Bathing your pet with hypoallergenic shampoos is beneficial to pets with allergies. Sometimes we may unknowingly worsen an allergic response in our pets when we bathe them with a soap based shampoo. Have you ever given your pet a bath and then noticed that he was scratching himself more than before the bath? Your pet may be having an allergic reaction to the soap in the shampoo.

Hypoallergenic shampoos are soap free and cleanse your dog or cat without leaving a residue in their coats. Often it is the perfume or the soaps added to regular pet shampoos that can give our pets the urge to scratch. I found this to be the case with my Long Haired Chihuahua named Howdy. When Howdy was about a year old, I noticed that he was scratching himself vigorously several times a day. Thinking I was doing the right thing, I gave him a bath using a regular shampoo for dogs. Soon after his bath, Howdy was once again scratching himself; he could hardly walk across the floor without sitting down for a good scratch. Realizing that it may have been the soap, I had shampooed him with I decided to try a hypoallergenic shampoo. The shampoo I now use on Howdy has soothing oatmeal in it and helps to moisturize and condition his coat. Howdy once again has a silky clean coat with no residue left behind to make him itchy and uncomfortable.

If your dog has allergies ask your veterinarian about hypoallergenic shampoos and soothe your pets urge to scratch.