The Secret to Keeping a Dog’s White Coat Gleaming

If you share your home with a pooch that boasts a gorgeous white coat, it can prove quite challenging to keep them looking good. Some dogs have a problem with tear staining and although this is not a health issue as such, it never looks that nice so many owners do their best to wipe these away using dog specific products. However, there are other areas of a white coat that frequently get a little grubby looking and therefore owners have to bath their dogs more often to keep their coats looking gleaming and white. The problem is that bathing a dog too often can cause all sorts of skin issues!

Breeds that typically have white coats include the West Highland Terriers, Bichon Frise, Poodles and Maltese Terriers to name but four of them and their coats can be really hard to keep clean. They show up any and all stains which results in them looking a bit tatty and uncared for if you don’t keep on top of things. So, the question is which products are good to use to reduce the risk of your pet developing any skin disorders. Below are a few tips on how to keep your pet's coat looking good and which products are best to use on them.

A Few Tips on Bathing Your Pooch

Always brush your dog's coat before you give them a bath as this helps remove any excess dust and dirt which means the shampoo is that much easier to massage right through to the skin. There are some very good dog-specific shampoos on the market which includes products like Groomer Blue Pearl Coat Enhancer. It’s great at getting out stubborn stains in white coated dogs. As a bonus, the shampoo really brings out the colour of their coat too. The shampoo takes away that nasty yellow tinge that many white coats develop over time because it contains the tiniest amount of a bluing agent.

The best way to get out tough stains is to use a whitening shampoo neat without diluting it. If you let it soak into the coat for a couple minutes before rinsing it out, it will remove the stain very effectively. Another great way of getting rid of stubborn stains is to use baking soda and when mixed together with a whitening shampoo, it will bring your dog's coat up brilliantly. The good news is that baking soda can be used on most dogs. The easiest way is to put enough baking soda in your dog's bath water, but you could also make it into a paste before applying it on the stain and then leaving it for a few minutes before thoroughly rinsing it off.

It's a good idea to use a top quality pet-specific conditioner on your dog's coat after you've rinsed out all the shampoo. A top quality conditioner will add an extra layer of protection onto your dog's white coat which should help reduce the risk of hair becoming brittle due to staining. However, it's really important to rinse all products out thoroughly because any residue will make your pet's coat look dull.

Pee Stains Can be the Worst

Dogs with white coats often develop pee stains around their bellies and back ends which are not only very unsightly, but smelly too. It's important to wipe these away with a damp cloth straight away or if you prefer there are some very good pet specific cleansing wipes which you can find at pet stores or online. If the stain is really bad, you could wash the area using Groomers Quick Wash Shampoo which will help loosen stains and clean them off without the need to bath your dog. This is particularly useful if your pet suffers from any skin issues which could be made worse by constant bathing.

Check Shampoo Ingredients

The majority of whitening dog specific shampoos on the market has small amounts of bluing agents in them which is a chemical additive. It reduces that horrible yellow hue that many white coated dogs develop. You should avoid buying any shampoos that contain bleach because they are too harsh on a dog's skin, but with this said even bluing agents can cause a lot of damage if used too often. Oatmeal has a soothing effect on sensitive skin, but on the downside it can create the perfect environment where bacteria can thrive which means it's essential for any product containing oatmeal to be thoroughly rinsed out of your pet's coat.

Get Advice from Professionals

If you are at all unsure about the sort of shampoo you should be using on your dog's coat you should pop into a professional grooming parlour and ask for their advice. A good parlour would be more than willing to offer this to you because they value their customers and like to know that you may recommend their services to your friends. The best recommendations in the world are those made by word of mouth.

Conclusion

Keeping a white coat looking good and in great condition can be a bit of a challenge. Luckily, these days there are a lot of safe dog-specific whitening shampoos on the market, but if you are at all unsure about what to use on your pet's coat, you should pop along to a local dog grooming parlour and ask them for their advice. The rule of thumb is to choose a shampoo that contains a small amount of bluing agent and to avoid any products that contain bleach. All chemicals are harmful to a dog's skin so it's important to use the shampoos sparingly to avoid any skin irritation developing which could cause your dog a lot of discomfort and be really hard to clear up.