Can You Wash a Dog with Dish Soap? Pros, Cons, and Expert Advice

Can You Wash a Dog with Dish Soap? Discover the Truth

So, you ran out of your dog’s regular shampoo or are sick of paying high prices to keep refilling it. You could make an inconvenient trip to the store, but instead, you’ve found yourself wondering whether or not you can just use dish soap to wash a dog.

Why pay extra for your dog’s soap? Soap is soap, right?

Well, not so fast. Keep reading, and we’ll explain why.

Is It Safe to Wash Your Dog With Dish Soap?

The quick answer is no, it’s not safe to wash your dog with dish soap. Here are some key points to consider:

• Risk of Skin Infections: Risius Family Veterinary Service, a vet clinic in Eldridge, Iowa, warns that “bathing in dish soap often leads to a skin infection.”
• Itchy and Painful: “Skin infections in pets can be very itchy and painful,” the vet clinic adds.
• Potential Vet Visits: Using dish soap may require a visit to your veterinarian for tests and possibly antibiotic treatment.
• False Economy: The money you saved by using an inexpensive dish soap may end up costing you more in the end (Risius Family Veterinary Service).

Why Dish Soap is Commonly Used in Dog Baths

According to Jan Reisen, writing for the American Kennel Club (AKC), dish soap is actually a common ingredient in many people’s homemade dog shampoos.

• Homemade Dog Shampoo: Reisen provides a recipe for a “basic homemade dog shampoo” which includes:
  • 2 cups warm water
  • ¼ cup dish soap
  • ½ cup white vinegar
• Difference in Skin pH: Although Reisen recommends not using human shampoo on dogs due to the pH level of dogs’ skin being different from ours (Vetwest Animal Hospitals), she doesn’t outright reject using something like Dawn dish soap to wash a dog.

For more details on homemade dog shampoo ingredients, visit American Kennel Club.

One Possible Problem With Dish Soap: Irritated, Dry Skin

Dish soap is made specifically to cut grease. It’s what makes hand-washing dirty dishes easier. Think about all the TV commercials you see about Dawn being able to magically clean up all your dirty pots and pans.

• Effective Oil Elimination: Because of their grease-fighting capabilities, soaps like Dawn are also used to clean up birds that get caught in oil spills (NPR) and pets that get sprayed by skunks (Petful). Put simply, dish soap is effective at eliminating oils.
• Natural Oils on Dog’s Skin: Not all oils are bad, though. The natural oils on your dog’s skin are necessary and normal, keeping the skin hydrated and the fur smooth. Using dish soap as a dog shampoo could repeatedly eliminate these healthy oils, causing severely dry and irritated skin.
• Expert Opinion: “There’s absolutely no excuse for using Dawn on a dog,” says award-winning dog groomer Billy Rafferty. “The price to Fido’s skin, coat, and eyes is way too high. While Dawn is cutting the grease from the salad dressing that spilled on your dog, it’s also stripping his coat of natural oils and drying out his skin.” Rafferty adds that dish soap could accidentally find its way into an eye, causing irritation. “To make matters even worse,” he says, “Dawn or any dish soap is concentrated and forms a massive amount of lather, which is extremely difficult and tremendously time-consuming to rinse out thoroughly.”

How Often Can I Use Dish Soap to Wash My Dog?

Every dog is different, just like every human is different.

• Variety of Dog Shampoos: Simply take a walk down the shampoo aisle of your local grocery store, and you’ll find hypoallergenic dog shampoos (Petful) or shampoos formulated for oily hair, dry scalps, broken ends, and more.
• Dogs’ Needs: Dogs’ needs are no different. Using soaps like Dawn on some dogs might be fine occasionally, but using it on others might not be.
• Signs of Dryness or Irritation: If you try dish soap but start to see signs of dryness or irritation (Petful), it’s time to go back to an actual dog shampoo.

Don’t miss our related article, “Shampoo as Therapy for Your Dog’s Bad Skin”.

Is Dish Soap Toxic for Dogs?

You might be wondering if dish soap will hurt a dog’s eyes. As Rafferty pointed out, the answer is yes, it’s certainly possible.

• Eye Irritation: In fact, Dawn itself recommends that you “rinse immediately and thoroughly with plenty of water” if you get dish soap in your eyes. If symptoms persist (you’ve probably felt the pain of soap in your eyes before), the company advises seeking medical help (Dawn).
• Ingestion Risks: Even riskier is the chance of your dog ingesting dish soap. They might cry or whine if it gets in their eyes, but will you be able to tell if they swallow it? Dawn suggests taking immediate action if dish soap is swallowed by drinking water to dilute it. If any symptoms appear or continue, seek medical attention right away.
• Symptoms of Soap Poisoning: According to Medical News Today, symptoms of soap poisoning may include:
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Swelling of the lips, throat, and tongue
  • Severe stomach pain
  • Gastrointestinal distress (Medical News Today)

That, of course, raises the big question: Is it really worth it to use dish soap when bathing your dog?

Reasons Some People Use Dish Soap on Dogs

Why might you be considering using dish soap to wash a dog in the first place? Most likely, it’s either because dish soap is cheaper than dog shampoo or it’s simply the most convenient option at the moment.

• Comparing Costs:
  • Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo for Dogs costs less than many human shampoos. When we last checked, it was about $5.95 for a 16-ounce bottle (Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo for Dogs).
  • Dawn, on the other hand, is priced at $3.99 for a 19.4-ounce bottle. So, yes, it’s a little bit cheaper than the dog shampoo.
  • Homemade dog shampoo recipes usually include water for diluting the soap, meaning a bottle of dish soap will likely last a lot longer than a bottle of store-bought dog shampoo.
  • Depending on how often you wash your dog, those few bucks saved on each purchase might add up to $15–20 over the course of a year.
• Comparing Convenience:
  • Convenience is also a significant factor. If you buy your products in-store, you’ll likely never have to add anything extra to your shopping list if you bathe your dog with dish soap. Chances are, you’ll already have a bottle of dish soap sitting on your counter.
  • That means you can wash your dog anytime without realizing you’ve run out of shampoo or needing to go buy more.
  • If you shop online, buying dish soap and buying dog shampoo are one and the same. It’s as simple as adding each item to your cart and hitting the “Check Out” button.

Is Using Dish Soap Worth It?

Now that we’ve broken down the “how” and “why” behind using dish soap to bathe your dog, it’s time to decide whether it’s really worth it.

Let’s recap the pros and cons.

Pros of using dish soap to wash a dog:

• Cost-Effective: It’s cheap, with a single bottle typically costing $1–3.
• Convenience: It’s usually already sitting on your kitchen counter.

Cons of using dish soap to wash a dog:

• Expert Advice: Experts now advise against it.
• Skin Irritation: Dish soap could potentially irritate your dog’s skin because it’s made to eliminate grease and oils, which means your dog’s healthy skin oils could be washed away.
• Potential Harm: It could cause harm if it gets in your dog’s eyes or if your dog swallows it.

In conclusion, while dish soap may seem like a convenient and cost-effective option, the potential risks to your dog’s skin, eyes, and overall health suggest that it’s not worth it.

In this adorable video, an 8-week-old puppy named Kenzi gets her first-ever bath:

Final Thoughts: Can You Wash a Dog With Dish Soap?

aking all the research and facts into consideration, yes, you technically can use dish soaps like Dawn or Palmolive to wash your dog. But we do not advise it.

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• Skin Irritation: The biggest risk is skin irritation.
• Eye and Stomach Irritation: There’s also a chance of the dish soap irritating your dog’s eyes or stomach.

“The reason you shouldn’t [use dish soap] … is that it is bad for your dog’s skin and hair,” says Marco Lalau, co-owner of Bubbles Pet Spa in the Los Angeles area.

When in doubt, please consult your veterinarian for guidance.

Don’t miss our related article, “10 Essential Dog Grooming Tips Every Owner Should Know”.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

References

• “Fleas 201: The Dish Soap Myth.” Risius Family Veterinary Service. Nov. 16, 2015. https://risiusfamilyvet.com/fleas-201-the-dish-soap-myth/.
• Reisen, Jan. “Easy Homemade Dog Shampoo.” American Kennel Club. July 27, 2017. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/easy-natural-homemade-dog-shampoo/.
• Matousek, Jennifer L., DVM, et al. “Evaluation of the Effect of pH on In Vitro Growth of Malassezia pachydermatis.” Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research 67, no. 1 (January 2003): 56–59. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC227028/.
• “Skin: The Difference Between Canine Skin and Human Skin.” Vetwest Animal Hospitals. https://www.vetwest.com.au/pet-library/skin-the-difference-between-canine-and-human-skin.
• Shogren, Elizabeth. “Why Dawn Is the Bird Cleaner of Choice in Oil Spills.” NPR. June 22, 2010. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127999735.
• Rafferty, Billy, and Jill Cahr. Happy Dog: Caring for Your Dog’s Body, Mind and Spirit. Penguin. 2009. https://books.google.com/books?id=nT88Yu76JYkC&pg=PT305#v=onepage&q&f=false.
• Simon, John M., DVM, et al. What Your Dog Is Trying to Tell You: A Head-to-Tail Guide to Your Dog’s Symptoms and Their Solutions. Macmillan. 2000. https://books.google.com/books?id=ymH6IGtobWgC&pg=PA182#v=onepage&q&f=false.
• “Dish Soap Safety: FAQ.” Dawn Dish Soap. https://dawn-dish.com/en-us/dawn-faqs/dish-soap-safety.
• Barhum, Lana. “What to Do After Accidental Poisoning by a Soap Product.” Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318437.php.
• “What Makes a Quality Dog Shampoo?” Earthbath. May 17, 2011. https://earthbath.com/canine-health/what-makes-a-quality-dog-shampoo/.
• “Poisonous Household Products.” American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/poisonous-household-products.
• Lalau, Marco. “10 Best Dog Soaps to Wash Your Pet.” Bubbles Pet Spa. March 24, 2017. https://www.bubblespetspa.com/blog/10-best-dog-soaps/.