Is Your Dog Shampoo Harming Your Dog?

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One common ingredient most dog soaps and shampoos have is glycerin, although it helps moisturize the skin it does not lather so much. If you want to make dog shampoo that lathers well then try using liquid dish soap as a substitute for glycerin. If your dog has sensitive skin it would be better to opt for an unscented all-natural liquid dish soap.

Some of the items you may need are Mixing bowl (medium size), liquid dish soap, aloe vera gel, plastic squeeze bottle, apple cider vinegar, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil and cedar oil. For more details click on the link below.

How to Make Dog Shampoo without Glycerin

Flea Shampoo

Step 1
Combine two cups of water with a quarter cup apple cider vinegar in a plastic bottle.

Step 2
Add a quarter cup citronella oil to the mixture and shake the bottle to combine the ingredients.

Step 3
Add 2 tablespoons each peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil and cedar oil. These essential oils will help to repel fleas while also moisturizing your dog’s coat.

Step 4
Squeeze in 1 teaspoon all-natural liquid dish soap if you want your shampoo to lather. If you simply want to kill and repel fleas, however, you can omit this ingredient.

Step 5
Shake the bottle to combine the ingredients before using the shampoo. Use this shampoo only if you see fleas on your dog, because overuse of this or any shampoo can dry out your dog’s skin and cause irritation.

This post has been shared at these fantastic sunday link parties, including NiftyThriftyThi, Sunday FUNday and Flamingo Toes.

4 Comments

1. 

   Jann Olson

   December 24, 2012 at 5:49 am

   Now that’s something I have never thought of doing, making my own dog shampoo. I love dogs, but we no longer have one. It’s just hubby and I and we like to travel too much. Hate having to worry about what to do with the dog. Thanks for sharing this with Share Your Cup. I think it would be fun for all those dog lovers out there.
   Hugs,
   Jann

   Reply
2. 

   Jill

   December 25, 2012 at 8:54 pm

   Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
   Hope you are having a fabulous festive week!
   Jill @ Creating my way to Success
   http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/

   Reply
3. 

   Laurie Murray

   January 2, 2013 at 3:49 am

   DO NOT USE THIS, IT COULD KILL YOUR DOG!!
   I am shocked and frightened by the recipe presented here! I do NOT believe this author knows anything about essential oils, nor do I think that they made this version and tried it out on their own dogs first before putting this recipe on the web for other unsuspecting & trusting dog owners to try. The amount of essential oils used in this recipe could cause your dog to become gravely ill.
   Essential oils are chemicals that need to be used properly and with care. In recipes such as this, EOs are added by DROPS not 1/4 cups or tablespoons!!! And, there are only a couple that should ever be used “neat” on the skin, meaning that they need to be diluted in a carrier oil. They will NOT disolve in water, like any oil, they will simply float on the top. They are NOT the kind of oils that will condition your dog’s skin or coat, they don’t have those properties. But it would never get that far anyway, because your poor dog would be licking furiously trying to get them OFF. Imagine dousing your body in liquid BenGay, a patio mosquito repellant candle, add a couple bags of Hall eucalyptus cough drops & some grebil bedding and that’s what your dog will be tasting and ingesting trying to get this unholy concoction off them!
   In addition remember that your dog’s sense of smell is exponentially greater than a human’s so you would be putting something on them that would not only feel both burning hot and freezing cold at the same time, but would smell noxious as well. This recipe would triple-whammy your dog as essential oils effect the system through inhalation, absorbtion & as with any chemial ingestion. It is not that EOs cannot be used with animals, but that the amounts here are WAY out of healthy boundaries. If you are interested in finding more natural products please do NOT trust the web as a source of trusted info, anyone can claim to be an “exert” on anything. Find a Natural Path Vet or buy some books.
   I’ve had my own experience with Peppermint Essential Oil and it was not a pleasant one! After a long cold wet day of raking leaves, when I was just beginning to learn about essential oils to make all natural bath & body products, I decided to add 1 tablespoon of peppermint oil to my bath water thinking it would soothe my aching muscles. Boy was I ever wrong! Everything was grand for about the first 3 or 4 minutes as the oils made contact with my body. First there was that lovely scent – head to toe I immersed myself in the water. Then the cool minty feeling, then more cool minty feeling, then a sort of hot cool minty feeling, then a burning cold minty feeling that I couldn’t wash off – that’s when I started to shake and tremble uncontrollably, you see despite the heat from the shower that I was now taking to try to wash the peppermint oil off, I was freezing cold! The oil was effecting my body temperature! Remember, I’d only used 1 tablespoon of peppermint oil in an entire bathtub of water and this recipe calls for 2 tablesoons each of peppermint & eucalyptus in 2 CUPS of water! Also, I am a well nourished adult woman, I shudder to think what might happen should someone use this recipe on a 14 lb dog like my beloved ALLi.
   In the end my own stupidity hurt no one but myself, caused no permanent damage, and can be quite a funny story. Educate yourself just a little on the proper use of essential oils and you’ll know, like I do, that using this recipe will not end in a funny story.

   Reply
4. 

   Laurie Murray

   January 2, 2013 at 4:28 am

   Glad to know that this is moderated! Please contact me regarding this recipe. Obviously from my previous post I have very grave concerns about it and I’m not just some crack pot whose best friend’s neighbor read an article in the dentist’s office a few years ago. This recipe will truly harm the animals it is used on and if the owners are not knowledgeable enough on the dog’s body language/posturing they may not even think there is anything wrong. Especially if they think “this is what it’s supposed to do”.

   Please contact me. I promise I won’t judge or get angry, I only care that dogs are not being hurt. I’m willing to help you create a much more suitable recipe. I used to make handmade soap and made some that people love to use on their dogs.
   While you are thinking about whether or not to contact me, would you consider temporarily removing the recipe in question? It would safeguard against any dog being injured while giving you the chance to do your own research on essential oils to double check my concerns.

   From one dog lover to another, let’s do this for the dogs.
   My name is Laurie Murray and I can be reached at 412-979-0072. It’s a Pittsburgh area code but I’m currently living in Ohio. Please feel free to call any time. I’m a true night owl, as many of us creative types are, so feel free to call anytime between 10am to 1am. I’m currently dealing with some health issues that make it difficult to get to the phone quickly, so when you call do please leave a message and I promise to call you back.
   Happy New Year
   Laurie

   Reply