Bathing and grooming your dog using commercial dog shampoos can be expensive and risky. You must read the ingredients carefully, so you don’t bring a toxic shampoo home. Avoid any dog shampoo with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate as it can increase your dog’s skin irritation and system toxicity when inhaled.

On the contrary, using various recipes, you can make a dog shampoo with coconut oil at home. The best homemade dog shampoo has coconut oil, clean, warm water, and castile soap in the ratio of 1:3:2. Add 3-5 drops of essential lavender oil to give the dog shampoo a wonderful fragrance. Bathe your dog with the shampoo twice a day.

Homemade coconut oil with dog shampoo has several benefits. For example, it eliminates bad body odor and promotes healthy coats in dogs. Is your dog itching, scratching, and developing bald spots? In this guide, you will learn the benefits of coconut oil dog shampoo and the alternative recipes to make it at home. 

Is coconut oil safe for dogs?

Yes. Coconut oil is safe for dogs. In fact, you can give it to your dog orally or rub it on the dog’s skin. You can also make a shampoo out of coconut oil and use it for bathing your dog. It has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. 

Therefore, coconut oil is healthy and can improve your dog’s lifespan. However, don’t add excess coconut oil to your dog’s food because the high cholesterol might cause weight gain and other health issues t your dog.

For puppies and small dogs such as Chihuahua or the Alaskan Klee Kai, add ¼ teaspoon of coconut oil to their food. Use between ½ and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil for medium and large dog breeds like Mastiffs.

Coconut oil has Manganese, Lauric acid, and phenolic compounds integral to the health and wellbeing of your dog. Manganese improves dogs’ metabolism; lauric acid reduces skin inflammation and rids the dog of parasites, and phenolic compounds are antioxidants. In other words, phenolic compounds in coconut oil help repair damaged cells in dogs.

Unlike adding coconut oil to your dog’s food, making dog shampoo with coconut oil can be challenging. That’s why in the next section, I will give you the recipe and steps to make coconut oil dog shampoo at home. 

DIY Coconut Oil Dog Shampoo Recipe

Homemade Coconut oil dog shampoo is easy to make and requires only four ingredients. 

Ingredients

• Water
• Coconut oil
• Castile soap: Binds the ingredients together and kills parasites
• Essential lavender oil for fragrance

Recipe

1. Put coconut oil, clean, warm water, and castile soap in the ratio of 1:3:2 in a squirt bottle. 
2. Add 3-5 drops of essential lavender oil to give the dog shampoo a wonderful fragrance.
3. Shake well to mix the ingredients

Application

1. Wet your dog before applying the homemade coconut oil shampoo
2. Gently apply and scrub shampoo to your dog’s coat, from the back of its ears to the tail.
3. Rinse to remove all soap on your dog’s fur
4. Dry the dog using a dry towel

Precautions

• Do not leave traces of shampoo on your dog’s coat. That may irritate the dog and increase its scratching episodes. Be particularly keen on areas where soap can hide, like your dog’s armpits, chest, and paws.
• Do not apply or scrub the homemade coconut oil dog shampoo on your dog’s eyes. The irritation may cause red eyes, tear stains, or damage to a dog’s eye.
• Keep the shampoo pH between 7 and 8 for your dog’s fragile coat. 

Alternative ways to make dog shampoo with coconut oil

Here are some alternative ways to make dog shampoo with coconut oil:

DIY oatmeal dog shampoo with coconut oil

Oatmeal has phenols and avenanthramides that can balance dog skin pH levels. Therefore, homemade oatmeal dog shampoo with coconut oil attracts and holds moisture on your dog’s skin, soothing your dog’s skin irritation and itchiness.

Ingredients for oatmeal dog shampoo with coconut oil

• Warm water
• Oatmeal
• Coconut oil
• Baking soda
• Dishwashing liquid
• Vanilla fragrance
• Storage bottle

Recipe

1. Use a coffee grinder or a blender to grind one cup of oatmeal
2. Add one cup of baking soda to the oatmeal and transfer the mixture into a bottle
3. Add coconut oil, vanilla fragrance, and warm water
4. Seal the bottle and gently tilt it back and forth to avoid many bubbles. In other words, don’t shake the mixture thoroughly.
5. Cool the homemade oatmeal dog shampoo with coconut oil in a refrigerator before using it on your dog.

Application

Wash your dog with the oatmeal dog shampoo and coconut oil twice a day until the problem is under control. Increase the ingredients appropriately if you have a larger dog and store any remaining shampoo in your refrigerator for later use.

Oatmeal dog shampoo with coconut oil is not thick like most traditional shampoos. Besides, the oatmeal can be difficult to rinse from dogs with long hair. I recommend using this shampoo on dogs with bald or short hair like the German Shorthaired Pointer.

Otherwise, rinse your dog thoroughly. When washing your dog, use a brush or comb to remove dander and dead hair.

DIY aloe vera gel dog shampoo with coconut oil

You can also use aloe vera and coconut oil in homemade dog shampoo.

Ingredients

• Baby shampoo
• White vinegar
• Glycerin
• Aloe vera gel
• Almond fragrance (optional)

Recipe

1. Add one cup of baby shampoo to a large bottle
2. Add ¼ cup of white vinegar
3. Add one teaspoon glycerin and one cup of aloe vera gel
4. 5 drops of almond fragrance will help reduce the strong vinegar scent
5. Shake thoroughly for about 30 seconds

Application

• Take your dog to the bathtub
• Wet your dog using warm water
• Apply the aloe vera gel dog shampoo with coconut oil and rub it on your dog gently for, starting from behind the dog’s ears to the rest of its body.
• Allow the shampoo to stay on your dog for 10 minutes before rinsing
• Rinse the dog with plenty of warm water.
• Ensure no shampoo is left on the dog, and use a towel to dry the dog’s coat.

Benefits of coconut oil shampoo for dogs

Here are some benefits of DIY coconut oil shampoo for dogs:

1. Eliminates bad body odor in dogs

Just like people, dogs also attract dirt, dust, and mud. Your dog’s body odor will be foul with dead skin and some skin infections. The fragrances used in homemade dog shampoos with coconut oil are essential for eliminating foul body odor and keeping your dog fresh.   

2. Removes harmful bacteria and fungi

As I said earlier, coconut oil shampoos have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Washing your dog with them removes existing bacteria and fungi on your dog’s skin and also prevents new ones from clinging to your dog.

3. Reduces itching

Itching and scratching can make your dog lose its hair and have bald spots. If your dog is itching and scratching, use homemade dog shampoos with coconut oil to remedy the situation. When itching persists, take your dog to the veterinarian for medical assessment.

4. Improves damaged skin and hair quality

Is your dog’s skin cracking in the sun? Or is it shedding hair unusually? There are several commercial remedies for damaged skin and hair in dogs, but homemade dog shampoos are the most cost-effective. Apply it to your dog’s skin to rectify the damage and regrow healthy hair.

5. Coconut oil shampoo makes dog’s coats glossy

A clean dog is noticeable from a distance. The coat is usually smooth, and the dog looks happy. Instead of envying your neighbor’s dogs, make coconut oil shampoo at home. Use oatmeal or aloe vera gel; your dog’s coat will be glossy and appealing.

References

Reisen, J. (2017). Coconut Oil for Dogs: Is it Really Good for Them? The American Kennel Club.