These Dog Shampoos Might Actually Help Your Dog's Itchy Skin

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Dog shampoo for allergies
Amazon
Amazon

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If your dog has allergies and is itching like crazy, you probably want to give him relief as quickly as possible.

The best thing you can do is schedule a vet visit. But in the meantime, an anti-itch dog shampoo for allergies might help your pup a ton — so The Dodo rounded up some of the most effective options available on the internet.

What to look for in a dog shampoo for allergies

First, you should know what to look for in a good dog allergy shampoo.

You’ll want to look for a medicated, anti-itch shampoo.

Dr. Lydia Harbour, a veterinary dermatology resident at Dermatology for Animals in Phoenix, Arizona, recommends shampoos that have chlorhexidine, ceramides and sometimes climbazole, miconazole or ketoconazole.

This combination of ingredients will help your dog’s skin in the following ways:

  • Reduce bacterial and yeast overgrowth on the skin
  • Support the skin barrier
  • Moisturize the skin

Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic that’s used to treat dermatitis and other kinds of skin conditions. Ceramides are fats naturally found in the top layer of the skin that protect the other layers from damage and moisture loss.

Luckily, “most of these are not prescription,” Dr. Harbour told The Dodo — so you can order products that contain these ingredients right away.

But while you don’t need a prescription for these items, you should combine any at-home treatment with veterinary advice for the best results. All dogs react to allergies differently, which could mean one allergy shampoo might be better than another depending on the case.

Nonetheless, here are some top-rated options that fit the criteria for a high-quality shampoo for dogs with allergies.

Best dog allergy shampoos

Medicated dog shampoo

This shampoo contains both chlorhexidine and ceramides as well as climbazole, which is a topical antifungal agent used to treat eczema in humans. 

Dog shampoo for allergies

Along with chlorhexidine and ceramides, this shampoo also contains miconazole, which is another antifungal agent. According to Small Animal Clinical Pharmacology, shampoos containing both chlorhexidine and miconazole “have superior action against yeast and fungal infections compared to shampoos containing chlorhexidine only.”

Dog allergy shampoo

You’ll find chlorhexidine in this formula as well as phytosphingosine, which is actually a building block of ceramides.

Dog allergy shampoo

This dog shampoo for allergies also contains a combination of ceramides, chlorhexidine and miconazole, which is going to be extremely effective for itchy skin from allergies.