How Often Should I Wash My Dog?
Quick answer: How often to bathe a dog depends on its coat, activity, and skin, but once every one to three months suits many dogs. Washing too often can dry the skin, so follow your veterinarian’s advice if your dog has a skin condition.
At the risk of sounding like I’m avoiding giving a direct answer, I have to say, “it depends.” If your dog has been diagnosed with a skin disease and is being treated with a medicated shampoo or rinse, follow the directions given to you by your veterinarian or what is printed on the bottles. A pet that has rolled in something yucky or has just gotten itself incredibly dirty certainly needs a bath no matter when it was washed last. Use as gentle of shampoo as possible. Products that are designed specifically for pets tend to be less drying and/or irritating than dishwashing liquids or shampoos made for people. Make sure to keep the soap away from the dog’s face and ear canals and rinse its coat thoroughly when you are through.
Barring the occasional jaunt through the mud, most dogs should not need to be bathed more than once a month or so. If your pet’s coat is relatively clean and only normal pet odors are detectable, a bath is not necessary. If your dog’s skin and fur are very greasy, flaky, or foul-smelling, a skin disease is likely, and you take your pet to the veterinarian rather than simply bathing it.
Article by: Jennifer Coates DVM
Randi Jones is the owner and founder of the Nature Gift Store, an online retailer specializing in nature-themed gifts, educational science projects, live animal nature kits and real butterfly artwork. A biology graduate who fell in love with insects, she founded the company in 2001 to make active learning about nature fun, accessible and engaging for children and adults. Her store offers real butterfly frames, home and garden decor and educational live animal kits, including ant farms, worm farms, tadpoles, ladybugs and hermit crabs, and she runs a bug museum in Washington featuring live animals like Eddie the Iguana alongside other reptiles and insects.
