How to Groom a Puppy with Allergies
Easy
10 - 30 Minutes
1 Week
Need regular grooming services?
Introduction
Allergies can be caused by several factors such as food, parasites, and environmental allergens like grass. When your puppy has allergies, his skin could become dry and itchy. Over time, this dry, itchy skin can become broken with open sores that hurt when touched.
While you are figuring out what causes your puppy’s allergies and working on treatments, he will still need to be groomed. Understanding how to soothe his painful skin will help you get through each grooming session while keeping your puppy happy and comfortable. Grooming includes trimming or cutting his fur as well as baths.
Dog's Perspective
A puppy with allergies might be quite uncomfortable. His skin may be tender and sore to touch. He might flinch and cower if you try to brush him. Be cautious and aware of how he may feel as you go through each grooming task.
The Daily Maintenance Method
Effective
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Shampoo
Pin Brush
Nail Clipper
Towel
Step
1
Morning
Start your morning off right with a quick visit outside to go potty and then wipe down his fur with a wet cloth or a wet wipe to remove any morning dew and pollens from your puppy’s fur.
Step
2
Afternoon
In the afternoon after his time outdoors, brush his fur out to rid the fur of allergens.
Step
3
Evening
Before bedtime, always brush your little guy with a mit brush or a soft cloth to remove allergens and excess loose fur from your puppy’s body.
Step
4
Cut and Trim
At least every four weeks, trim your puppy’s fur. If his allergies are environmental, you’ll want to keep the fur short enough during allergy seasons so that the fur does not retain seeds and pollens.
Step
5
Wash
Every week to two weeks, give your puppy a bath using a gentle puppy shampoo. Oatmeal shampoo is gentle on the skin and will soothe dry, itchy patches.
Step
6
Cut nails
Be sure you are cutting your puppy’s nails on a regular basis.
Step
7
General Care
Be sure to wipe down your pup’s fur and wash his bedding on a regular basis so those allergens are not passed from bedding to fur and fur to bedding.
Recommend grooming method?
The Oatmeal and Coconut Method
Effective
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Towel
Step
1
Prep bath
You can give your dog a bath with an oatmeal shampoo, or you can make your own oatmeal bath. To prepare your own, grind a cup of oatmeal in a coffee grinder. Mix these oats into a small warm bath. Do not make the water too warm as this may be uncomfortable to dry skin.
Step
2
Bath
For an oatmeal bath, you do not need a dog shampoo unless you are using an oatmeal shampoo. Pour the bath water over your puppy allowing it to soak into the fur and skin.
Step
3
Massage
Massage the oatmeal bath water into the skin focusing on dry areas affected by allergies.
Step
4
Pat dry
After your puppy is clean with oatmeal and water, take him out of the bath or drain the water and pat him dry with a towel.
Step
5
Coconut oil
Gently massage coconut oil into his skin on the areas he’s scratching most. This will help to soothe and heal dry skin.
Recommend grooming method?
Caution & Considerations
- Before your puppy grows too much, try to get a handle on the allergies.
- For a puppy, be sure you are using a suitable puppy shampoo. Shampoos for humans and dogs will be too rough for your puppy’s skin. Humans and dog have different a pH balance, so using anything but a natural shampoo made for puppies could be damaging to sensitive skin.
- An oatmeal bath can soothe the itch while healing dry skin.
- Coconut oil can also be very soothing.
- Use coconut oil on your dog's skin after grooming to fight bacteria.
- If your puppy’s allergies are environmental, consider wiping him down with a damp cloth or wet wipe each time he comes in from outside.
- A quick weekly grooming session will help keep his skin from becoming too dry and itchy.
- Overwashing your puppy can also cause more problems than it solves.
- Always be sure to rinse all shampoo off the dog’s skin so it does not dry on the skin and in the fur.
- Daily brushing with a mitt brush can help to remove small allergens such as pollen from your dog’s skin.
Conclusion
Having a puppy with allergies is never fun, so you can bet grooming while he is suffering the discomfort allergens cause on his skin isn't very fun either. But you can also count on making him feel better through grooming. Oatmeal and coconut oils can be used in the bath and after bathtime to soothe itchy skin. Keeping your little guy clean and well trimmed will help keep allergens in your home and on his fur down to a minimum, which will make you both feel better.
