Can I Use Human Shampoo On My Dog?

When you first get a dog it can be challenging figuring out all the dos and don’ts. A common question is can you use human shampoo on a dog? If it’s fine for us, shouldn’t it be safe for our four legged friends.

No, nope, not at all. Put the bottle of Pantene down and step away. You should not be using shampoo meant for human hair on your dog. Human skin is much different and contains a higher acidic level than a dog’s skin. With there being such a difference in skin, using human shampoo will destroy your dog’s skin barrier. This will lead to dry, flaky, and irritated skin. This also makes your dog more susceptible to infections since it puts your dogs skin in a vulnerable state. A dog’s skin has around a third of the cell layers compared to humans so using human shampoo will leave their skin dry and irritated which will cause them to start scratching and that can cause sores. Scrap the human shampoo and buy some shampoo designed specifically for a dog’s skin.

Human shampoo often contains scents and sulfates which can cause severe allergic reactions in dogs. A dog’s skin is not meant to handle the ingredients found in shampoo meant for humans. The ingredients can be toxic to dogs and if your dog is licking their paws after a bath they will ingest these harmful ingredients.

It’s best to avoid shampoo designed for humans and grab the pet shampoo to protect your dog’s skin.