Grooming and cleaning your dog is an important part of holistic pet care. We want to take care of them inside and out to ensure they have a long and healthy life. Bathing your dog not only keeps her smelling fresh but also helps improve his skin and coat appearance. Bathing your dog is important for multiple reasons, but I like to focus on the whole health of your dog and your family.
A good scrub can remove allergens that become trapped in their hair- reducing your dog’s or your family’s allergies. It can gently exfoliate which can be beneficial for various skin conditions like seborrhea. It can even increase blood flow to your dog’s skin which helps fight infection and grow thick beautiful hair.
Some dogs may have sensitive skin or other medical conditions. We want to make sure that we are applying the appropriate product because some of the products you use for their bath time could irritate their skin. A lot of people throw out the answer of “oatmeal-based shampoos are GREAT for all dogs”. But this is not true, there are many medical conditions where oatmeal products are wrong. Sometimes they can even make medical conditions worse.
Check out this other article where Dr. Candy Akers talks about when NOT to use oatmeal-based grooming products: Why Holistic Vets Do NOT Use Oatmeal Dog Conditioners + 3 Organic Alternatives
In this overview, we’ll go over why people put oatmeal in shampoo in the first place. We will also highlight the benefits of using oatmeal shampoos when it is appropriate.
After that, we will go over whether you should use oatmeal-based shampoos for common skin conditions like allergies, itching, dry skin, sensitive skin, fleas, and yeast infections. And finally, at the end, I’ll briefly review the oatmeal shampoos that are actually worth buying for your pup.
What Is Oatmeal Shampoo?
Oatmeal shampoo is commonly recommended to dog parents. It is usually recommended for pets with dry skin. Oatmeal contains natural proteins that can help control dryness. These proteins are called “colloids” or “colloidal”. This is just a fancy science word that means that water, as hydration in your dog’s skin, is attracted to these molecules. So, you can use these proteins to keep the skin properly hydrated.
I’ll give you a heads up though….that this approach is not always medically appropriate.
Benefits Of Oatmeal Dog Shampoo
1. It Is Natural
Oatmeal is a natural ingredient and does not contain any toxic or harmful substances. There are artificial colloid proteins too, but oatmeal is natural and comes from mother nature. Artificial colloids can cause problems and sometimes stay in your dog’s body for a very long time. We like to support our dog’s health naturally and avoid chemically manipulating your dog’s skin. If your pup has small wounds, ear infections, or skin infections- be sure to use a nice safe ointment..
2. Moisturizes Dog’s Skin
Oatmeal has a good moisturizing capability and can be used to PREVENT dryness. When your dog’s skin is well moisturized, it heals quickly and is less itchy. This makes it harder for infections to get started. The best oatmeal shampoo for dogs can help solve this issue if occasional dry skin is your dog’s only problem. If your dog’s skin is constantly dry, you may need to look into the underlying cause.
Improper fat ratios in commercially prepared kibble food is a major cause of chronic skin issues”
Dr. Candy Akers
3. Odor Removal
Oatmeal is also capable of removing strong odors from your dog’s fur. It is capable of deodorizing your dog’s coat if they get into something gross. (One of my dogs likes to roll on dead earthworms- I don’t know why.) These shampoos can help keep the good stuff in, and the bad stuff out. If you are looking for a natural way to keep your dog smelling fresh, then getting the best oatmeal shampoo for dogs can help you with that mission.
Is Oatmeal Shampoo Good For Dogs?
Now we need to know about which medical conditions could be helped or harmed by oatmeal-based shampoos. Disclaimer- Every dog is different and skin conditions can be extremely complicated. So if oatmeal doesn’t improve your pet’s health then don’t use it. The following recommendations are based on Dr. Candy’s personal and professional experiences.
Is Oatmeal Shampoo Good For Dogs With Allergies?
In general, no, oatmeal shampoo is NOT good for dogs with allergies. “Allergies” can be confusing to understand. Most of the time allergies or sensitivities are caused by internal problems such as improper gut health and poor-quality food. But in general, a dog with an allergic reaction going on is full of inflammation. This situation is not the best time to randomly try things or introduce new products. During this reactive state, we run the risk of pissing the immune system off even more.
Is Oatmeal Shampoo Good For Dogs With Yeast Infections?
Yeast infections on dog skin are fairly common. The normally occurring yeast on a dog’s skin is called Malassezia, it is part of your dog’s “normal flora”. But sometimes this friendly bug can overgrow and create yeast infections on the skin. Typical symptoms of a yeast infection include itching, redness, stickiness, oily exudate, and a lovely smell described as “corn chips” or “stinky feet”.
If your dog possibly has a yeast infection, do NOT use oatmeal-based shampoos on them. When a yeast infection is raging, those microscopic yeasts are having a party and multiplying like crazy. Adding oatmeal can actually include proteins or carbohydrates that can FEED these little buggars. So it could make the infection even worse and lead to more complicated issues like secondary infections and more.
Are Oatmeal-Based Shampoos Good For Dogs With Itchy Skin?
For dogs that have short-term seasonal dry skin, oatmeal-based products can be helpful. But if your dog has any scratches, cuts, hair loss, wounds, flakes, or secondary infections you do NOT want to use oatmeal shampoo. Most of the dogs that I see have ongoing or confusing skin issues. If you think your pet may have a skin disease, stay away from the oatmeal shampoos.
Is Oatmeal Shampoo Good For Dogs With Fleas?
When an animal is infested with fleas, skin health really takes a beating. We can’t always see it from our point of view, but we can certainly see the biting, scratching, and digging that pets do to themselves to try to get the fleas off their body. There are also internal and external injuries and very commonly, secondary infections. For dogs with fleas, oatmeal shampoo is NOT a good choice.
Additionally, pets with fleas may be using various flea and tick medications. We want to make sure that we are not interfering with the mechanism of the parasite medicine. Many of these medications are topical, meaning they are applied directly to the skin. We don’t want to mess around with skin barriers at this time. We don’t want to trap all of the product inside your dog’s skin, and we also don’t want to prevent the medicine from getting into your dog’s skin.
Is Oatmeal Shampoo Good For Puppies With Sensitive Skin?
If your pup has mildly sensitive skin but is otherwise totally healthy, oatmeal-based shampoos can be beneficial. I find this to be true with healthy but dirty puppies, who often require lots of quick baths. The oatmeal protein barrier can help keep natural oils inside the puppies skin. This can prevent dry skin and protect against tiny toenails and pointy baby teeth when puppies play together.
Now that we know when to use oatmeal shampoos on dogs, I can show you the 3 best oatmeal shampoos that I recommend to pet parents.
1 – Pawtitas Organic Lavender & Chamomile Oatmeal Dog Shampoo & Conditioner
This oatmeal shampoo is great because all of the ingredients are natural and safe. It has soothing moisturizers and is safe for all skin types. In the Pawtitas product line, I really like this lavender variation because it contains organic goldenseal extract. Golden seal is an herb used for centuries for minor skin conditions.
2 – DermAllay Oatmeal Shampoo
For a plain cheap-looking bottle, this oatmeal shampoo produces great results. It lathers well and doesn’t have a strong scent. I like this oatmeal shampoo for my dogs who get really dirty. Like dogs who like crawling under the deck in the mud. The colloidal oatmeal can do its thing for skin moisture and health while the other ingredients help me get the massive amount of dirt, mud, sticks, leaves, stickers, and thorns out of their hair.
3 – Shed Defender Sensitive Skin Oatmeal & Aloe Dog & Cat Shampoo
This product is very gentle and has only a very light scent after rinsing. It has a great mixture of botanical ingredients that are natural and can have positive benefits for your dog’s skin. Many families who have dogs with sensitive skin have great results with the Shed Defender brand.
Bonus – Burt’s Bees Itch Soothing Shampoo with Honeysuckle for Dogs
I’m throwing this product in as a bonus. This recommendation is a classic and can be found in tons of stores. I have been using various Burt’s Bees products for years now and I frequently recommend the wet wipes that they also make. I have found that if you have multiple dogs or are not sure which shampoo to pick- this one is a good one to try. It’s a pretty gentle product and is all-natural. I personally like the scent of honeysuckle, but some olfactory-sensitive people think the scent is too strong.
That’s it, now you have the scoop on oatmeal-based shampoos for dogs! Remember, all dogs are different, so you may have to try more than one product to find the best fit. Just FYI- Chewy pet supplies is one of the friendliest sites when it comes to returns and exchanges, plus they have a huge selection of products.
Share your product experiences with our community so that we can all help each other out. This way we can create a community of pet lovers and support each other in our mission for optimal pet health! Cheers!