Bathing once a week will help to relieve pain and itching, and increase healing and recovery from both yeast and bacterial infections. Once the infection has been controlled, either with oral antibiotics or anti-yeast medications, you should be able to reduce bathing to every two weeks. It’s essential to check in with your vet first, however. Regular bathing with antimicrobial shampoos can treat active infections and prevent a relapse. Bathing your dog more frequently than recommended for their skin condition may feel like you’re doing more to soothe or improve the problem, but it can actually harm their skin. Some skin diseases lead to brittle hair, which can break off, leaving bald patches that can become infected when shampoo therapy is too harsh or too regular. Instead, keep your dog comfortable and ensure their skin gets back to its healthy state by sticking to the amount your vet has recommended. Bathing is particularly helpful for allergic reactions to food and environmental allergens, which can also predispose dogs to recurrent yeast or bacterial infections that need to be brought under control.