[Poodelism]

Hi everyone,
I have a 3 yo standard red girl Joy, who seem to be tolerating any kind of bath routine really badly. After I bath / groom her, she is tired and would sleep for the rest of the day. After about 5-7 hrs she starts scratching and chewing on herself horribly, waking us up and she cannot stop or being comforted unless I go downstairs and sleep with her on the couch (see below for more details). This has been a problem since day one we got her, and ever since I'm trying to find products that will not cause such reaction, and I've tried about 7-10 products and products combinations, including changes in her bath/grooming routine with very little success.
She only has this behavior after bath, and this is why I think it's bath related (not food allergies or anything else). It's certainly not groom related as I tried giving her only bath and blow dry (not grooming her and not using any additional products on her coat), and she still scratches.
It maybe something in the water (whater softener salt?) that causes this, too, since she reacts on all products I tried. What makes it worse is that Benadryl does not help, and CBD oil helps with mild success (she may stay calm longer but then she's back to scratching again). She does not lick/chew her feet or any other parts that clear indicate allergies at dogs though. I thought at one point it maybe something psychosomatic since when I'm with her on the couch she eventually calms down and falls asleep and sleeps like a log all night. Does anyone else have the same problem and what do you do? What are the bath products you use on itchy poodles and do they help?

 

[FloofyPoodle]

Which products have you used? Have you tried an oatmeal based one? I use bio groom for shampoo and pet head for conditioner, and while the dogs don’t have skin allergies, I certainly do, and they both don’t affect me at all.

 

[For Want of Poodle]

How miserable for her.

Have you tried just bathing in water - no soap, no conditions, nothing else? Do you always blow dry - what happens if you just let her air dry? These might rule out soap and /or heat from the hair dryer as causes.

I use Wahl hypoallergenic on my spoo as I'm allergic to most products, but if Annie had issues, I would probably switch to my own Carina Organics mint shampoo and unscented conditioner. Earthbath makes decent, but expensive products as well.

If it turned out to be soap, I'd consider trying washing with just baking soda.

 

[Poodelism]

Which products have you used? Have you tried an oatmeal based one? I use bio groom for shampoo and pet head for conditioner, and while the dogs don’t have skin allergies, I certainly do, and they both don’t affect me at all.

Yes, I tried the oatmeal one and the bio groom with the same result, unfortunately. Haven't tried pet head conditioner though.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I would definitely bathe her with just water for a while. There's really no other way to rule out a reaction to the water itself.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes!

(Regarding oatmeal, our groomer warned us away from this ingredient, as it's a common allergen.)

 

[FloofyPoodle]

Yes, I tried the oatmeal one and the bio groom with the same result, unfortunately. Haven't tried pet head conditioner though.

Hmmm... I would do what FWOP and PTP said.

 

[twyla]

You might need to break it down, my old poodle Flower was allergic to clipper lube to a little figure to sort that out

 

[Poodelism]

I would definitely bathe her with just water for a while. There's really no other way to rule out a reaction to the water itself.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes!

(Regarding oatmeal, our groomer warned us away from this ingredient, as it's a common allergen.)

As simple as it sounds, this option has never crossed my mind facepalm. I should absolutely give it a shot, thank you!

 

[Poodelism]

You might need to break it down, my old poodle Flower was allergic to clipper lube to a little figure to sort that out

How did you figured it out?

 

[PeggyTheParti]

As simple as it sounds, this option has never crossed my mind facepalm. I should absolutely give it a shot, thank you!

That's why I love this forum! So many fresh perspectives when I feel like I've tried everything.

We briefly lived in North Carolina, and during the winter months, our county changed the chemical balance in our water. I spent months being TORTURED by every bath and shower. Like bugs crawling all over my skin. It was a hideous sensation, and absolutely would have been unbearable for me long term. So water definitely could be the culprit.

But I hope it's not.

 

[twyla]

I had to break down when she symptoms started, after exactly what product did she react, Flower would developed a large weeping rash within an hour I found out if I rebathed her it would stop. I eventually had to only use clippers that had sat and dried over night after being lubricated.
I have skin allergies myself, sensitivities to chemicals so breaking down what I came into contact with or what product caused it helped me sort out what was happening to my Flower. To put it in to context I can only use three types of hand soap, one type of dish detergent, one type of deodorant, one kind of shampoo so much itchy fun
Also I am allergic to 35 types of trees so touching stuff outside can be interesting, oddly enough I have a bigger reaction when my pores are open and I sm sweaty so I wear long sleeves all year even in the hot weather

 

[orangeversion]

Hi everyone,
I have a 3 yo standard red girl Joy, who seem to be tolerating any kind of bath routine really badly. After I bath / groom her, she is tired and would sleep for the rest of the day. After about 5-7 hrs she starts scratching and chewing on herself horribly, waking us up and she cannot stop or being comforted unless I go downstairs and sleep with her on the couch (see below for more details). This has been a problem since day one we got her, and ever since I'm trying to find products that will not cause such reaction, and I've tried about 7-10 products and products combinations, including changes in her bath/grooming routine with very little success.
She only has this behavior after bath, and this is why I think it's bath related (not food allergies or anything else). It's certainly not groom related as I tried giving her only bath and blow dry (not grooming her and not using any additional products on her coat), and she still scratches.
It maybe something in the water (whater softener salt?) that causes this, too, since she reacts on all products I tried. What makes it worse is that Benadryl does not help, and CBD oil helps with mild success (she may stay calm longer but then she's back to scratching again). She does not lick/chew her feet or any other parts that clear indicate allergies at dogs though. I thought at one point it maybe something psychosomatic since when I'm with her on the couch she eventually calms down and falls asleep and sleeps like a log all night. Does anyone else have the same problem and what do you do? What are the bath products you use on itchy poodles and do they help?

Did you meet with your vet? I guess your vet can suggest to you which dog shampoo and conditioner would work for your poodle. And try to bathe your poodle with just plain water for a few times. Because sometimes the water is the problem for your dog's irritation.

 

[Viking Queen]

Try Natures Specialties Hypo Aloe Genic shampoo. It is a very nice product, my groomer uses in her shop for sensitive dogs. Dilute it heavily before using. I use another of their shampoos, the Almond Crisp and I use 1 oz shampoo to 32 oz water. Put it in an empty dish detergent bottle to squirt where needed. Make sure you rinse like crazy to make sure all shampoo is out. You can order sample size bottles of these products on Amazon so you can try it without wasting a lot of money. I have used the Almond Crisp shampoo for over 25 yrs with no alllergy issues on my kiddos. They make nice conditioners too but I don' t often use one as the coat is so nice after bathing.

 

[Mufar42]

I would try combing her dry, perhaps the blower is drying her skin out too much causing her to itch. If I use a hot setting from a hair dryer I have awful itching of the scalp. I brush my hair dry .

 

[Porkchop]

I also want to say stay away from shampoos that have oatmeal in them. Yep, dogs are commonly allergic to this ingredient in shampoo. Mine would get dry flaky skin from it.

how long has this been going on?
The Benadryl might be what’s making her sleep, since it has a heavy sedative effect and takes a long time to clear from the body.
If you live in an area with hard water, usually having a softener set at the correct level of your city’s water hardness can help. Usually it’s hard water that causes skin issues, not the salt. Also make sure there’s no “salt bridge” in the softener. I can always tell when my salt levels are low because my skin gets tight and crazy itchy after a shower.
I hope just bathing with water at first and no blow dryer works out ok and you find a shampoo that works.

 

[EVpoodle]

That sounds miserable for her and you!
I used to groom a friends dog with a skin condition that caused him to itch constantly no matter what, and smell wretched. For him his vet said to bathe weekly and to use a anti itch shampoo it is called Chlorhexidine shampoo. It really helped. Perhaps try that? I will agree with everyone that said just bathe with water for the next few weeks just to see what is causing the issue. I will also say that the high velocity dryer or by that matter any dryer with heat can be highly irritating. The Benadryl is the most likely factor that makes her sleep besides just being on her feet for the washing and the drying time.

I hope this helps, and the itching gets better.

 

[Maggied]

I used water with a tsp of dial soap and vinegar when I was concerned about fleas. Interestingly, her coat was lovely afterwards and it didn't bother her.