Oatmeal Bath for Dogs

Dog skin problems are a common concern of most dog owners. Dogs, like humans, can suffer from various skin related problems like itchy skin, dry skin, and rashes. Skin problems in dogs can also be a result of food allergies, dog flea and tick infestation, allergy to certain products used on it, etc. It is essential that such dog health problems are taken care of by the use of natural dog grooming products, as chemical products can aggravate the problem or even lead to other skin disorders. An oatmeal bath can be one of the natural ways to groom your dog and maintain a healthy coat and skin. Oatmeal bath for dogs is being recommended by most veterinarians as it is known to be helpful in treating many of the dog skin problems. Read more on dog grooming.

Oatmeal Bath for Dogs: Recipe
There are a few oatmeal bath for dogs products available in the market, but you can also prepare an oatmeal bath for dogs at home. Preparing a homemade oatmeal bath for dogs is really quite simple as all you need is oatmeal and water. Since it is all natural, there are no side effects that it can have on your dog's skin, instead it will only rid your dog of its various skin problems, a major one being itchiness. Now, if you are wondering how to make an oatmeal bath for dogs, here's how you can go about it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked, unflavored oatmeal
• Lukewarm water

Method
Grind one cup plain oatmeal in a blender into a fine powder. Fill a bath tub with lukewarm water and add the oatmeal powder to it while it is filling. Stir the oatmeal powder well into the water till the water appears cloudy. Make sure that the oatmeal powder has dissolved in the water well and has not clumped up at the bottom of the bath tub.

How to Use Oatmeal Bath for Dogs
Place your dog in the oatmeal bath water and pour some of the water on its back and head. Make sure that it's eyes do not come in contact with the water, else it may cause some discomfort. Let the dog soak in the oatmeal bath water for around 15 minutes. If the dog is furry, you will need to massage some of the oatmeal bath water into it's coat, so that the water comes in contact with its skin. Once it has soaked well in the water, remove the dog from the bathtub and rinse off its coat with lukewarm water and pat dry.

If your dog is suffering from severe itching and dry, scaly skin, you can use this oatmeal bath recipe twice a week to bathe it. For better results, you can also use a homemade oatmeal shampoo when the dog is soaking in the oatmeal bath.

Benefits of Oatmeal Bath for Dogs
Oatmeal bath for dogs have several benefits. It leaves the coat of the dog clean, soft, shiny and healthy looking and also imparts a pleasant smell. It helps relieve the dog of skin troubles like itching, dry skin, rashes, skin allergies, puppy acne, hot spots, and flea and tick infestation. Oatmeal contains vitamin E and so oatmeal bath for dogs naturally moisturizes the dog's skin and soothes itchy skin. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that provides some amount of pain relief caused due to itchiness. Read more on dog care and dog allergies.

Oatmeal bath for dogs is a good way to care for your dog's coat and to keep it healthy. In case your dogs suffers from persistent itching, it would be advisable to consult a veterinarian to find out the underlying cause and treat the dog accordingly.