Can I use dog shampoo on a cat?

fraggles

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
May 29, 2007
Messages
63
Purraise
1
Location
Floresville, TX
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I use quality human shampoos - only recommend the dishsoap if you have nothing better to use and its not used on a regular basis.
So it is alright for me to use my Bed Head/ Cat Walk shampoos and conditioners on the boys? Once I began going for salon quality products, I've never been able to go back.
 

valanhb

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
32,530
Purraise
100
Location
Lakewood (Denver suburb), Colorado
I wouldn't recommend using anything that isn't formulated especially for cats without directly consulting my vet first. Human shampoos can dry out a cat's skin in short order. Dog shampoos can contain ingredients that are fine for dogs, but toxic for cats. I'm certainly not educated enough about the PH balance of a cat's skin to be able to say for sure that any human grade shampoo/conditioner is OK for their very sensitive skin.
 

abymummy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 7, 2006
Messages
4,074
Purraise
11
Location
Malaysia
If the petshop is selling color enhancing shampoos for cats I don't see why they aren't selling the basic cleansing shampoos....

Allsystems Crisp Coat and Biogroom is fine. Also Earthbath (which I personally don't use since I'm allergic to Aloe).
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
The ones (human) that I've used and work very well are Pantane and Nexxus - I also always use a conditioner on the coats - not just the shampoo so it never dried anyone's coat out


For Rex cats the Nexxus was wonderful - Spooky's coat was always super soft and sparkling when he got washed. It was also recommended by another rex breeder who is a hairdresser, so it was safe to use IMO.
 

sharky

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
27,231
Purraise
38
Originally Posted by valanhb

I wouldn't recommend using anything that isn't formulated especially for cats without directly consulting my vet first. Human shampoos can dry out a cat's skin in short order. Dog shampoos can contain ingredients that are fine for dogs, but toxic for cats. I'm certainly not educated enough about the PH balance of a cat's skin to be able to say for sure that any human grade shampoo/conditioner is OK for their very sensitive skin.
exactly.... Using something NOT labeled for cats is kinda russian rulette... Thou for years many of us did... I know use something my vet okayed for both the cat and dog ... thou unless its truelly needed I dont plan on bathing a cat ... Kandie only had one bath in nearly 19 yrs
 

jaffacake

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
4,243
Purraise
13
Location
1066 Country
Originally Posted by Abymummy

If the petshop is selling color enhancing shampoos for cats I don't see why they aren't selling the basic cleansing shampoos....
This was not the kind of pet shop I would normally use but it was an emergency. It was the kind of place that sets up over night and then is gone a few weeks later. They didn`t seem too friendly or the kind of people who`d know much about pet-care. More like they had brought a load of cheap stock to get rid of.



Ok. E-mail sent to Johnsons. just waiting for reply and will let you know what they say.
 

gomer

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2007
Messages
138
Purraise
1
Location
Wallaceburg Ontario Canada
Interesting. When I was a dog groomer the only shampoo was had was dog shampoo (I didn't own the place, I only worked there, so don't flame me). It was professional quality, no the pet store crap. We bathed cats all the time and never had a complaint from the owner (but we never used 'specialty' shampoos on cats, just plain or oatmeal if it had dry skin). I use dog shampoo on my cats all the time as well. Haven't had a single problem. Weird.
 

yosemite

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Messages
23,313
Purraise
81
Location
Ingersoll, ON
Originally Posted by Gomer

Interesting. When I was a dog groomer the only shampoo was had was dog shampoo (I didn't own the place, I only worked there, so don't flame me). It was professional quality, no the pet store crap. We bathed cats all the time and never had a complaint from the owner (but we never used 'specialty' shampoos on cats, just plain or oatmeal if it had dry skin). I use dog shampoo on my cats all the time as well. Haven't had a single problem. Weird.
Perhaps not so much "weird" as "lucky".
 

mzjazz2u

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2003
Messages
10,133
Purraise
4
Location
The Beehave State!
Originally Posted by SalemWitchChild

I wouldn't consider Johnsons to be a quality shampoo. But their tea tree is likely so diluted that it's not doing it's job for the dogs so therefore isn't having an effect on cats. Which is likely why they haven't been sued for it. Natural shampoo's are not controlled by any organization. So therefore that's how they can get away with it. Some other companies may put it on there by accident and then change it.

It astounds me this board has so very low of an opinion on cat specific shampoos. I realize cats do not get bathed as often. But even those that do bath more regularly are using dish soap (which strips). We have to remember that a cats skin does not have pours. And it takes months for them to rejuvinate skin. So what is mildly harsh for us is very harsh for them.

I'll shut up now.. I have a very strong opinion due to working in the pet shampoo industry for many years.. This by far is a topic that makes me very irritated when I hear so much information that IMO is wrong.
Well ... I'm all for cat specific shampoos. But there also is no harm in using Dawn in a pinch. And it's perfect for cats with greasy coats. The trick is to rinse well with a mixture of vinegar and water, which helps get all of the soap out better and helps to restore the ph of the skin.

It makes me a little miffed to hear bad information as well. But all I can do is counter it with the best information I have from years of experience and having awesome teachers!
 

missymotus

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 8, 2005
Messages
9,234
Purraise
254
On the subject of Tea Tree Oil, this is from a newsletter I received not long ago.

Tea Tree Oil has been a hot subject this week.

There are many books for this trade and many that are partially educated for the field and yet the partial education they hold is actually damaging as a whole. In the last few weeks- several breeders have ask us about Tea Tree Oil and the dangers it holds for cats. Because of the miss information located about- CB has decided to help teach and educate you to understand both the dangers and the safeties of Tea Tree Oil.

Years ago, a group arose in the aromatherapy business that miss used Essential Oils and their healing properties on pets, especially cats. Many Breeders read the literature this group put out into the market and thought they had found many cure alls. Instead they found nightmares! The group was large and is still teaching incorrectly today.

This group teaches to use Essential Oils neat on the skin of pets. "Neat" means- use undiluted in full form. This group also suggested for pet owners to feed the Essential Oils to the pets with severe cases. As certified Aromatherapist we must share... neat EO's is not recommended ever, ESP on pets. This is toxic! Pets will sniff and lick- and ingesting these EO's is very dangerous to their systems, it is actual poison!

Because of the miss guided information from this group- several web pages and articles have been published describing the side effects of what this group caused to happen to pets- ESP cats. Yet no lab or governmental research has published to date to our knowledge of the side effects, therefore the results have caused many people to be somewhat confused.

Tea Tree Oil has many known healing properties. It became very popular with the discovery of "it kills fungus " was announced. Desperate Breeders (especially cat breeders ) bought up the Tea Tree Oil in large qualities and was applying the oils directly to the skin where ringworm lesions could be seen. These breeders and pet owners were not educated in full, and what happened was the pets- especially the cats became very ill. Cats tend to have more fungus issues and so many more cat owners were using the so called new miracle cure. But to use this oil unproper was no miracle! Instead can you image what happened next?

You guess it- the cats licked their wounds and several even died!

It wasn't the Tea Tree Oil that was harming the cats as much as how it was applied and how it was being used. Partial Education on the Healing abilities of Essential Oils and how to use them properly became the problem.

When Tea Tree Oil is properly diluted and placed in a shampoo base and never in food- then it can be used safe. It must be rinsed off the skin and not left to be ingested! It must never be used neat or diffused into the air where cats can breathe it in. An unqualified person should also not attempt to make their own Tea Tree Shampoo, since dilution ratios are very important as per what oil is being used and in what blend. Trying to make your own shampoo without understanding the full properties of the oil is where a skin reaction could come into play and cause damage.

Castle Baths uses only Organic Essential Oil of Tea Tree and has completely tested it as 100% safe. It is always diluted properly in every batch made of Healthy Coat pH Shampoo. Persian Cat Breeder Laura Thomas, personally designed this recipe for her own prize winning Persians. She has used this shampoo for over 10 years on hundreds of cats and kittens with multiple baths over years of time- safe- without a single side effect or skin issue! Laura has a 14, a 12, and a few 10 year olds that has had nothing but this shampoo in their bath for the last 10 years.

Healthy Coat was originally designed to help Laura with a line of oily cats - and over time it became the perfect show shampoo and cattery solution. It helped with the oily coats- It helped keep nasties at bay. It helped ward off fleas. It helped skin cell and coat stimulation. It helped keep the coat in the best condition ever. It help make her cats look healthy- which is how it got it's name:-)

Castle Baths ask that if you have any questions about our Healthy Coat pH shampoo that you ask us, so we may help educate you properly on the toxicity and safety issues of tea tree Oil. We believe in safety first and good healthy skin care! Our best friends deserve only the best care available:-)

Another article can be found: http://www.purrinlot.com/teatreeoilforcats.htm with a touch of human use for the tea tree oil.
 

ftrquad

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Sep 19, 2013
Messages
1
Purraise
0
I make dog shampoo for a living and am working on cat shampoos right now.  We say on our labels NOT for use on cats.  There are a multitude of ingredients in dog and human shampoos that are not good for cats.Most use sulfate surfactants, which are bad for cats (and in my opinion, dogs and humans as well) because they strip away too many of the natural oils from the skin/scalp.  This is what leads to dry, unhealthy skin.  It is the same detergent used in many dish washing liquids.  Cats nervous systems absorb a lot of essential oils directly thru the skin.  Tea tree is one of the worst actors.  There are well documented cases of cats becoming disoriented and not able to walk after getting treated with tea tree oil.  I haven't seen any clinical studies on the long terms effects because we decided early on that we would stay away from all essential oils in products for cats.  The third problem, mostly from using human shampoos, is the use of a fragrance.  You should never use a man made fragrance on your pet.  Almost all dogs and cats have some level of fragrance sensitivity and it is very serious in some.  We never add a fragrance to our products.

In our cat products, we use ingredients like saponified corn oil, coconut oil, and olive oil.  Macadamia Nut Oil.  Jojoba Oil.  Aloe.  Glycerin.  Our thinking is that it is most important to have healthy skin.  For this reason, we use a very mild, sulfate free surfactant and ingredients to help moisten the skin and provide antioxidants, which we believe are key to good skin health.  Hope this helps.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

daci93

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
2
Purraise
1
 
I make dog shampoo for a living and am working on cat shampoos right now.  We say on our labels NOT for use on cats.  There are a multitude of ingredients in dog and human shampoos that are not good for cats.Most use sulfate surfactants, which are bad for cats (and in my opinion, dogs and humans as well) because they strip away too many of the natural oils from the skin/scalp.  This is what leads to dry, unhealthy skin.  It is the same detergent used in many dish washing liquids.  Cats nervous systems absorb a lot of essential oils directly thru the skin.  Tea tree is one of the worst actors.  There are well documented cases of cats becoming disoriented and not able to walk after getting treated with tea tree oil.  I haven't seen any clinical studies on the long terms effects because we decided early on that we would stay away from all essential oils in products for cats.  The third problem, mostly from using human shampoos, is the use of a fragrance.  You should never use a man made fragrance on your pet.  Almost all dogs and cats have some level of fragrance sensitivity and it is very serious in some.  We never add a fragrance to our products.

In our cat products, we use ingredients like saponified corn oil, coconut oil, and olive oil.  Macadamia Nut Oil.  Jojoba Oil.  Aloe.  Glycerin.  Our thinking is that it is most important to have healthy skin.  For this reason, we use a very mild, sulfate free surfactant and ingredients to help moisten the skin and provide antioxidants, which we believe are key to good skin health.  Hope this helps.
You should look through the ASPCA toxic plants list, because according to them Aloe is toxic to cats.
 
Top