# whats a good moisturizer



## anb_777 (Dec 29, 2011)

My daschund(4 yr old) has dry skin and itches all the time. What is a good shampoo or after bath moisturizer to use on him? Someone suggested that I put a little baby oil in the bath water but I wasn't sure how safe that was so I have not tried it. I changed his food (a food with no corn or soy) so hopefully that will help. I plan on addressing this problem with the vet when I take him for his shots next month. He seems to have alot of allergies. When he got his first puppy shots he had an allergic reaction to them so now the vet always has to give him a shot of benedryl when he gets shots. He is also allergic to fleas, so I try to keep my backyard treated and him bathed regularly, but I know it is not good to bath him too much. I also give him liquid benedryl sometimes at home if he is real itchy.


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## Sean&Hank (Jan 9, 2012)

I used to have a pug with crazy allergies and I used an oatmeal shampoo and it worked great. It helped with his itchy skin and his dry feet. Wouldn't last forever of course but it gave him a decent break from scratching.


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## mom24doggies (Mar 25, 2011)

Oatmeal shampoo is ok to use every now and then, but if you use it too much it can cause build-up on the skin, which of course isn't good. I've also heard that the ground oatmeal in the shampoo acts as an exfoliant as well as a moisturizer, (oatmeal moisturizes by absorbing water and holding it next to the skin, which is why you are supposed to let it sit for a few minutes.) which again is ok sometimes but shouldn't be used regularly. I would recommend, for shampoo, a mild, hypoallergenic (no dye or scent) one, since your baby has allergy troubles. For conditioner, again, hypoallergenic and mild, no\low scents or dyes. I assume you are looking for something you can get in a petstore? Espree is usually available, as is Earthbath (I haven't used their hypo that I can remember, but their other stuff is nice). I've been fairly pleased with both of them. Biogroom is good too, I've used their oatmeal conditioner before (again, not a whole lot, usually once every 4-6 wks) on a shih tzu I used to groom and it kept his itching down and made his hair a little shiny.  I would not recommend baby oil; I am on a poodle forum, and people who put their poodle's hair in baby oil (for growing show coat, they oil the hair then wrap and band it) say that it causes dandruff. Probably not what you are looking for.  

It's good that you've switched his food. Have you tried fish oil yet? Lots of people have great success with it. And yeah, definitely talk to your vet about it to rule out any underlying health issues. Good luck getting him to stop scratching!!


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

When you see the vet ask about the fish oil and vitamin E. They should be given together ... fish oil on a daily basis and vitamin E every other day. The dog uses vitamin E to utilize the fish oil. It needs to be replaced or the dog can have some serious health issues on down the road. Some of those issues do not show up right away and do so many years later when it is too late to be fixed. Ask your vet for the proper amount to give. It sure does work for my dogs. I have two with allergy issues ... though not as severe as it sounds for you.

Also I use a brand name tear-free baby shampoo on my Schnauzer/Poodle mix dogs. They have skin allergies and do well with this. You could ask your vet about this also. I bathe my two boys once a week or every two weeks at the most ... or if they get into a bunch of mud or something! 

I hope your dog feels better soon.

Edit: I will be switching brands of baby shampoo ....... sorry ..........

www.Huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/17/baby-shampoo-toxins_n...


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## Sasha1/2 (Dec 22, 2011)

Sasha is itching like crazy. I've found that glycerine moisturizes her skin and coat nicely without her ending up greasy as can happen with oil.


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