Dry Shampoo For Itchy & Stinky Dogs

I have a gross confession to make to ya’ll, we had fleas. Not just a few, but a hoard of fleas. They got so bad that Winchester’s skin became so irritated, dry, and itchy that even now that they’re gone he still has patches of hair missing from where he scratched and keeps scratching because of his irritated skin. Our new pup, Beretta, is a short haired lab/pit bull mix also has been suffering from dry skin and she had a rash (not sure why, the prior owners were not sure either) that has been bugging her.

I feel like I am a bad fur-mom. How did this happen? We didn’t take any preventative care to keep those dang pests away and they got out of control quick.

Luckily the fleas are gone (please don’t say I just jynxed myself) an expensive trip to the vet for two kinds of medicine, some flea collars (with Citronella, Cedarwood, and Lemongrass essential oils added to keep outdoor annoyances away and make the poochies smell good), 4 very intense deep cleaning days and they’re gone, but his itchy skin isn’t gone.

I browsed Pinterest and found some amazing remedies for using essential oils on pets and found a great recipe that I tweaked for dry shampoo for irritated and itching skin. It works so well it’s nuts. Plus, I can use it on me if I need because the ingredients are very similar to my own dry shampoo!

I will say this, Winchester isn’t a fan at all of peppermint essential oils, anytime I come near him with an EO bottle he runs away. He just doesn’t like the smell and had a bad experience of me putting a drop on one of his treats to get rid of his bad breath. He didn’t like the taste. Since Peppermint is one of the main oils in this recipe, I toned it down with a little less and added some other oils to counteract the smell.

Ok, now that you’re all judging me for letting my poor baby get fleas and itch away his fur here is the recipe:

• 3 TBSP Baking Soda
• 3 TBSP Cornstarch
• 5 drops Peppermint Essential Oil ( I only trust these oils for my pets and family!)
• 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil
• 3 drops Lemon Essential Oil
• I’ve also heard Roman Chamomile works great for itchy dogs, but I haven’t tried this yet.

Tea tree also works great to help heal irritated skin and works well on Winchester when I add it to this as well.

We sprinkle this on our pups anytime they starts itching (or smelling in general), it lasts for a while so we normally put it on every 3-4 days. We just sprinkle it on a bit generously, rub it in with our hands and spread it around. Then we vacuum whatever room we are in because both of our dogs are the wiggliest things ever and can’t stand still. 😉

You could also turn this into a spray by combining the oils with 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup distilled water. Do whichever one you’re able to use on your pet works great!

Safety Note: Please remember that it is very important to use high grade essential oils when treating dogs (or humans!). There are so many brands that use “pure” on their labels, but really use synthetic ingredients that can be harmful to you or your pets (again, I only trust these oils to use!). Also, please consult your vet before using any of these on your pooch that may be pregnant, lactating, younger than 8 weeks, or very old and on medication, some oils are not meant for young developing pups and could potentially react badly to any oral or topical medicine your dog may be on.