As a part of a healthy lifestyle, we often choose more natural products for ourselves, but what about our four legged friends?
If you’ve follow me on Instagram and Facebook, you would have seen plenty of snaps of Pippa. We adopted her from PAWS animal shelter in Fielding 2 years ago and she’s my number one side kick and running buddy. She often ends up filthy when we’re out and about running, especially because she has long wiry hair that attracts dirt. So that means plenty of showers. Many commercial products can strip the coat of natural oils and cause dry itchy skin, and because Pippa needs quite regular washing I really need to use a product that is gentle. Thanks to WashBar, I’ve found a fantastic natural range of products that make washing Pippa a little more pleasant, especially as she hates getting wet!! The shampoo is great for her, and my skin too.
I like to use natural skin care myself and it was great to find a product for Pippa that uses natural ingredients, many sourced directly from organic or spray free growers, and is made right here in New Zealand.
Pippa has a coarse medium/long coat and her skin is fairly normal, except in Spring/Summer when she occasionally has issues with an itchy face.
The new Itch Soothe range by WashBar
Itchy skin is can be a common problem with dogs. Pippa is normally ok with this, but tends to get more itchy in allergy season. Once she has had a hot spot on her face which was pretty nasty and needed a vet trip. WashBar have just released a new product for itchy skin which is really different from anything that’s currently on the market. It combines a blend of botanical extracts which contain quercertin, a natural antihistamine and vitamin C to help with healing. Both these ingredients can help calm and soothe the skin to reduce scratching, chewing, biting and licking that can make the skin sore and inflamed.
They’ve also got a Manuka + Kakadu Itch Soothe Topical Spray which when sprayed on the irritated area helps calm and soothe itchiness and has been shown to dramatically reduce itchiness in field trials.
I’m giving away a shampoo and topical spray, keep reading for how to win!
At the moment, I’ve been using the WashBar Natural Lavender and Primrose Shampoo which contains spray free lavender which smells amazing! The other product I’ve tried is the Horse and Hound Shampoo bar which I find easy to use as I can just rub it on her skin. The Horse and Hound Shampoo bar is packed with natural goodness, including manuka essential oil, kanuka essential oil, lemon myrtle and Neem oil and has a lovely lemon sent. The other great thing about this shampoo is it repels fleas and is antibacterial, antiseptic and is anti-inflammatory.
For stockists, check out the WashBar website here and check them out on Facebook and Instagram too (bonus – lots of cute dog pictures)
Pippa actually hates being bathed. I have to shower her rather than bath her otherwise she jumps out of the bath and makes a huge muddy mess all through the bathroom. I’ve been working on making bathing a more pleasant experience for her so here’s some tips if you have a dog who isn’t a fan of getting clean!
- Treats, treats, treats
When I first started showering Pippa she used to tap at the door and try and get out all the time. So I started just getting in the shower box with her and giving her treats for sitting nicely. Now she’ll actually get in the shower without too much coaxing. I also give her treats afterwards. - Gentle products
Making the experience nicer with less harsh products is also a nice way to improve the experience. If your dog is itchy, then using the Itch Soothe range will make your dog feel better which will help get them used to the bathing experience - Dry them as well as you can
I think half the reason Pippa doesn’t like getting wet is she hates a wet face. She’ll rub and rub for ages afterwards, so I try and dry her off as well as I can and leave some towels on the bathroom floor so she can rub herself on these (instead of all over the carpet in the lounge!).
Do you have any great skin or bathing tips for your dog? Does your dog like a bath or hate it? I’d love to know.
WIN! I’m giving away the following:
*Lavender & Primrose Natural Shampoo valued at $24.70
*Lavender and Primrose Daily Spritzer valued at $25.50
*Natural Flea Repellent valued at $21.80
To win, just comment below. Winner will published here and also notified by email. Draw closes 23rd December 2015 at 7pm.
Sarah Hastie was the winner of the earlier giveaway.
Aww she’s so cute! I just gave Harry a bath this morning. I do it in our shower because it’s really big and the shower head is attached to a hose. He’s pretty good, he doesn’t like it but I just pick him up and he puts up with it! Then I put heaps of old towels outside and he dries off on them
Thanks!! You’re lucky you can pick him up – Pippa is wayyy to big for that 🙂
Gorgeous. My Abby suffers from itchy skin too. Worst at this time of year.
My Minature Schnauzer has always loved water and bath time is no different! We use the washbar which seems to be really good, especially for his beard!
His favourite part is the blow dry he gets afterwards though 🙂 he loves it!
My boy Kadin begrudgingly gets into the shower by himself and stays put, though he always puts his bum to me so I have to turn him around, every single time. My tip, if you’re using your shower/bath, always put an old towel down first so their nails don’t scratch it and yes, lots and lots of treats to get them to stay still and heaps of praise !
Squeak is a monster she loves water unless you are trying to bathe her then forget it – it literally takes the two us wrestling her into our shower! She also gets allergies so super excited about this range!!
my boy is my best buddy, he is like my shadow as he is never far away from me. He is full of energy and loves to run and play at home, park and especially the beach
My boy hates bath and shower time – he will try and hide and spends the whole time looking miserable when I finally get him in there- but he loves rolling around in mud so needs a wash !
My dog has suffered with terrible skin most of his life. We have played around with his diet and tried lots of different products recommended by vets. I am definitely going to have a go with these products, although he hates being washed but loves a good swim in the sea.
One dog loves bathes, just lays there and moves for you. Other dog HATES it, scared of the hose and even the closet where all of their bathing/grooming items are. I try to always do it outside so they have some room and don’t feel so claustrophobic. And let the sun dry them if possible.
I have fours dogs…previously five until I had to put Tala, almost 12 and a half years to sleep. She was a really good gal…a white German Shepherd and she loved having a bath. I have a Chihuahua, Maltese and two German Shepherds…one white Shepherd and one black and gold. They don’t mind too much when I bath them, but they don’t like the hose turned on too much and or too cold. The large dogs can’t get away because I tether them. I always choose a really hot day to do them and I sometimes wash two dogs on one day and the other two on the next. I make sure I wait a few days to put their flea treatment on…:) x
my bailey bear loves having a shower! Stands under the warm water enjoying himself! Always love how scrummy he smells once he’s dry!
I have five small dogs. They aren’t that excited about baths, but become very excited once bathed, dried and groomed. It’s as though they agree they look and smell great. I also use Washbar products, which I have found to be far superior to other products I have tried, and they have a product to meet my dogs various needs. I bath my dogs in a fish bin sitting in my bath, and use the held hand shower rose. They love the lathering up with washbar soap stage 🙂
Whoo loved this blog 🙂 it’s perfect for our boy max he came to us with no skin issues (just lots of mental issues) and now he is getting itchy from something in out yard we just can’t figure it out (rusty our other pooch gets it sometimes to) but Max being Max he becomes obsessive with it eating his paws at night in his create so annoying. We are def going to buy some, thank you so much for the write up xxxx
My little dog Chloe (I posted a pic on FB) hates her bathtime .. We start running it and she hides .. Taking her collar off is a sure sign for her and her tail goes down but we found that beef jerky is her favourite so she gets that while she is in there and stops her wee face from being sad.
My big boy Achilles (Rottweiler) loves the water! Rivers, lakes, beaches you name it he’ll stay in all day, but try get him in a nice warm bath and he ain’t having it, instead he would much rather under the hose outside with a warm bucket of water tipped over him .. They breed them tough in the south haha
My boy Oreo loves a bath! Every time I run a bath for my son he comes running and stands on the side of the bathtub shacking with excitement. He doesn’t even mind the blow drier afterwards, but the brush he absolutely hates!
We live by the beach so my two white and hairy rascals need washing regularly.
I have Pippin our 12 year old golden retriever and our new and absolutely gorgeous addition Koru, 9 month old Maltese bischon. Both love bath time ????
Monty tolerates being bathed. He will stand in the bath and let me wash him and happily shake and make a mess everywhere when he is covered in suds! He does love getting dirty though so he’s my perfect walking buddy at my local quarry, he always gets a big swim at the end. I’ve had Monty for 5 years and he goes everywhere with me, even to Nelson for Christmas with the family.
Washbar products are amazing and the soap is great for human ezcema.
Sooo Cute a real little honey
Soo Cute a little honey
That’s a good reason to get my husband to wash the dog more often! He has eczema which can be quite bad at times, and he’s never first to volunteer to wash the dog!!
Pippa is a very sweet looking girl! Thank you for your shower tips for pups, they sound really useful and very thoughtful towards our fur babies.
We have a beautiful old black lab named Ella, she tolerates a shower pretty well but I would not go as far as to say she enjoys it!
We also just got a 13 week old German Shepard cross lab puppy named Sassy! Haven’t attempted a bath yet as she’s only been with us 5 days. I think she is getting a bit of itchy skin from hay fever but am taking her to the vet to check, so I will have to check out this product! Thanks for sharing the product and a doggy post 🙂
Loooooves the river, hates a bath 🙂 Such a good four legged buddy tho!
My doggy gets itchy skin and often seems to be scratching,chewing and biting so would LOVE to try this spray! He’s not so keen on being bathed though which is a shame!
Dax loves the sea and the river, he just jumps into the water as soon as he sees it. Sometimes though there is a bit of dandruff so we brush him. We use Washbar when he gets really dirty. He just turned 2 and is crazy about water and baths.
Our girl LOVES her baths!!
Hey!
I would love to try this stuff!
We have a 9yr old pure lab who’s suffering with itchy belly and legs at the moment… I have bathed her once with the wash bar shampoo soap, she loved it until it was wash off time. I had buckets of warm water to rinse her off, but she didn’t like that. Had to use hose in the end which she still didn’t like, took me 20mins to finally get it all rinsed….. A hunting dog that loves ponds/rivers but hates the hose..
Would love to try the spray instead
From the day Datsun came home with us, he was put in the bath tub. A little bit of water to just touch his feet, then a little bit deeper and deeper. I always make sure the water is warm (Not cold, or hot!) and a really good wipe down and towel dry afterwards with plenty of treats and play. He dosen’t love baths, but as the process goes on, he gets more excited because he knows treats and play are on their way! <3
Thank you so much for sharing this! We have 2 dogs, one Swedish Vallhund (Camille used to breed them!) and one Foxy cross who has the most sensitive skin in the world. The poor guy is always itchy and his skin gets inflamed so often, I really think we need to check out this Itch-Soothe range as the ones we got for him last time haven’t really helped at all.
Our dog Tessa is a mastiff/staffy X and even tho her skin has cleared up with a food change she still needs frequent bathes (which she HATES!). We do have yet to find something to stop her stink, and just ran out of our previous shampoo, so this giveaway is perfect timing 🙂
Our Miss Ruby loves her showers, she sees her towel and heads to our shower waiting to be let in, makes a change from our previous dogs. Wash dogs often esp if visiting the beach over summer, the sand and crawlies need outing from our furry friends. Happy Holidays!!
I’ve got a black and mostly white dog a Fox terrier jack Russell cross and since buying her 5 years ago she’s always had sensitive skin and I would love to try this bar to see if it makes a difference to her skin because we have tried so many lotions and potions and shes been on steroids etc.
Merry xmas and thanks for the chance
Both of my dogs absolutely love water, however when it comes to bath time they have differing views. While Maisie my cavoodle is all too keen to jump in the shower with (or without) me and follow it up with a blow dry, Magic our springer spaniel is a little on the shy side when it comes to bathing. Living on a farm they both get filthy and washing before regular clipping is essential – I am still working on mastering my clippers! I am yet to find a dog shampoo that I really like and would be great to try some new products. My pooches have been feeling a little jealous of the 1200 calves we have reared this season and are lining up for a bit more attention now that things are quietening down with the calves a little…
One of my two dogs Jak absolutely loves bath time and the drying and brush pamper after, the other one Milo HATES it and will try to hide anywhere to avoid it. Jak loves it so much he will cry if milo is getting a bath and not him
McGinty dog is a smelly hound. The lavender would be great for him.
I have 2 furry babies that would love to be pampered with these products 😉
Our Ollie gets itchy skin in the summer and also hates being bathed, I have to put him in the shower too. He also doesn’t like having his face washed, I find putting my hand over his eyes helps with this a little and treats 🙂
These products sound really good! Would love to try them with my doggies!
Nawah my dog is getting so much better at bath time unfortunately I can’t bath him at home though, if I won this give away I would give it to my friends dog that is struggling with itchy skin ???? poor woofer!
Yay natural products!
The wash bar is the only thing I can use on my dog, no more itchy tummy!
Would love to try the rest of the products.
My dog Harry does not like his baths so they have to be forced!
Love natural products and its a great idea to use the shower.My wee fluffbum used to hate the wash house sink but feels much happier in the shallower kitchen sink.I think its warmer and not as dark as the wash house too
Aww what a cutie 🙂 lucky girl having her mum using natural products on her 🙂 natural is always best. I never struggle to wash my big boy teddy, he just absolutely loves water 🙂 although its never a bath its always in the shower haha and now that hes all grown up its abit harder for him to fit in the shower as hes a Labrador and not a small one 🙂 I would love to win this for my big boy, as my partner and i recently had a baby and he needs spoiling 🙂
Wash bar is the only thing my 3 Woofles will tolerate on their sensitive skin. Have tried vet recommended and everything else & they just rub themselves raw in the carpet or grass! My big boy chopper actually looses hair around his neck/chest with every other shampoo 🙁 so he would definitely benefit the most !
My furbaby suffers from sensitive skin and it’s been quite the process of finding something natural that works. I’m hoping this will clear his skin up so he’s not itching all the time. He absolutely loves water so loves a good wash down.
My pooch gringo would love some of your products he has sensitive skin from the grass at the moment !! He loves getting washed !
The products looks amazing and I love that there are no nasties.
My tip is good quality products like this are quite concentrated. If you find you are washing often dilute a small amount in a bottle with water and use this to wash your dog. Will be gentler on skin and last longer!
Love using all natural products. Great on my pups skin and great on mine when I was him
If you find you are bathing your dog often then dilute the shampoo by putting little in an empty bottle and filling with water then use this to bath your dog. Will be gentler on their skin and last longer!
I have started using your brand and it’s great stuff
Only natural product for my poochy!!
I would give this to my sister to use on her puppy Onyx as I don’t have a puppy of my own yet.
Loving all natural products for my precious boy and girl!
I would love to try out these products on our 3 dogs. One (Pipi) is a Cairn Terrier x Heeler and has wiry hair like Pippa. Cheers.
I would love to win these fantastic products for my four hairy friends please…Chico, Boo Boo, Angel and Lucy…:) x Merry Xmas and Happy 2016! x
Our greyhound has quite dry skin and is prone to dandruff. I would love to try this on him and see if it is better for his skin.
Thank you for sharing these products. These would be amazing for my dog Zsa Zsa as she always gets allergies, and scratches and itches and sneezes. I think this would really help her! She’s doing well for her age, nearly 14 but some people think she’s still a puppy! She deserves to be pampered with the good stuff, in her old age, and we are real greenies in our house, so this is perfect!
Perfect for my pet which has numerous allergies!