{"id":13569,"date":"2022-04-16T00:00:14","date_gmt":"2022-04-16T00:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/petdedicated.com\/?p=13569"},"modified":"2022-04-16T00:00:14","modified_gmt":"2022-04-16T00:00:14","slug":"herbal-shampoo-hot-spot-treatments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petdedicated.com\/?p=13569","title":{"rendered":"Herbal Shampoo & Hot-Spot Treatments"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

The post Herbal Shampoo & Hot-Spot Treatments<\/a> by Lauren Katims<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n

Dogs get skin issues, just like we do, depending on the weather, allergens in the air and grass, or various bug bites. Signs of discomfort can be persistent scratching or itching, biting or licking their paws, or picking at a particularly irritated or infected spot, called a hot spot.<\/p>\n

Wouldn\u2019t it be convenient to whip up your own customized batch of calming shampoo or rinse in less than 30 minutes, depending on your dog\u2019s ailments?<\/p>\n

It may sound intimidating, but making a shampoo or rinse at home is doable for beginning DIYers. And more good news: Most of the ingredients may already be in your pantry.<\/p>\n

If you want a completely toxin-free wash, steer clear of ingredient lists with a base of dish soap or baby soap, says Rita Hogan, a clinical canine herbalist based in Olympia, Washington. Those soaps are typically petroleum based and can strip your dog\u2019s coat of natural oils.<\/p>\n

Rita says to look for ingredient lists that have apple cider vinegar (which adjusts the pH level for dogs), baking soda, castile soap, aloe vera gel and glycerin.<\/p>\n

Adding herbs to your water base (as if you were steeping tea), although not necessary, allows you to customize the shampoo for your dog\u2019s skin.<\/p>\n

Helpful herbs for skin issues<\/h3>\n
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\u00a9pookpiik | Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most dried herbs can be found on Amazon and\/or your health food\u00a0store. Rita recommends the following:<\/p>\n