Earthbath Oatmeal and Aloe
I recently bought some Earthbath Oatmeal and Aloe shampoo for our dogs because, as you now, their skin is very sensitive and Beans has very dry skin too. We purchased this because the ingredients are all natural and we didn’t want to irritate our pets’ skin in any way. We’ve only used it once so far, and noticed that Lulu broke out in hives a few days later. This could, of course, be a coincidence, but now I’m terrified to use it (or any shampoo) again! She’s only had these hives two times and I can’t remember if the first time she had them she had been recently bathed. This last time was really bad and we had to put her on antibiotics and steroids. Am I crazy to think that it could be related to the shampoo? Edit: Lulu’s bumpy allergy problem is likely due to shampooing, but we have not yet determined what specific ingredient causes her to break out.
Here are the ingredients: Purified water, renewable coconut-based cleansers, colloidal oatmeal (3%), aloe vera, almond and vanilla essences, olive oil squalene (natural preservative).
Could there be something in this shampoo and other shampoos we’ve used that she has a reaction to?
On another note, I’ve noticed that Beans had less dandruff afterward, so it seems to have worked well for him, along with the sardine oil we have been giving the dogs each day.
Poor Beans! I’m actually a big fan of this shampoo. My dog Miles has severely dry skin in the winter and this shampoo came highly recommended. It has worked wonders on him. Perhaps there is an ingredient Beans is allergic to? Suggestion: Sometimes I soak about a cup and a half of oatmeal in a large bowl of water for a day. At bath time, I scoop the water over my dog and rub the oatmeal on his skin. I do this once every 6 weeks and it’s been great for his skin. I call it sPaw day.
Hi Christine,
Thanks – It’s actually Lulu who had the hives allergy problem, but they both do have bad allergies and Beans has dry skin.
HAHA sPaw day
Thanks for the suggestion. Everyone tells me oatmeal, so I might try that if his dandruff comes back. So far Beans seems to be pretty OK.
one last suggestion, the Herbal Moisturizing Treatment spray from Shea Pet is also great and comes in a pretty bottle (bonus!) It’s a little pricey but worth it. I hope Lulu feels better soon!
Oh no! Sorry to hear about Lulu! Hopefully she’s back in tip top shape soon.
As for the shampoo/hives, I use this same shampoo with Wrigley. I noticed that if I don’t rinse well enough, he will get little hives, usually under his haunches. Are you using it full strength or diluting it? You can dilute this shampoo quite a bit and still have it be effective. Anyway, those are my suggestions: rinse, rinse, rinse and dilute!
(Glad it helped Beans, P.S.)
Thanks Capree. I will try diluting it next time with extra rinsing!
Dear Jaime, very sorry to hear that Lulu got hives. While I am not a veterinarian, it would be really really unusual for this to have been any other than a coincidence with the shampoo use, as if she were indeed allergic to one or more of the ingredients in the shampoo, the reaction should have been nearly instantaneous. Think about this relative to your own allergies: if you are allergic to grass and roll around on a grassy field, you get itchy within minutes. The same would be true if you were allergic to a food, say shellfish, and ate a little shrimp. Within minutes you would feel the effects. Dogs, like people, can be allergic to ingredients in shampoos, but a latent reaction of this type would be rare indeed. You might want to search for environmental clues: change in bedding or where she has slept?; something she may have rolled in or on; a little Scooby snack she snuck while noone was looking; change in food or diet; a flowering plant in the yard she may have brushed up against; stress – where you away from her for any period. Itching and skin allergy are the hardest things to pinpoint and require deep, thoughtful sleuthing unfortunately. In any case, we guarantee your shampoo 100% so please fax with your address, full name, and a receipt with your purchase price and we’ll get you a full refund. If you don’t have all of this, please just email us what you can and we’ll take care of you. info@earthbath. Here’s what I’d suggest you try in order to determine whether or not the shampoo could have been the cause: take a little daub of shampoo and put it on one of Lulu’s legs, full strength, or half diluted if you choose. Monitor the patch and watch for any irritation. If none happens, you know you are safe to use the shampoo. If irritation occurs, you’ve proven me wrong, and Lulu is a special dog with the ability to have latent allergic reactions. Additionally, what I might suggest is that you follow Christine’s advice about the oatmeal, or simpler yet, go to your local drug store and buy some colloidal oatmeal powder (found in the bathing section). Dilute half a packet into warm water, whisking in the powder, and then put in few squirts of the earthbath HypoAllergenic shampoo. This is a super duper skin and coat remoisturizer. So you feel comfortable, try the shampoo on the leg treatment first. And finally, if you have simply given up on shampoo, you might try earthbath HypoAllergenic wipes or HypoAllergenic grooming foam (using the leg test for your confidence if you want to.) In any and all cases, we want to be able to help you successfully and safely cleanse your loved one, and feel free to try all of the products I mentioned with the knowledge that they are all 100% guaranteed. Thanks for using our products and Happy Sudsing! Paul A, earthbath
Hi Paul,
Thank you so much. I do agree that if it was an allergic reaction, it probably would have happened instantaneously. This has happened to her once before, and we?re just exploring options. We will try testing a spot this weekend to see what happens ? that?s a great idea!
It is definitely possible that something in our area, a plant or a bug or something could have caused this. We have explored it with our veterinarian who believe that it was an allergic reaction to SOMETHING, but what? We just don?t know. So, as you said, it is very hard to pinpoint. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity, as well as your suggestions. We do love the Earthbath products and I truly believe that the shampoo helped Beans? dry skin. He still has a little bit but with the shampoo and the sardine oil he looks a lot better.
Once again, thank you for your kind words. We do appreciate your response. We will let you know what happens with the spot treatment!