# Bad ingredient in most shampoos?



## HyperFerret (Feb 7, 2009)

My brother just asked me what ingredient is in most dog shampoos that is really bad for dogs. I don't know so I thought I'd ask here. He said that he's heard from several people that most dog shampoos have this ingredient and that you're supposed to try to use shampoos that don't have that ingredient.

So what ingredient are they talking about?


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

HyperFerret said:


> My brother just asked me what ingredient is in most dog shampoos that is really bad for dogs. I don't know so I thought I'd ask here. He said that he's heard from several people that most dog shampoos have this ingredient and that you're supposed to try to use shampoos that don't have that ingredient.
> 
> So what ingredient are they talking about?


I couldn't tell you  I haven't heard this, but I might google it later on and see if I can come up with anything.
I had a breeder SWEAR by using pantene shampoo/conditioner on her dogs (long haired, single coated breed). Her dogs always looked (and SMELLED) amazing! I've used pantene conditioner on the papillons in a pinch, but really didn't notice any "eureka" differences. 
I've also used (with very good luck) 1 part baking soda to about 10 parts water. It doesn't lather, it doesn't LOOK like it's going to do a good job, but the dogs I've used this on have come out shiny, silky, and (literally) squeaky clean (if you run your hands over them in the tub when they're 100% rinsed, their coats literally "squeak"). But you have to RINSE, RINSE, and RINSE...with warm water...and rinse for another good 10-15 minutes AFTER you think you've got your dog completely 100% rinsed. It's tedious, but in the right situation, it's worth it. I have a very old lab/GSD mix as a customer, with horrible skin allergies, and the baking soda rinse is all we do on her, and she has no itching. (We even tried soap free dog shampoo on her years ago, and she itched for weeks. Sigh).


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

Icesis' breeder uses Aussie on all her dogs.

There's really not a big difference, ingredient-wise, between dog and human shampoo. It's mostly just marketing.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

I'm totally guessing here, but I would bet its something along the lines of laurel sulfates?


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

Dog shampoos have lauryl sulfate too, it's just a detergent.


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## KennethDGomez (Mar 20, 2010)

Why not choose just any old shampoo for your dog? Decide if you would like a shampoo that also controls fleas, ticks and other parasites--or leave that to a separate flea-control product. Select a natural oatmeal-based shampoo or botancial formula if your dog has dry skin. Use shampoos with aloe vera to relieve fleabites and reduce itching. Choose a shampoo containing hydrocortisone and lidocaine to relieve inflammation and itching. Use a medicated shampoo with coal tar for dogs with oily, scaly skin and dandruff due to conditions such as seborrhea and eczema. Look for hypoallergenic shampoos free of perfumes or dyes for a dog with allergies. Select a shampoo with protein to build body and make the coat shine. Use a conditioning shampoo with detanglers to make it easier to brush your longer coated dog out after a bath, or you can use a separate conditioner. When washing a puppy's coat, use a shampoo formulated specifically for puppies. Waterless shampoos will suffice if you are in a rush or you have a dog that doesn't like water. Never use human shampoo (including baby shampoo) on a dog. 

There is a bewildering selection of human shampoos on the market and new dog shampoos are appearing almost as rapidly. Although a scented dog shampoo may smell wonderful to a human's nose, it can be irritating to your dog's skin. If your dog has a serious flea and tick problem, you may want to consider a shampoo containing pyrethrins. If shampoo is left on your dog's skin, it can cause skin irritation. There are dog shampoos designed for dogs with oily, normal, and dry skin. Does your dog have skin that's itchy and easily irritated? Some of the synthetic ingredients found in dog shampoos can be skin irritants. If you use a medicated shampoo on your dog, it should be out of reach of children and pets.


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## HyperFerret (Feb 7, 2009)

Yeah, I really have no idea either. Never heard of anything like that either till my brother came and asked about it. I'll try to google the bad ingredient also, now that I have more time. Like I said, he said that several people said that a lot of dog shampoos contain this ingredient and it's not good for dogs even though it's in dog shampoo.



LazyGRanch713 said:


> I couldn't tell you  I haven't heard this, but I might google it later on and see if I can come up with anything.
> I had a breeder SWEAR by using pantene shampoo/conditioner on her dogs (long haired, single coated breed). Her dogs always looked (and SMELLED) amazing! I've used pantene conditioner on the papillons in a pinch, but really didn't notice any "eureka" differences.
> I've also used (with very good luck) 1 part baking soda to about 10 parts water. It doesn't lather, it doesn't LOOK like it's going to do a good job, but the dogs I've used this on have come out shiny, silky, and (literally) squeaky clean (if you run your hands over them in the tub when they're 100% rinsed, their coats literally "squeak"). But you have to RINSE, RINSE, and RINSE...with warm water...and rinse for another good 10-15 minutes AFTER you think you've got your dog completely 100% rinsed. It's tedious, but in the right situation, it's worth it. I have a very old lab/GSD mix as a customer, with horrible skin allergies, and the baking soda rinse is all we do on her, and she has no itching. (We even tried soap free dog shampoo on her years ago, and she itched for weeks. Sigh).


 Hmm, with what you said about the dogs skin allergies, it made me think of Camillia, my oldest dog. I thought about maybe using the baking soda on her. Lately she's been "running from herself" while whining and then turning around to chew on her rump. With no apparent rash or irritation present I gave her a bath with an oatmeal shampoo to try to sooth anything. That made it worse.  She has a vet appointment coming up for her situation, so we'll see what's said.



Pai said:


> Icesis' breeder uses Aussie on all her dogs.
> 
> There's really not a big difference, ingredient-wise, between dog and human shampoo. It's mostly just marketing.


 Response to you and LazyR's first part on the human shampoo: I've used human shampoo before in the long ago past with no problem but I've been told several times not to use human shampoo. Even on here I was warned not to use human shampoo. Something about human shampoo being to harsh.



KennethDGomez said:


> *Why not choose just any old shampoo for your dog?* Decide if you would like a shampoo that also controls fleas, ticks and other parasites--or leave that to a separate flea-control product. Select a natural oatmeal-based shampoo or botancial formula if your dog has dry skin. Use shampoos with aloe vera to relieve fleabites and reduce itching. Choose a shampoo containing hydrocortisone and lidocaine to relieve inflammation and itching. Use a medicated shampoo with coal tar for dogs with oily, scaly skin and dandruff due to conditions such as seborrhea and eczema. Look for hypoallergenic shampoos free of perfumes or dyes for a dog with allergies. Select a shampoo with protein to build body and make the coat shine. Use a conditioning shampoo with detanglers to make it easier to brush your longer coated dog out after a bath, or you can use a separate conditioner. When washing a puppy's coat, use a shampoo formulated specifically for puppies. Waterless shampoos will suffice if you are in a rush or you have a dog that doesn't like water. Never use human shampoo (including baby shampoo) on a dog.
> 
> There is a bewildering selection of human shampoos on the market and new dog shampoos are appearing almost as rapidly. Although a scented dog shampoo may smell wonderful to a human's nose, it can be irritating to your dog's skin. If your dog has a serious flea and tick problem, you may want to consider a shampoo containing pyrethrins. If shampoo is left on your dog's skin, it can cause skin irritation. There are dog shampoos designed for dogs with oily, normal, and dry skin. Does your dog have skin that's itchy and easily irritated? Some of the synthetic ingredients found in dog shampoos can be skin irritants. If you use a medicated shampoo on your dog, it should be out of reach of children and pets.


 Thanks but I wasn't really looking for a shampoo to use. My dog's coat and skin (other than my 11 year old's) are fine and my brother's dog's coat and skin are fine as well. We were just trying to figure out what this bad ingredient was that's found in most dog shampoos.


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

HyperFerret said:


> Even on here I was warned not to use human shampoo. Something about human shampoo being to harsh.


It's a common misconception. If you compare human to dog shampoo, you'll see that there's not much difference in any of the basic cleaning ingredients.

Some brands of human shampoos have perfumes and dyes you'd want to avoid, but there are also plenty of human shampoos that don't.


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## hungover (Jul 9, 2008)

Shampoos are absorbed into the skin in varying degrees (some claim upto 60%). This means that the bad ingredients are also absorbed.

When we eat junk our liver tries to remove the bad stuff, in the case of absorption the liver is bypassed. For this reason it is important that one looks at the ingredients.

The two "worst" are generally considered to be sulfates and parabens.

Sulfates are the foaming agent and parabens are supposed to stop bacteria from building up in the bottle.

Sulfates are said to strip the oils from the hair and skin and when used in conjunction with other chemicals might be responsible for many types of skin irritation and fertility problems.

There is a lot of research suggesting that parabens might be responsible for a rise in breast cancer. 

I have no idea how dangerous they really are but it is true to say that they are used because they are cheaper than natural alternatives.

When looking at the use of shampoos in dogs we have to be aware that a dog's coat covers all of the body whereas humans only use shampoo on their head.

I personally would rather use dog shampoos with as few questionable ingredients as possible. Afterall if I find that product x shampoo irritates my scalp I can stop but my dogs are not able to communicate the same to me.


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