If you are ready to adopt a puppy or an older dog from the shelter or rescue agency, you already know you have to get food, a crate, leashes, toys, and dog books! You are going to do what you can to become educated on pet care. One of those things you will need to learn about is how often to bathe your dog. And you may think if your dog is a shedding breed, you will not need to bathe it, but that is untrue. You have to bathe your dog regardless of whether it sheds or not. So let’s break that down further.
What Should The Frequency Be To Bathe Your Dog?
If you have a dog that has a short and smooth coat that is healthy and does not have skin issues, then that dog does not need to be bathed too often. You can bathe your dog once every two to three months in that situation and that way, your dog will stay clean for a while. Besides, when you bathe your dog, you have the opportunity to examine their skin to see if there are any skin issues or lumps. Those could indicate more of a serious health issue which means that you will need to take your dog to the vet if there are any strange lumps or skin marks.
However, you may need to bathe your dog more often in some cases such as having a high activity level/ If your dog spends a lot of time outside, then they will need to be bathed more often. That is especially if they roll around in the dirt and like to get messy. If your dog is athletic, then you will need to make sure that they get baths frequently enough as they could have an unpleasant odor.
The other reason you may want to give your dog a bath often enough is that if your dog has curly or long hair, then their fur will mat. And bathing dogs with this type of fur will have to be done every four to six weeks. That is or else their fur will end up becoming matted which will result in them having to be shaved down.
Then you have hairless dogs such as the Chinese crested dog that can build up oil which means you will need to bathe them once a week. The same goes for other dogs that have naturally oily hair such as the Cocker Spaniel.
What About Dogs That Have Skin Issues And Allergies?
Dogs that have skin problems, as well as allergies, will need bathing with shampoo that is medicated. Those dogs will have to be bathed and cared for based on the instructions that are given by the vet. Dogs with allergies will likely have itchy skin as well which is why they also need regular baths and need to be bathed in colloidal oatmeal shampoo – especially for dogs that cannot handle parasite treatment whether it is topical or oral. In that case, those dogs need baths to help keep pests such as fleas and ticks at bay.
If You Have Pet Dander Allergy, You Will Want To Bathe Your Dog
If you are allergic to dog dander, then you will want to bathe your dog more often because that is going to help reduce the allergen. However, you do not want to bathe your dog daily. Too much bathing will strip the natural oils from your dog which can end up compromising the health of their coat and skin. The best thing to do is to consult your vet about the optimal frequency of bathing your dog for any reason!
