Dog skin and coat care

Mosby

Mosby

Well-known member
For those that are interested, I've decided to experiment a bit and buy some quality shampoo and conditioner products for my hunting dogs. I don't bath my dogs very often but I've noticed my young Vizsla's coat is a bit dry and not as shiny compared to some other Vizsla's I've seen at a pointer club I belong too. and my GSP hasn't had a bath in a year. I have some cheap dog shampoo laying around that I probably bought at Walmart or Petco but my dogs don't look much different before or after use, outside of being wet.

It is amazing how many shampoo and conditioner products are available on websites built around show dogs and professional dog groomers. After a bit of research, I'm going to try a few brands that seem to be popular with show dog people/groomers and are frequently recommended on other forums:

- Tropiclean shampoo: They make a shampoo specifically for smooth coated dogs...ie: pointers. Seems like a no brainer and you don't have to dilute. They also sell a popular shampoo specifically for dog's faces that won't bother their eyes and a foot and pad treatment that you put on dog's paws, wait a few minutes and rinse. My dogs feet and pads sometimes get sore and chewed up on hunts and this might a nice product to use when we get back home for recovery. My Vizsla has an ear chewed up from briars he ran into during a recent hunt test. Giving his head and ears a good cleaning wouldn't be a bad thing right now. One bottle of each on the way.

- Coat Handler conditioner: A highly recommended conditioner that you dilute and leave in the coat after application. No need to rinse. Apply, wait a few minutes and dry. Seems simple enough and for $15, I'll see if it makes a difference on their coat.

- #1 All Systems shampoo: A deep cleaning shampoo and conditioner. Some swear by it and evidently it's been around for quite a while. It has to be better than what I'm currently using.

Some say Vizsla's don't smell but I think I've just gotten used to it and my dogs have been known to roll in crap, wade in filthy water and collect mud and dust, as much as the next guy's dog. They live in the house and while my wife seldom complains....I've decided I need to clean the group up a bit and more often going forward. A few more baths a year isn't going to kill them.

If anyone on here shows dogs, you likely have more experience with the different products available and input and recommendations on products would be appreciated. These products don't require a large investment and a bath gives us another opportunity to have a hands on look for issues or problems after a hunt.
 
Last edited:
We have a Vizsla show dog as well as hunting dogs. Our show guy seldom gets a bath. We do give all of our dogs two supplements, fish oil and a product called Nupro. We feed them kibble and once a day they get 40 grams of skinless chicken breast we get at costco or walmart. We do not give them canned dog food. They all have bright shiny coats. Our show V has won 5 best in shows and over 200 Best of Breeds and everything in between. My wife is addicted to showing

How often do you bathe your V's? When he gets a bath, its just baby shampoo.
 
Red Ryder said:
How often do you bathe your V's? When he gets a bath, its just baby shampoo.
Click to expand...
My oldest Vizsla is 11 1/2 years old and I can't tell you the last time she had a bath but it's been a few years. She sort of runs the household at this point and baths aren't on her list of approved activities. My youngest V turned 2 in December and he might have had 1 or 2 baths last year after spending time in some mud or worse...the same with my GSP. Wife and/or I normally only put them in the tub after they get really muddy or filthy...so not very often. My youngest V just got back from a week of training w/a friend and smells like a kennel, so he's probably getting a bath in the morning.

I haven't given my dogs any supplements and normally don't feed canned food either. I cook a crock pot full of beef stew meat, beef liver, chicken liver and gizzards, blend it up and add a whack of that to their kibble. I do keep cans of Wellness 95% Lamb around in case I run out of the stuff I make on longer hunting trips. It has min 14% fat and is the highest fat canned food that I've found but normally I add what we make to their kibble. I used to use baby shampoo on the English Setter and Labs I had years ago because we had a ton of it when my kids were young. I just checked what I used last and it is called Ethos and is a hypo allergenic dog shampoo I got somewhere. Wasn't impressed the last time I used it so I'll probably send it on down the road.

I used to go to a lot of dog shows when I was a kid. 5 BIS and 200 BoB is impressive and not easy to come by. Your wife must do an awesome job handling your dogs and you must have some quality dogs hanging around your house.
 
Red Ryder said:
We have a Vizsla show dog as well as hunting dogs. Our show guy seldom gets a bath. We do give all of our dogs two supplements, fish oil and a product called Nupro. We feed them kibble and once a day they get 40 grams of skinless chicken breast we get at costco or walmart. We do not give them canned dog food. They all have bright shiny coats. Our show V has won 5 best in shows and over 200 Best of Breeds and everything in between. My wife is addicted to showing

How often do you bathe your V's? When he gets a bath, its just baby shampoo.
Click to expand...
I'm not planning on bathing weekly or anything like that but I was thinking just more often....like 3 or 4 times a year and use better products when I do. How often do you brush your dogs? That is something I almost never do with my Vizsla's and maybe that is something I should do more often as well. A lot easier than bathing and might benefit their coats.
 
With my labs, I've always had good luck with Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo....it's pretty chemical free. It's great for sensitive skin, especially from grass itches, nettle, etc.
I don't bath alot either, plenty of water time and just a clean water rinse after lake, pond or marsh, but there are those times when even my brown lab looks black and there is no way he or I will be allowed in the house without him getting a shower and a shampoo, marsh muck can be pretty nasty and stinky! Plus, I think, just like us, it makes them feel a bit better. I've also found nicks, ticks, cuts, scratches, etc that I missed in the field just cause of not being as thorough as when I'm washing or rinsing him.
I have not seen any negative impact on any of the properties of a lab's coat with Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo either.
Just my experience.
 
If you want your dogs coat to look good and shine the dogs diet will have more impact than an occasional bath with any kind of shampoo and conditioner. If you just feed a quality kibble and maybe supplement it with fish oil, or something of that nature, your dog's coat should be just fine. Remember, coats can vary in dogs of the same breed.
 
Dakotazeb said:
If you want your dogs coat to look good and shine the dogs diet will have more impact than an occasional bath with any kind of shampoo and conditioner. If you just feed a quality kibble and maybe supplement it with fish oil, or something of that nature, your dog's coat should be just fine. Remember, coats can vary in dogs of the same breed.
Click to expand...
I agree. Quality food is really important and it's been a bit of a journey with my Vizsla. I had him on PPP 30/20 Salmon & rice and switched him over to Inukshuk 30/25 last year...which I liked and he didn't. He had stomach issues with it over several months and I finally decided to switch him back to PPP a month ago. That didn't go all that well either and he has lost weight the last few weeks. He was eating minimal amounts and would go a day or two without eating at all. I decided to try Nutrisource Performance last week and thankfully he likes it. He is back to eating normal rations and stools are good. His weight is getting back to where it should be too. I'll see if his coat improves with the new food but I don't plan on making any more food changes. I'll add a supplement down the road, if needed. My GSP seemingly does well on anything. She's easy.
 
Dakotazeb said:
I fed NutriSource for several years and felt it was a quality dog food, as good as you can get. (y)
Click to expand...
I'm running him in hunt tests right now and he has a double/double coming up, so getting his food situation figured out quickly became a priority.
I've never fed Nutrisouce before but it checks all the right boxes IMO. My local feed store is willing to order it for me and I can find it at Menard's when I'm traveling, so availability shouldn't be an issue either. Thanks.
 
Mosby said:
My local feed store is willing to order it for me and I can find it at Menard's when I'm traveling, so availability shouldn't be an issue either. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Runnings usually has it also. NutriSource is made in Perham, MN and I've been to their plant.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top