While human care products are helpful for humans, many of these products aren’t made for our dogs. After all, they have been made with humans in mind, not dogs.
Can You Put Caladryl On Your Dog?
Personal care products for humans, just like Caladryl, are, well, personal. Should we assume that what we use for our skin can be shared with our dogs? In short, no, it’s not recommended to use Caladryl for your dog’s skin. The main reason is that a dog will tend to lick off whatever is applied to their coat and human skin lotions such as Caladryl contain chemicals that shouldn’t be swallowed.
Yes, dogs do get dry, itchy skin. Flaky and itchy skin always needs to be addressed. However, it’s important to note that dogs will tend to lick off whatever is applied to their coat and products such as Caladryl that contain chemicals that shouldn’t be digested. Ingestion of products such as Caladryl can have negative side effects on your dog. Plus, dry skin could be a sign of an underlying medical condition. There are specific skin issues that require specific treatments, so it’s always best to see your veterinarian in cases like this.
Better Alternatives
If you’ve ever gotten a case of poison ivy, then you’ll know just how irritating and distracting a serious case of irritated skin can be. Most dogs will develop itchy skin at some point in their lives, and it’s only natural to get your dog some relief as quickly as possible. The good news is that there are a few different lotions and creams you can use to treat your dog’s itchy skin.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is known to stimulate natural healing if a dog was to have itchy skin. As coconut oil contains lauric acid and has many antiseptic and antifungal properties, it’s effective in fighting various bacterial and fungal infections that may cause itchy skin. Coconut oil has very few side effects, which makes it a fairly safe choice for dogs who have skin allergies.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is another known product that can be effective to use for a dog lotion for dry skin. Olive oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which helps to reduce redness and flakiness while improving your dog’s skin quality. You can create a spray-on treatment for your dog’s itchy skin by diluting five to 10 teaspoons of olive oil in purified water. Then, spray this mixture onto your dog’s skin once per day.
Oatmeal Dog-Friendly Lotion
PetMD has noted that plain oatmeal can provide your dog with some relief from his itchy skin. As oatmeal is non-toxic, it’s an ideal topical treatment since your dog won’t be harmed if they try to lick it off. You can use it by grinding plain oatmeal and combining it with water to make a paste and then spread it onto your dog’s skin. Using oatmeal can help to dry, moist, red skin, relieving the itching and helping your dog to feel better.
You’ll also find many shampoos and dog lotions for dry skin that are on the market, many of them containing oatmeal because of its soothing properties. Oatmeal shampoo can be used to help remove allergens like pollen that can get trapped in your dog’s fur, further helping to relieve your dog’s itching.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is another good option, as it helps to soothe itchy skin and promotes healing. If you’re using aloe vera on your dog, make sure to use a lotion that doesn’t contain alcohol, which can burn your dog’s skin. If you have an aloe vera plant at home, you can go ahead and harvest gel to treat your dog. Aloe vera is common in most drugstores and grocery stores.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E oil is another safe option that can be used to soothe a dog that has itchy skin. Vitamin E capsules are available in many drug and health food stores.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt is useful for relieving an itchy dog. You can fill up a bathtub with warm water, add some Epsom salt, placing your dog in the bath. Just make sure that your dog doesn’t drink the water, as Epsom salt shouldn’t be ingested.
Further Treatment
While there are many topical treatments that will give your dog temporary relief from itching, if your dog is suffering from an allergy or a bacterial or fungal infection, they may need additional treatment to help them heal and truly bring an end to the issue. If the problem continues for weeks and you can’t identify its cause, then it’s defiantly time to schedule a visit with your vet.
