Bath Recs For Itchy Skin?

[cheeser]

What do you use to bathe itchy kitties with sensitive skin?

We're supposed to start bathing Buddy with "pretty much anything you can buy at Petsmart for dry, itchy skin, such as oatmeal or aloe" as part of his skin care routine for allergy related itchiness. And I trust y'all's experiences way more than my humble ability to just randomly grab stuff off a shelf.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Either is good. And the aloe shampoos will be latex-free. You will hear a LOT about aloe being toxic to cats, and it is, but ONLY the part...wait. I'll give you the link to an article that explains it very well, with diagrams. The gel, which is what is in the shampoo, is fine.

Is Aloe Vera Toxic to Cats and Dogs? - Healthy Food For Pets

Chewy carries selections of both, btw.

You can also brew a cup of chamomile tea, chill it, and dab it on any particularly itchy spots. It does a wonderful job, and even works on human eczema! Just be sure to use the commercially prepared tea bags, as those are ALL German chamomile, which is safe for cats. Often, what is grown in gardens is the English variety (it is showier), and THAT is toxic for cats.

 

[cheeser]

Either is good. And the aloe shampoos will be latex-free. You will hear a LOT about aloe being toxic to cats, and it is, but ONLY the part...wait. I'll give you the link to an article that explains it very well, with diagrams. The gel, which is what is in the shampoo, is fine.

Is Aloe Vera Toxic to Cats and Dogs? - Healthy Food For Pets

Chewy carries selections of both, btw.

You can also brew a cup of chamomile tea, chill it, and dab it on any particularly itchy spots. It does a wonderful job, and even works on human eczema! Just be sure to use the commercially prepared tea bags, as those are ALL German chamomile, which is safe for cats. Often, what is grown in gardens is the English variety (it is showier), and THAT is toxic for cats.

Thanks! I guess I'll just look for stuff that doesn't contain tea tree oil or anything else than can be toxic to cats, and go from there.

Oh, and we've become big fans of chamomile tea, thanks to having seen you recommend it on this site! I bought some awhile back to try for Buddy's itchy skin, but just hadn't gotten around to making some for him yet. Then one day when I felt I was about to go crazy from the near constant itching from my eczema, I brewed a batch of chamomile tea for myself and applied it to all of the itchy spots. I couldn't believe something so simple could help that much! So I told my cousin about it, who wasn't getting any relief from the meds the doctor prescribed for his diabetic related itchiness. It worked so well for him, he recommended it to another cousin who had been suffering from the same problem. Now I think pretty much everyone in our family keeps a box of chamomile tea bags in their medicine cabinet to sooth irritated skin and/or nerves!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

You know, whichever shampoo you decide on, you might do a final rinse with the tea! And I can't tell you how thrilled I am that it is working so well for you! You had sent me a message about that, and I've mentioned it several times (without names, of course) here on TCS. It really is good stuff!

 

[cheeser]

You know, whichever shampoo you decide on, you might do a final rinse with the tea! And I can't tell you how thrilled I am that it is working so well for you! You had sent me a message about that, and I've mentioned it several times (without names, of course) here on TCS. It really is good stuff!

Funny thing you should mention using chamomile tea as a rinse. I did that last night after spot cleaning an area on Buddy's chin with some diluted Betadine. And because we were expecting some really bad thunderstorms last night, I gave him a little bit of tea to help calm him down. Guess I should have fixed some tea for myself as well. I didn't sleep a wink!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Which reminds me, I am down to my last three bags, and that will not do! I'm going to add it to my list RIGHT NOW!