What happens if I never bathe my dog?
Monserrate Kiehn
2025-06-19 22:54:11
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He gets eye drops for glaucoma, gets monthly flea and heartworm treatment, always has a leash and collar on, and being that I'm dog sitting for him in a week and asked all sorts of questions, I now know he's up to date on vaccines. Being that he looks great, and appears mat free, I'm curious what the health risks are of NOT bathing your dog. He doesn't stink, BUT sometimes when I give him a really good, deep back scratch I end up with an oily dirt-colored residue under my finger nails, so although his coat is gorgeous, his skin must be quite dirty under all that fur. He's always bright eyed and bushy tailed. His dog is guessed to be 8ish years old, and has a beautiful, bright white thick coat.
Orlo Kovacek
2025-06-14 15:26:50
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Without the occasional scrub down, your dog can be exposed to parasites, infections, skin sores, and more. Bacteria, fungi, feces, dead skin cells, and other unpleasant things can live in their fur. The rule of thumb, however, is that dogs should be bathed about once every other month. If they get smelly before this mark, give them a bath anyway. Dogs with short or thin hair can avoid the monthly bath altogether, and instead be wiped down with a wet cloth to remove dirt. A full bath will only be required a few times a year. Studies show that 56% of dog owners do not bathe their pet enough. This can be a big problem, because bacteria, fungi, feces, dead skin cells, and other unpleasant things can live in their fur.
Enola Marquardt
2025-06-06 22:00:29
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If your dog is happy and healthy then there is no reason you couldn’t just carry on as you have been. Mud just seems to dry and drop off and I’ve only ever wiped her muddy paws. Washing your dog can flag up anomalies that you may not have noticed in the past. It’s also really good for your dog’s skin and coat, provided good products are used. You never know – after her bath, you may realise that she was a little smellier than you first thought. Professional groomers have their hands on dogs all day, every day and anomalies in anatomy are very obvious to them and are easily flagged up, so even short-coated dogs can benefit from a professional groom. Obviously, no groomer would diagnose, but flagging up a problem has been known to save lives.
Hassie VonRueden
2025-05-25 08:27:01
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Bathing too frequently can lead to dry coats and skin problems, while not enough bathing can lead to health problems and a stinky pup. The happy medium may range from bathing your dog once a week to only a few times a year. If your pup has any health conditions—particularly those that affect the skin—your veterinarian will likely have additional guidelines to consider when developing a bathing schedule. Using the wrong product on a dog with unhealthy skin could make matters worse, so if you are noting any changes in your pet’s skin, be sure to check it out with your veterinarian before opting for a product. During the warm, wet months of the year, many dogs are prone to greasy coats and doggy odor. Dogs that swim in the warmer months may not need as many baths but will need a good rise in clean water post swim. Senior pups typically do not need as much bathing—usually just enough to keep any body odor at bay. If they are managing health conditions, daily wipes and spot cleaning may be necessary. Dog odor tends to be more obvious in the summer versus the winter months.
Flossie Ratke
2025-05-25 07:08:05
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Dogs have sensitive skin and cleaning them too often can really dry out their coat and can cause skin irritation. Unless they get dirty or roll in something a bit gross, it’s best to leave the natural oils in their coat do all the hard work – they’re pretty great at self-cleaning. If you use drop on flea and worming treatment, this will also be washed away every time you bathe them. Dogs are better left without being washed for as long as possible.
Jada Fritsch
2025-05-25 06:09:54
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In general, healthy dogs only need to be bathed if they smell. There's no reason particularly to bath a healthy dog, unless they're dirty. You actually don't have to wash your dog ever, if you have a regular, healthy dog without a skin condition. In the wild, feral dogs generally don't bathe and they definitely don't use shampoo. So when we wash our dogs, it's mostly because we want to keep them from muddying up our homes, particularly after they roll around in the dirt. Or some dogs develop a doggy smell and people want to remove that, or they get dusty or dirty. Dogs are bathed more often than they need to be. If I see a normal healthy dog, they can wash their dog as often as they like. Most domestic dogs get a wash every now and then because they smell or get muddy.
Concepcion Schaefer
2025-05-25 05:41:32
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Normal dogs without skin allergies or other sensitivities simply don’t need bathing very much at all. A dog’s coat contains natural oils which are designed to repel dirt. When people wash their dogs a lot, these oils can be removed. If that happens, then the coat will no longer stay clean naturally. So then the people are inclined to wash the dog again, and so it goes. She bathes her own dogs roughly once a year. She realized that would horrify a lot of tidy housekeepers, but while her dogs do shed some hair, they really don’t bring in much dirt. In my experience, doggie smell comes from less-than-healthy skin. Not bathing your dog will also make the flea control meds that you apply last longer.
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