Tomorrow.

[MyFirstDaxie]

Tomorrow I want to give Butter a bath, because she just smells too bad. I won't make a habit of bathing her regularly and plan to get the wipes next time I am downtown, but I really don't think wipes can solve this problem, so we need a fresh start.

I was thinking I would only soap up her tail and butt and just wet down the rest of her. Or should I just suds her up? I am worried about drying out her skin, since it's only been about 3 weeks since her last bath.

Maybe I should use some of my hair conditioner to help moisturize her? Can I blow dry her fur, and if so, should I use the cool or warm setting on my hair dryer?


This probably seems like such a silly question, but I don't want to make her itchy. :blush:

[red&black]

You can go ahead and suds her up lightly.
I occasionally use conditioner on mine (especially if I've had to wash them kind of frequently).

One good shampoo you can use, if you're worried about using something harsh, is baby shampoo or baby wash. Brand name, store name, doesn't matter. Safe on human babies - safe on furry babies.

And let her towel/air dry. She needs to be VERY comfortable in her settings to not be completely traumatized by a strange air-blowing device pointed at her :D

[kpm_tex]

Do you have doggie shampoo? Human shampoo is designed to strip out oil.. you really don't want to use that on a dog. Get something like Bio-groom (any of theirs). You can also buy a trimmer and trim her girly parts.. and your boys boy parts... as well as around their butts. If you're not sure how to do that then take them to a groomer so you can see what how it is done.

[MyFirstDaxie]

She is used to blowers and hair dryers, because Darlene used them on her. But if you think it'll stress her out in her new home I will make sure to let her wander around and get all fluffy on her own. :D

We have a doggy two-in-one kind of soap for longhaired animals, and it's the PetCetera brand. I just thought a little of my Herbal Essences might make her feel more soft and less dry.

[Cocoa and Me]

I don't really feel comfortable using any human products on my pets, so I wouldn't recommend it. My girl gets dry skin regardless of how long I go between baths (I'm pretty sure its her allergies). But the groomers suggested a spray on, leave in conditoner called Nova Pearls. Its GREAT!!! Works instantly and smells fresh too. I got it at PetCo.

Its this stuff: http://www.petco.com/product/102858/Tomlyn-Nova-Pearls-Moisturizer-Mist-for-Dogs-and-Cats.aspx

[catstamm]

Use a soap free dog shampoo and she will be fine. I wash my girls one a month and they are never dry....nothing like a sweet smellin pupper to snuggle with :Sun2:

[Melisande]

Normally I am totally against using any kind of soap, or shampoo made for people on dogs, but lately I've changed my mind. We got in a new product line at my work that is soap free, all natural type thing, like shea butter, witch hazel, citrus extract, etc. I've used it on Dragon twice now and his coat and skin look great.

I'd say just use common sense. Read the label of anything you put on her, make sure its soap free, alcohol free, etc. That goes for dog shampoo too, some of the cheaper dog shampoos dont have that great of ingredients either. I think if you use something gentle, it can be used more often, like Cat said.

[MyFirstDaxie]

I'll be buying some nice new shampoo as soon as I get the chance. :D Soap free!

So should I not use my conditioner on her? It's Herbal essences.

[Melisande]

Oh, also, if she's scared of the tub, you can try getting in with her. I got in the tub with Dragon the first couple of times he got a bath when he was a pup, and he loves tub time now.

Lately I just plop him in the shower though. Cocoa and Me gave me this GREAT tip. I get in the shower with Dragon now. Yeah, everyone that knows I do that thinks I'm a total nut, but it works great, and I think its easier than doing it the normal way.

[MyFirstDaxie]

Yeah, I was told Butter was not a fan of Baths, so I might just jump in with her. :D

[Cocoa and Me]

Oh yeah, when its bath time, I'm in the shower with them. Cocoa stands under the water and just waits her turn to be washed. And Mousse will stand furthest from the water and give me the most pitiful look. haha

For the first time last weekend I gave them a bath without being in there and it worked ok. I have one of those detachable shower head things so it was easy, but they got a lot more water out of the tub versus when I'm in there with them. :) I've always showered with my dogs. Ever since I was a kid bathing the shih-tzus. Seems to make them more at ease and we "kill three birds with one stone". We all get clean :D. lol

[MyFirstDaxie]

Will and I sort of got into a water fight... In the livingroom... In the middle of the night... So we decided to shower before bed instead of in the morning, and we brought Butter in with us. She kind of froze, didn't really try to make a getaway, but she certainly did not enjoy bathtime. We soaped her up and I made sure to rinse her really good and then towel dried her till she was giant fluffball.

She's clean, but she was too freaked to do zoomies. She shook her fur out and resumed her place in my lap. Guinness must think she smells funny cause he keeps barking.