We’re not fans of chemicals in our own shampoo, so we’re not about to use them on our beloved pets either! Here is a simple recipe to make your own pet shampoo that is gentle on the skin and not loaded with harsh chemicals.
How to Make Your Own Pet Shampoo
Regardless of what kind of shampoo you use on your pet it’s important to remember to avoid getting it in his (or her) eyes! You can bathe a pet in the bathtub, a Rubbermaid tub, a kitchen sink (if the pet is small enough) or a laundry room sink.
It’s important to remember that pets get chilled when they’re wet just as we do, so take care in making sure the water is comfortably warm and that you have several dry towels handy to properly dry your pet following his bath.
Regular Pet Shampoo
You’ll Need:
1/2 c. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 c. Dawn Dish Detergent
1 Large plastic Water bottle (16 oz)
Pour the vinegar and dawn into the water bottle, fill the bottle to neck with water, seal and shake lightly until bubbles form and the ingredients are mixed. To use, wet your pet thoroughly with warm water, apply the shampoo as needed, be sure to rinse well.
If you prefer to use another style container simply add about 2 cups of warm water to your recipe.
Flea Destroying Pet Shampoo
You’ll Need:
1/2 C. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 c. LEMON JOY Dish Detergent
1 Large Empty plastic Water bottle
Pour the vinegar and lemon Joy into the water bottle, fill the bottle to neck, seal and shake lightly until bubbles form and the ingredients are mixed. To use, wet your pet thoroughly with warm water, apply the shampoo as needed, be sure to rinse well.
Do NOT Substitute with other brands of detergent. The Flea destroying pet shampoo recipe is meant to be used infrequently. Using dishwashing soap on a regular basis will strip the natural oils from your pet’s skin, leaving it dry, as well as decreasing its ability to keep yeast and bacteria at bay.
Once the fleas have been removed from your pet, be sure to treat them with a monthly product such as Frontline or Trifexis to prevent reinfestation.
Flea Infestation warning
Keep in mind that if your pet has fleas they will begin to retreat as soon as you apply shampoo. This means that they may try to crawl away into your pets ears, eyes, nose and mouth, or they may jump onto YOU to avoid the shampoo.
Just keep this in mind and make sure that you pay close attention to any fleas in your pets face and remove them immediately. Follow with an additional vet recommended Flea treatment within 7 days.
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / chalabala
i have heard that if you give your pet one teaspoon of brewers yeast a day (mix in food) it will repell fleas and ticks. any truth to this? if not, any ideas of diy flea and tick controll?:bee:
I’ve heard Garlic powder on their food will also repel fleas. Any truth?
I don’t know about the ticks, but if you use citrus oils they repel the fleas.
You can add a few drops to the shampoo or some people I know will just rub a lemon or orange onto their pets coat. If this recipe is too harsh for your pets skin, try the human version. You can find it under the “no poo shampoo” listing.
Hope this helps.
For flea and tick prevention with both dogs and cats, you can add 1 tbsp of vinegar (I use white) per gallon of water.
Use this for their drinking water ALL the time. For dogs only, you can add a bit of minced garlic to their food. I’ve never used dried because it’s infinitely more concentrated.
I used to make my dogs’ food and still do when my boy gets sick, my girl rarely gets sick. I added a heaping teaspoon to a large stockpot of chicken and rice before the rice was cooked all the way so it mixed in well. How much you give is really dependent on the size of your dog.
By mixing it in a large amount of food, they really didn’t get much because they didn’t eat that much at one time. Garlic and onions can be toxic in large quantities to dogs. However, I have Australian Shepherds that cannot use any form of Ivermectin products (no aussie can), or it’s a death sentence, and that is the main ingredient in most flea, tick, and deworming treatments.
Oh and then you can use diatomaceous earth in their bedding. I also bomb my house yearly. I have not had a flea or tick problem in 10 years since using the vinegar.
If they’re staying at a doggie day care, as a preventative, I put a little, like a pinch, of minced garlic in their food each night after their home. The brought some home with them in July, but they disappeared really fast with the vinegar/garlic combo. I have 4 long hair indoor only cats and then my 2 aussies that are indoors most of the time too.
No fleas. Good luck!
be cautious with garlic on your dog’s food. just like people, some dogs have a sensitivity to garlic. it will cause extremely uncomfortable gas pains.
i have heard of dogs that have died because they pressure will cause other organs to fail.
after putting in the apple cider vinegar and dawn, the recipe says to fill the bottle to the neck, but does not say what to fill it with. i am assuming water but don’t like to assume anything so please tell me.
What did you find out?
Edit: apparently you need at least 20 characters and cannot just say, “yes, water.” So…
Yes. Water is what you fill it with. Or an infused boiled tea that has more herbs that repel bugs.
how does this shampoo leave the dog’s skin (and coat)? i have two dogs with very sensitive skin and want to find something that will naturally clean but also moisturize. any suggestions would be great!
Um Yes, Water. The recipe says if you’re using another container than you need about 2 cups of water…
I have used baking soda and acv on my own hair for 6 weeks now and LOVE it. I can’t believe how soft and shiny it is. I haven’t done my dogs but if I use it on myself, I’ll have no trouble using it on them.
They (3) are mostly white so I’ll try some bluing on them.
i am thinking maybe add some aloe to it, my vet said to use dawn instead of flea shampoo but it was really hard on a poodles coat.
another really off-the-wall tip, but it says it directly on the site. you don’t need a bunch of fancy white-dog shampoos and conditioners for your all-white or mostly-white pets. a drop or two of bluing (a concentrated blue liquid you get in the detergent aisle) in a bucket of water is safe for dogs, and when you rinse them with it at the end of the bath it’ll take out the dingy look their fur tends to get.
or you can make it more concentrated by making the bathwater have bluing in it–it does not take much. just be careful because in less diluted forms the bluing stains literally everything it touches. hands, cups, buckets….
bluing costs like less than $5 and will literally last your dog’s entire life + any white laundry you do forever too.
A spray bottle about half apple cider vinegar and water will kill fleas. Spray rubbing the hair backwards. Spray a cloth to do the face and muzzle.
Please don’t get this mixture in your dogs eyes.
So I don’t see why soap and apple cider vinegar won’t work.