Can You Use Human Shampoo on a Dog in an Emergency?

Use Human Shampoo on a Dog in an Emergency? You can make an emergency attempt by using a mildly scented human shampoo (preferably baby shampoo), but you should never use this as an alternative for dog shampoo.

• pH Imbalance: The skin of humans is naturally acidic, while the skin of dogs is naturally neutral. In the case of using human shampoo, your dog’s acid mantle gets upset and creates irritations and dryness in him/her.
• Irritating Skin: The skin of dogs is much thinner than the skin of humans (3-5 layers vs. 10-15 layers). It is prone to irritation from the chemicals and essential oils in human shampoos.
• Other Methods in Case of Emergency: There is always the option of using mild baby shampoos, Dawn dish soap, or just plain water.

We have all experienced this. You are in the midst of bathtime, and your dog has just come back from rolling around in some sort of disgusting mess, and you suddenly remember that the dog shampoo is finished. You then look at your own pricey bottle of shampoo and think, “Could I just use this?”

Use Human Shampoo on a Dog in an Emergency?

The Science: Why Human Shampoo is a No-Go for Your Pup

Skin structure of your dog is very different from yours in many ways. This knowledge will help you understand why that product which makes your hair soft and smooth can make your dog’s skin dry and flaky.

1. The pH Balance is Off

This is the most critical difference. The pH value decides whether a substance is acidic or basic. The pH value of human skin is 5.5, which suggests that it is acidic in nature. The human skin is used as a barrier to protect from viruses and bacteria. Dog skin has pH value which ranges from 6.2 to 7.4.

Human shampoos are manufactured keeping in mind the acidity of the skin. They maintain the acid mantle of humans. When you use human shampoo on your dog, it disturbs its acid mantle. It makes the skin of your dog vulnerable to bacteria and parasites .

2. Your Dog’s Skin is Thinner and More Sensitive

Dogs have significantly thinner skin than humans. We have 10-15 layers of protective skin cells, while our canine companions have only 3-5 . This means their skin is much more vulnerable to irritation, harsh chemicals, and abrasive scrubbing.

As Dr. Mitzi Clark, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Cornell University, explains, “Dog skin is not as thick as human skin. The outer layer of the skin is thinner in dogs, so it’s much easier to strip that outer layer of a dog’s skin and dry it out” . Because the skin is thinner, any chemicals or harsh ingredients you put on your dog are also more easily absorbed into their system .

3. Harmful Ingredients

Not only does the pH make the shampoo inappropriate for dogs, but there is also a number of components in most human shampoos that are simply irritating or harmful to dogs.

• Essential Oils: They may smell great, however, tea tree oil, citrus oil, and citronella oil are toxic and cause strong skin reactions in dogs.
• Fragrances and Dyes: Excessively fragranced shampoos are irritating. The ingestion of these substances through licking by the dog after a bath may cause gastrointestinal problems.
• Strong Substances: Parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, and such ingredients in anti-dandruff shampoos as zinc pyrithione may cause contact dermatitis and the latter, being ingested, can poison the dog.

Also Check: Signs Your Dog Has a Yeast Infection on Their Skin

What to Do in an Emergency

Thus your dog smells of a swamp, and you have no dog shampoo in stock. How are you supposed to go about the situation? The most reasonable course of action is to take the lowest risk possible.

Option 1: Just Use Water

Surprisingly enough, for a lot of messes, all you need is nothing but lukewarm water. If your dog is either dusty or muddy, a little rinse will work wonders without removing the natural oil from your dog’s fur.

Option 2: Reach for a Mild Substitute

In case water doesn’t do the trick, there are also other milder options to try. Nonetheless, always consider this a temporary measure and purchase dog shampoo for your next cleaning session.

• Baby Shampoo: Of all the products for humans, this is the most safe one to use when you are in an emergency. It is created without being irritating to eyes and skin and without artificial dyes and scents.
• Dawn Dish Soap (Diluted): It is used for washing off oil spills from the bodies of wild animals. However, it’s a strong detergent, so it will definitely strip the oils from your dog’s coat. It must be heavily diluted with water, and you need to be extra vigilant about rinsing it all off to prevent irritation .

Option 3: Spot-Clean with Wipes or Powders

If the mess is localized, don’t even bother with a full bath. No rinse pet wipes and dry-cleaning products such as cornstarch may also be applied to the coat and combed out.

How to Bathe a Dog with a Human Shampoo Substitute

But if there is no other option but to substitute, make sure that you follow proper procedure to reduce chances of any complications.

• Dilution, Dilution, Dilution: Make sure to dilute the shampoo in plenty of warm water prior to applying the solution to your pet’s skin.
• Patch Test: In case of any fears about allergies, apply the dilution to a small part of the abdomen of your pet and see if any redness appears within 10 minutes.
• Rinsing, Rinsing, Rinsing Again: This is where it really counts. The skin will feel irritation if any soap is left. Continue rinsing until there will be no soap left in the skin, and then rinse one more time. It will take more time to rinse than to wash your pet.
• Avoid Eyes and Ears: Remember to prevent any soap to get into the eyes and ears of your dog.

The Verdict: What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

A single emergency wash with a mild, diluted human product like baby shampoo is unlikely to do your dog any long-term harm. The AKC points out that “if this is a once-in-a-blue-moon thing, your dog will likely be perfectly fine” .

However, making it a regular habit can lead to a host of problems:

• Chronic Dry, Flaky Skin: A damaged acid mantle leads to persistent dandruff and a dull coat .
• Contact Dermatitis: Red, itchy, inflamed skin that is very uncomfortable for your dog.
• Secondary Skin Infections: When the protective barrier is gone and the skin is irritated from scratching, it’s easy for bacteria to take hold, leading to infections that require a vet visit .

Conclusion

But in case of emergencies, you can always resort to using mild and gentle human shampoo, such as baby shampoo, to wash your dog, but it should just be a temporary measure. By understanding the risks involved and also having alternative measures will ensure the health of your dog’s skin. The best way forward is to prepare yourself ahead of time and always have a good dog shampoo at hand before the next dirty talk adventure starts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)