New to puppies. What do you wash yours with? Mine is a Westie

[smilesandsun]

Hi,
Just wondering what to wash our lovely little puppy with? We've had her a week so I think it's bathtime!

I know Westies can have sensitive skin so just wondering whats best.

Thx

[EdwinaLIzzard]

I very rarely wash my puppy, he is almost 8 months old and has had just three baths, all as result of either rolling in poo.

He is a complete mud magnet and loves nothing better than playing in puddles and muddy streams. He has a piece of vet bed in his car crate, which seems to draw off a lot of the wetness and then I towel him down when we get home and a good brush gets rid of most of the dirt. Admittedly my kitchen floor has an (almost) permanent layer of fine dirt

When I have bathed him, which results in absolute carnage in the bathroom as he loves to splash about and shake!!, I have used Jasmine and Lemongrass from a company called Groomers. It's quite expensive, more than I would ever pay for a shampoo for me!! But he smells absolutely delicious and is a gorgeous fluff ball afterwards.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

I would not wash very often as bathing can strip the natural oils from the coat. My dog gets bathed once every 8 weeks when he goes to be groomed.

[DidgeDoolittle]

I have a westie. They are very prone to skin problems.

I wash her weekly with johnsons baby shampoo. I also have her on a special dry food for westie skin problems. It's called dermal and is about £23 a bag from the vets. One lasts a month. Ignore the amounts they recommend as it's far too much. My dog has half the dose recommended.

This regime works well. The vet says she has the best skin and fur she's seen on a westie

I'm very jealous that you have a puppy. They're such cute, lovely dogs. What is he/she called?

[pigsDOfly]

My dog sheds quite a bit so coat is constantly renewing itself but unless she's covered herself in something nasty, which she doesn't tend to do now, although she would as a puppy, I don't bath her. Just couldn't stand to see the poor little thing hyperventilating and clinging to me as if I was about to drown her.

She's a small breed but gets lots of exercise and never smells unpleasant. I wash her paws when necessary obviously but she hasn't had a full bath for years now.

i spoke to the vet about it and his take on it was that if you can avoid bathing them, so much the better. But definitely not on a regular basis.

I appreciate that this wouldn't work with a lot of dogs well, probably most dogs really, and you will want to get your dog used to being bathed but my dog never did get used to it and she's fine without.

If you have a dog that has the potential to have a sensitive skin keep away from anything made by Johnsons. Get a good quality gentle puppy shampoo from a good pet shop.

[smilesandsun]

Thanks everyone. Seems everyone does it differently

I think she needs a bath as she's a bit smelly so will go for something very gentle and hope for the best.

Her names Whitby

[LokiBuddyBoo1]

My ddog gets a bath once a week and has done since he was 8 weeks old as he sleeps on my bed under the blankets he's a small breed but like most dogs likes to run and roll around in grass.
His coat and skin are in great condiction, i use a shampoo for sensitive skin from home bargins smell nice and his fur is nice and shiney.

[smilesandsun]

Thanks. Do you think it needs to be dog shampoo or any sensitive skin shampoo?

[JoffreyBaratheonFirstofHisName]

I have a white staffy pup (she's 9 months old) and Johnson's White n Bright seems OK... Have had white dogs in the past and think they are better with the occasional bath!

www.petmeds.co.uk/Johnsons-White-N-Bright-Shampoo/p/I0014097?=googleshopping&CAWELAID=120160500000000194&CAGPSPN=pla&catargetid=120160500000044766&cadevice=c&gclid=CPz57Nfc4cUCFaXHtAodwDYAug

[nellieellie]

Never bath mine unless he's been in mud, or been to hydrotherapy. Occasional localised wipe down when he's careless with the leg cocking. He's not had a bath for about 6 months and he doesn't smell, apart from a beautiful perfumed smell on his head. He's raw fed though.

[EasyToEatTiger]

I only wash our dogs if they've rolled in something revolting and they stink. I own some dog shampoo, but even with 4 dogs, I expect it will last a dog's lifetime.

[LimeJellyHead]

I wouldn't over wash a dog, especially breeds like Westies who can have really sensitive skin. When you say she smells, do you mean of something dreadful or just of doggie? A healthy dog on a good diet that suits them should not generally smell, unless they have rolled in something My dogs get a bath 2-3 times a year and that's that. A lovely gentle daily grooming session (brush through) is much more beneficial to their coat and skin and is great for human-dog bonding too.

If you really feel the need to bath Whitby, I wouldn't use a human shampoo. A dog shampoo will have the PH balance etc... that a dog needs. When choosing a dog shampoo, go for something natural (no harsh chemicals), PH balanced and to suit her needs e.g. a shampoo for puppies or for itchy skin or smelly skin.

This puppy shampoo may be of interest www.dfordog.co.uk/natural-puppy-shampoo.html

Don't feel the need to bath her too often though, especially if it just because of dog smells. A nice alternative to regular baths is a spritz of grooming spray instead. This one is also for puppies and banishes whiff whilst being kind to their skin and coat. She'll be a fluffy poppet after a mist of this www.dfordog.co.uk/puppy-grooming-spray-conditioner.html