7 Best Medicated Shampoos for Dogs with Allergies: Pros and Cons – Reviews

Your dog is susceptible to allergies just like you. When she plays in dirty places or has dietary problems or genetic issues, her allergies can be triggered. One of the solutions to her condition is to a medicated dog shampoo for allergies.

Let’s examine this special type of shampoo, popular brands you can see in the market, and medicated shampoo for allergies reviews from experts.

What are the symptoms of an allergy?

There are many symptoms of a skin allergy. The most common ones are the following:

• Dandruff
• Excessive itching
• Hot spots
• Inflamed skin
• Parasites like ticks and fleas
• Rashes
• Scales or crusts on the skin
• Pyodermas (large sores)

These symptoms can be very irritating, stressful, and painful for your pet. You can help alleviate these symptoms by using the correct medicated dog shampoo.

What is a medicated dog shampoo?

There are hundreds of dog shampoos in the market. Some of them even have special ingredients that promote a healthy coat or a great smell. Some help treat inflamed skin, hot spots, or red rashes from allergies.

A medicated shampoo has ingredients that target specific problems and are designed to solve these issues without harming your dog. This type of shampoo has many other names like antiseptic or antibacterial dog shampoos. Since it contains special ingredients, it should be applied properly and with care. If applied improperly, some of the ingredients may irritate your dog’s eyes or nose.

What do you need to consider when buying a medicated dog shampoo?

To find the medicated shampoo that is best for your dog’s needs, you need to consider several factors.

• Your dog’s skin problem. Does your dog need to relieve itchy skin? Does she need to cure her ringworm condition? Does she need to clear her atopic dermatitis? You need to pick the correct shampoo that will treat with your dog’s issue.

• Your dog’s safety. While you consider your dog’s issue, you always have to prioritize her safety. So, you should always buy a product specifically made for dogs (never for humans!). Also, base your decision on careful research. Try not to mix and match different shampoos, or take a wild guess what ingredients will do. Make sure the shampoos don’t have dyes or parabens (chemical preservatives in some products), which may harm your dog’s skin or irritate it even further. Before buying, read reviews, or consult your vet or groomer for recommendations.

• Your budget. You have to take into consideration how much funds you have since you’ll probably need to use the shampoo on your dog more than once. This is where your prior research will benefit you. You can consider several options before taking one that fits your budget.

What are the different types of medicated shampoos?

As noted above, different conditions need different medications. The most following are the most common categories for medicated shampoos and their ingredients:

• Antiseborrheic (also known as anti-dermatitis) shampoos eliminate the scales that form on a dog’s irritated skin. A shampoo of this type can contain antibacterial and degreasing ingredients.

• Antibacterial shampoos treat infections that develop when your dog comes across bacteria from, for example, dirty puddles or urine.

• Antifungal shampoos effectively remove and prevent fungal infections.

• Anti-parasitic shampoos target parasites like ticks and fleas.

• Cleansing and moisturizing shampoos are good for a dog with dry skin, dandruff, inflammation, and other issues that require additional moisture for your pet’s skin.

• Sensitive skin shampoos are specially created for dogs who easily develop allergies or are born with sensitive skin. Like products for humans, these special shampoos are gentle and usually contain natural ingredients that treat your dog’s condition.

• General medicated shampoos are specifically designed to treat skin problems and infections. If your dog’s condition is severe, some vet-prescribed shampoos may contain stronger ingredients.

Some shampoos can fall under several categories.

What are the common ingredients of medicated shampoos?

When you go out shopping for a special shampoo for your dog, you’ll probably come across complicated words. Here are some of them and what they mean:

• benzoyl peroxide – an antibacterial ingredient that can also be found in topical creams that treat human acne
• salicylic acid – relieves itching by adding moisture to dry skin and help shed old or dry skin cells
• selenium sulfide – reduces itching, soothes irritation redness, and solves irritation
• micronized sulfur – can be found in anti-parasitic shampoos
• coal tar – effective for clearing up dandruff, scales, and flakes

• chlorhexidine – an antiseptic and disinfectant
• ethyl lactate – a powerful antibacterial ingredient, just a 10% concentration is enough to kill bacteria
• imidazoles – has anti-fungal properties
• oatmeal, essential oils, aloe vera, etc. – ingredients that contain natural antibacterial, antifungal, and soothing properties

What are the top medicated dog shampoos?

Now that you have some knowledge of medicated dog shampoos, their ingredients, and functions, what’s next? Here are the most popular shampoos based on owner, vet, and groomer recommendations to help you navigate the numerous options of brands and kinds in the market.

1. Douxo Chlorhexidine PS Shampoo For Dogs

This shampoo contains strong ingredients like chlorhexidine, lipacide, and phytosphingosine salicyloyl, so it can be used to treat itching, irritation, dry, flaking skin, or yeast infection. Follow the directions on how to apply on your dog’s coat and results should show in one or two weeks. If your dog’s condition is more severe, the results could show as long as a month.

Pros

• Can be used for a broad spectrum of skin-related issues
• Has moisturizing properties
• Can reverse hair loss
• Superficial problems can be treated quickly if the shampoo is used early enough

Con

• A bit more expensive than other brands

2. Curaseb Antifungal & Antibacterial Shampoo

This is a broad-spectrum shampoo is highly recommended for skin conditions due to bacteria. It’s effective not just on skin allergies, but also on pyoderma, yeast infection, and ringworm. It can also decrease the greasiness of the skin and the smell of scales and eczema. It contains Chlorhexidine Gluconate and Ketoconazole so it has both antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Pros

• Safe to use on both puppies and adult dogs
• Can be used to treat a broad spectrum of skin issues
• Can prevent bacteria and fungus from coming back
• Can be used as an antiseptic

Cons

• A bit more expensive than other brands
• The scent may be too strong for some dogs

3. SynergyLabs Veterinary Formula

This is an antiparasitic and antiseborrheic fast-acting medicated shampoo that can treat mange, parasitic infections, seborrhea, and other fungal and bacterial skin infections. Many vets recommend it for its proven effectiveness and price. It contains coal tar, salicylic acid & micronized sulfur, colloidal oatmeal, and allantoin, which are ingredients that are safe even for dogs that have sensitive skin or for frequent use.

Pros

• Proven to be effective against many skin diseases, from common to serious ones
• Affordable
• Safe even if used frequently
• Does not irritate your pet’s skin
• Has moisturizing properties

Con

• Some owners have said that their pets don’t like it because it smells like medicine

4. DermaPet Benzoyl Peroxide Plus

This shampoo contains Benzoyl Peroxide, salicylic acid, and sulfur. It’s considered effective for treating hot spots, pyodermas, oily or greasy skin, and other skin infections. The formula that this brand has vitamin E as one of the ingredients so it is both an antibacterial and moisturizing wash for your dog. You can even use it as a preventative shampoo so that your dog does not develop skin conditions.

Pros

• Can treat a wide range of skin ailments, from mange to dry skin
• Doesn’t lead to a stinging sensation when used even on a hot spot
• Can flush away irritants from between hair follicles
• Includes pure vitamin E, which is good for the skin
• Has a pleasant smell

Cons

• Some owners have noticed that it’s not effective on severe skin conditions

5. Davis Benzoyl Peroxide Shampoo

This shampoo is highly-recommended to treat mange. It contains Benzoyl Peroxide and can also be used to treat dermatitis, reduce oiliness, and promote hydration. It works by opening the pores and flushing out irritants so it is effective for dermatitis and mange. It is a strong formula, though, so it should be applied properly.

Pros

• Treats a wide range of skin diseases, from superficial to severe ones
• Restores hair loss
• Contains a pleasant smell
• Affordable

Cons

• Irritates human skin so owners should wear gloves
• Stings so your need to make sure that the formula will not enter your pet’s eyes, nose, or mouth

6. Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Antiparasitic and Antiseborrheic Medicated Shampoo for Dogs

This popular shampoo has powerful, fast-acting ingredients like salicylic acid, coal tar, micronized sulfur, colloidal oatmeal, and allantoin. These ingredients can treat a wide range of skin issues, from dermatitis to mange. In particular, it can help heal your pet’s skin after it has suffered an infection or allergic reaction since it has antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, moisturizing, and cooling properties. 

Pros

• Treats a variety of skin problems
• Relieves symptoms of allergy like itching and inflammation
• Contains natural ingredients

Cons

• May not be effective on some serious problems
• Not safe for puppies and cats

7. Vet’s Best Oatmeal Medicated Shampoo

This shampoo is the most recommended product for environment-related skin allergies. It contains hypoallergenic and natural ingredients like oatmeal, essential oils, and B5 that offer fast relief from the symptoms of the allergy. It can be used with other skin treatments like topical flea ointments.

Pros

• Hypoallergenic and natural ingredients
• Soothes and relieves symptoms of skin allergies
• Safe for frequent use
• Can be used with other treatments

Cons

• Not effective on some dogs
• Some dogs may not like the scent

Summary

Skin allergy is not a pleasant experience for your dog. She will be itchy, stressed, and hurt. As a dog parent, you will want to find a solution that relieves your pet’s condition while maintaining a budget. You have several choices in the market, but remember the following:

• find a product that targets your dog’s specific needs.
• make sure the shampoo contains helpful ingredients and no additives that might irritate your dog’s skin further.
• follow the directions on how to apply and how frequently you can use the shampoo on your dog.