[reg]

so i have never bathed my dog (a keeshond) personally before but my vet would like me to start bathing him weekly. i just tried and, he was very calm during all of it, but it felt like i was never going to get shampoo all over him unless i used the whole bottle. i am very curious as to how i should approach getting him fully lathered in shampoo when it seems so difficult to do. does anyone have any tips for shampooing a dog with a lot of hair?

 

[Keechak]

Why does your vet want you to bathe him weekly?

 

[reg]

my dog has developed a stubborn skin infection

 

[Keechak]

I suppose it's a special medicated shampoo then too?

 

[Tankstar]

Id use a brush to lather it in. Id also dilute it to make it more watery to penetrate that skin.

Maybe call a local groomer, ask how much it would be for a bath once a week. if you dont think you can do this.

 

[georgiapeach]

I agree with Tankstar: try diluting it to help make it easier to lather up your dog. I've heard of some people using a plastic hair dye bottle, where you cut the tip off, for this purpose.

 

[LuvMyAngels]

Diluting the shampoo works well. Maybe run that by the vet if its a Rx shampoo...

Im sure you've already thought of this, but be sure you're drying him completely. Moisture left on his skin is likely to become a breeding ground for that infection (or some other opportunistic organism).

Good luck. Skin infections can be so miserable, both for the pup and the human trying to clear it up.

 

[Fade]

Use a bath brush to lather it in and also dilute the shampoo in water like it was previously mentioned. My groomer taught me this trick cause I have the same problem with my husky. and you waste a lot of shampoo trying to get it into the undercoat but when you water it down A LOT the resulting liquid spreads and soaks right through. its a super trick! good for any type of dog but it really helps the heavy coated dogs.

Also with a dog with skin problems make sure to rinse and rinse and rinse and rinse make sure there is no soap left! its hard to get it out of the undercoat. and then like was also mentioned , dry them well with a towel. I keep the dog in the tub till I am sure he is completely soap free and dry before I let him run off and tear around the house. and there are some leave in soothing conditions for skin problems but everything should be ran by your vet. Our groomer at the clinic has a lot of these special shampoos and conditioners but the doctor has to approve them for the dogs with certain skin conditions. Some things can REALLY make things worse.

 

[Graco22]

Agree with the above posters. Dilute the shampoo. I also second asking a groomer how much for weekly bathing, because getting him dry at the skin is going to be very important in cearing up the infection. Unless you spend a few hours blow drying, he will stay wet/damp at the skin for hours and hours. Moisture is a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast. A groomer can get him dry in less than an hour.