I have a German Shepherd that has to have baths due to a yeast situation on her coat, etc. I have to get her bathed and have it be efficient. I have tried bathing by putting shampoo on a dry coat. That never works. The next time, here is what I did. Keep in mind this recipe is for dogs:
I took a red Solo cup (like Toby Keith sings about) and I filled it up about an inch full in the bottom with blue Dawn dishwashing soap. Then I put a capful, not a cupful, a capful of tea tree oil, which you can get at the pharmacy. It is in a brown bottle and it is around 12 dollars. It kills cats so don't use it on them.
Then I fill the cup up with water and mix it with my hand. Then I set it aside in a safe place, and wet the dog with the shower. I really work the water into its coat. Then I pour the shampoo concoction on the coat of the very wet dog and rub it in. I keep putting more water into the cup and mixing it with my hand to get all of it out. I then massage this into the coat, deep down, like a wonderful massage.
I wish I could say I leave it on for ten minutes, but that never happens. The most I have been able to do is about two minutes. Then I rinse and get all the shampoo off, all the time telling Dutchess how good she is and massaging her. After this is off, I take a human shampoo, just a small amount and put it on the top of her coat, just a small amount. I don't work this in. I quickly rinse it off.
After I do this, I dry her off, since it is the winter here. Then I blow dry her and then I go in the car for a long drive in a very heated car, not so much as to be uncomfortable but nicely warm. This is a treat for taking a bath at all.
Anyway, I did this before I took her in for her vet's appointment. She usually comes out with prescription shampoo, to get rid of yeast, and also pills and all sorts of expensive stuff. The shampoo he gives me is expensive and it has to be used each week. When the vet saw her coat, he looked all over her and said she was in such good shape that she didn't need the pills or the shampoo at all.
He did say that the Comfortis is the best way to go for fleas now, because fleas are immune to the other topicals. With Comfortis, it doesn't matter if you get them wet, etc. So she is on this now. He said after Comfortis has been on the market for fifteen years, fleas will become immune to it also. Comfortis is a huge chewable tablet that they take like a treat and it is given once a month.
After I did this bath and for weeks after, I noticed she really seemed to be happy and not digging on herself, like she does when she gets that buildup from the yeast, etc. The yeast will show itself on the skin by looking like mold, or black trimming around the ears. The vet had showed me this before.
I had looked at her stomach a day or so after the bath and I could see where I actually missed. There were black dots on part of it where I couldn't see where I was massaging. The place the shampoo touched and was massaged in was perfectly clear of the yeast.
I was really impressed with this recipe which is also a lice remedy when combined with white vinegar. It makes her happy. I don't think any other form of shampoo would be such an anti-fungal as the tea tree oil and Dawn. Dawn has long been used on animals and such. As harsh as it sounds, it is actually very gentle, and I always use it because I know how much I always used it on my foster animals. I really never thought of using it on a full grown dog, such as mine, but I am so glad I did and so is she.
Remember to keep it off of cats. Also, never use oatmeal shampoo on dogs with a yeast problem because it only feeds the yeast and then they multiply faster.
By Robyn Fed from Tri-Cities, TN
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This is helpful, thank you for posting it. Paul Mitchell has a PET line that includes a tea tree shampoo. I have been using it for years for hot spots but it never seems to quite take the itch fully away. One of my dogs, a lab/shepherd mix, has horrible hot spots. He will eat his fur off until he gets to his bare skin and then continues until it bleeds. The only thing that seems to help is Prednisone but he's already a heavier dog and it makes him so bloated looking. I will have to try this concoction!
Tea tree oil is good for human scalps as well. You can also buy it in the vitiman dept. in Walmart and now about 9.00 dollars. When the depression hit it was 3.98 and now because folks buy it it is about 9.00 dollars.
I am so sorry Robyn and please know I am not saying to not use a diluted solution of tea tree oil but be careful and do some research about it's usage even on dogs, especially small to medium size dogs. In some cases it can still cause liver damage over time to large dogs even with dilution. Here are just a couple of links to read before deciding whether to use or not and there are oodles of other links with the same information:
sheltienation.com/
www.teatreewonders.com/
It is so true that you never need to use full strength tea tree oil on pets...always dilute it. If you have any concerns and especially if yours is one of the breeds of dogs that might be sensitive to many things, such as corgis or greyhounds, then you certainly don't have to use it.
Just remember to not use it on cats at all, diluted even.
For humans, a drop in the palm and then held up to the nose can increase immunity. It is hard to do at first it is so smelly but it is like vick's on acid!
Once again, if you are sensitive, you would know it immediately and you wouldn't want to use it.
Robyn
Caution: Please do NOT use Tea Tree Oil on your dogs or cats before reading what the dangers are. It is a toxin and can effect dogs differently depending on their size, health or sensitivity. It can be fatal or can cause serious illness to your dog, diluted or not. People posting information like this is just wrong. There are too many gullible people that read posts like this and just because they think they are saving a few bucks by not taking the dog to the vet, can easily kill their pet instead.
Have you read the warnings on the meds that vets give for our pets or the medicated shampoos to use on them? They scare me far more than the tea tree oil. By-the-way, you only have to use a few drops and not a capful.
Yes, definitely be careful not to use to much tee tree oil or to often.
Also the medication prescribed for this is 100× worse the oral meds can affect the liver, the antibiotics help but take over the dogs immune system and they will continue to have reoccurring problems with the yeast, and steroids are bad as well they can get dependent on them just like us.
I will take my chances with natural remedies, my holistic vet and a new diet since January 2019 a human grade dog food from a business in my area that lab test for quality, vitamins and minerals etc. I can get it fresh or frozen and it's cut up very fine all meats and vegetables absolutely complete nutrition for my chihuahua's. I add virgin coldpressed coconut oil both in the food and skin now and then, and Bragg's apple cider vinegar I'll put a tad in there drinking water very little, but keep a spare bowl only water incase they don't want the ACV taste, and will do a mixture of mostly water and a little ACV for after bath rinse.
I can recall years ago working all the time not able to do research like I can now, all the dog's we had problems with and went to vet always antibiotics, steroids, all crap etc. and the problem would get better for a minute and come back sometimes worse.
I actually have many of the meds still and all the paperwork, we would be in a cycle of ok for a minute and back to vet.
Vets and Dr's would go out of business if we were all healthy.
No more!
Very nice article. I like your eloquence.. very entertaining.
Thank you for sharing your experience and advice. My mom's dog has been suffering & you are right the prescriptions are expensive
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