On my Facebook page a few days ago I came across the post of a Chihuahua owner whose Chihuahua was having skin issues. In the comments, there was lots of advice for her, but the overwhelming response was to bathe her dog in Dawn dish soap. Do you think that was wise advice?
Why Someone Might Use Dish Soap As Shampoo
Where did the idea of using Dawn or other dish soap as a shampoo for dogs even come from? It is well known that Dawn is used for cleaning the oil from animals that have been in or affected by an oil spill. Perhaps from that, some got the idea that it was good for animals. If scientists used it why not? It is also used when a dog gets sprayed by a skunk.
Another reason might be because of the cost. It is cheaper to buy dish soap than it is to buy dog shampoo. A 28 oz bottle of Dawn from Amazon is $4.48. There are hundreds of different brands of dog shampoo. For a 20 oz bottle, it can range from $8.49 to $12.42 from Amazon and even higher for specialty shampoos, like shampoos for deodorizing, tearless, whitening, skin-soothing, etc. So why pay extra? Soap is soap, right?
Dish Soap & Chihuahuas — What Could Go Wrong?
Because of the grease-fighting ingredients in dish soap, it will strip away the natural oils in your Chihuahua’s skin. Not all oil is bad. Your Chihuahua needs the natural oils in their skin for a variety of reasons. Mainly, the natural oils keep your Chi’s skin hydrated and their coat healthy. If those natural oils are stripped away it can cause dry, irritated skin and lead to hot-spots and worse.
Soap can easily get into your Chihuahua’s eyes which will cause irritation and can dry out their eyes. Another hazard is that dish soap is very concentrated and forms a tremendous amount of lather. All that lather is extremely difficult — and time-consuming — to rinse out thoroughly, therefore risking it remaining on the skin and causing further problems.
Is Dish Soap Toxic To Dogs?
Even riskier than getting soap on the skin or in their eyes is ingesting soap. You may know when you get soap in their eyes, it’s painful. But you probably won’t have an inkling that they swallowed some. It would be very easy, especially when rinsing for it to slide into their mouth and for them to then swallow some.
If that should happen your Chihuahua should drink lots of water to dilute it in their system. That may or may not be an easy task. Soap poisoning symptoms you should watch for are:
- Difficulty breathing
- Swelling of the lips, throat, or tongue
- Severe stomach pain
- Gastrointestinal distress
If you notice any of the above symptoms you should take your Chihuahua to your veterinarian immediately.
Conclusion
Should you never use dish soap to bathe your Chihuahua? Occasional use is fine, however, not dish soap alone. For instance; should your Chihuahua be sprayed by a skunk a good deodorizing recipe is:
- 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution (found at any pharmacy or supermarket)
- 1/4 cup of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of liquid dishwashing soap.
If you should run out of your favorite dog shampoo, you can use a diluted version of dish soap. A good recipe for that is:
- 2 cups warm water
- ¼ cup dish soap
- ½ cup white vinegar
As an added note, never use people shampoo on your dog. The PH level in a dog’s skin is different than ours. Healthy skin has a balanced PH. Using human shampoo and upsetting the PH balance could cause many skin issues.
Question: Has your Chihuahua been sprayed by a skunk? What did you use and did it work? Please let us know by leaving a reply at the very bottom of this page.
