 cup of bran, then spread the combination on a baking sheet.
  2. Warm the baking sheet in a 200-degree oven for 5 minutes, then apply to your dog’s coat with a warm towel.
  3. Brush it out thoroughly.
 

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