A big part of being a responsible is making sure your is happy, healthy ,and groomed regularly.
Dogs (by and large) are pretty clean animals as it is, but we’ve all seen our favorite furry little family member jump headfirst into a mud puddle and rolled around.
They like to throw themselves on the ground, dig in the dirt, and get into all kinds of mischief – and that sometimes makes it hard to keep them clean and healthy.
Unfortunately, some dogs aren’t all that crazy about taking a bath. Some pups are going to flat out refuse to “let you” clean them.
Thankfully though, with the help of the right wipes, you can still get your clean without having to wrestle them in the bathtub or outback with a garden hose!
But can you use just any old wipes on your ?
Are they safe?
Are you putting their health and well-being in jeopardy?
Let’s find out right now!
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While it’s definitely possible to use wipes every now and again to clean your , we wouldn’t recommend you use wipes on a regular basis – not a weekly basis even, let alone a daily basis.
Though wipes are perfectly safe to be used on infants that have , the chemical makeup of these products can be disastrous when you use them on your .
For starters, wipes are designed to accommodate different pH levels than what you are dealing with when you’re cleaning your dogs.
wipes are engineered to work on that has a pH of 5.5 (the pH of human ), but that’s a much lower pH number than what you have with dogs.
wipes on dogs are going to (eventually) start to cause serious pH imbalances on their . That’s going to lead to irritation, it’s going to lead to rashes, and it’s going to open them up to all kinds of bacterial infections, too.
On top of that, most wipes have quite a few “extra” chemicals mixed right in that make them more pleasing to use on human beings. Some of those chemicals are nothing more than fragrance additives, but others are going to screw with the pH balance and healthy of your fur babies, too.
We dig into some of those additives in just a minute.
Hypoallergenic and fragrance free wipes eliminate a lot of those problems, but they may not eliminate all of them.
Again, you can use sporadically without doing a whole lot of damage to your animal. But if you use wipes on dogs religiously you’re going to start to see a whole bunch of health issues pop up.
How to Safely Use Wipes with Your Dogs
Below we breakdown a couple of things to think about when considering using wipes to clean your dogs, clearing away common misconceptions, too.
Pay attention to the details below (and share this information with other owners) and you won’t have to worry about messing with the pH level of your dogs any longer – all while being able to avoid wrestling around in the bathtub when you need to clean them!
1. Double Check Chemical Breakdown Before You Use Wipes
The most important thing you can do when using wipes on dogs is to read the ingredients list like you are examining a contract.
As we mentioned earlier, the ingredients in are going to be significantly different than the ingredients will find on the best wipes – and there are certainly ingredients you need to steer clear of.
Propylene Glycol is one of those ingredients, an ingredient that is specifically designed to “maintain moisture” even while cleaning away dirt and debris (at least on humans).
Veterinarians warn against propylene glycol with animals, though, saying that it can eventually work its way into the major organs of your and poison them over time.
That’s obviously something you’ll want to avoid!
Polysorbate 20, Butoxy PEG-4 PG-Amodimethicone, phenoxyethanol, and other preservatives are ingredients to avoid as well. Often found in wipes to clean babies described as “miracle deodorizing bath wipes”, these ingredients are known carcinogens.
No, if you’re going to use wipes with your dog you need to be sure that the ingredients breakdown is as limited as possible.
You want products that use as few ingredients to get the job done, with zero extra chemicals (a few essential oils can be ok, as long as they are safe).
2. Hypoallergenic and Fragrance Free Wipes Only
A great way to avoid a lot of extra chemicals that can put the help of your in jeopardy is to go with wipes (or wipes) that are completely hypoallergenic and fragrance free.
A lot of fragrance additives chemicals are the ones that can cause serious health issues, stripping away the essential oils on your dogs body and while making their coat and hair brilliant prone to breakage, too.
wipes proven to be and fragrance free almost always stripped down their chemical content to next to nothing. There may be a little bit of aloe vera mixed in to moisturize and soothe the of your dogs, but that isn’t going to put their health and well-being in jeopardy.
3. Use Specific Wipes Whenever Possible
A lot of headache and hassle for owners can be avoided completely by refusing to use wipes in general and instead choosing to use wipes only.
wipes are superior to regular wipes when you are looking to clean and groom your animal, but that shouldn’t be much of a surprise considering these wipes are designed specifically for furry little family members in the first place!
You aren’t going to find propylene glycol mixed into these products. You aren’t going to find preservatives and dangerous chemical cleaner agents in this kind of product, either.
Instead you’re going to get products that are engineered for the pH of your , perfectly designed for cleaning your and your ‘s face. Many can even be used to clean around the eyes of your animal, always a sensitive area.
It may not be a bad idea to find that have a lot of vitamin E in them as well. These are great for spot cleaning, getting rid of surface dirt, and moisurizing all at the same time.
4. Microfiber Towels with Shampoo Works Well, Too
If you don’t have wipes or wipes on hand, though, that’s not a problem. You’ll still be able to give your dogs a proper cleaning without having to jump into the bathtub with them.
All you need is a microfiber towel and some quality dog dry shampoo (made for a puppy or a full-grown dog) and just a little bit of warm water.
That’s a wonderful DIY cleaning product that won’t ever put their health or wellness in jeopardy.
This approach is also a lot more useful when you need that can clean more than surface dirt and dust from your .
If you’ve got animal that has been rolling around in the mud, for example, no amount of are going to be able to get them clean. You’ll need something a little more heavy duty (like a dog shampoo), and that’s where this DIY dog cleaning approach comes into play!
Another beautiful thing about using this combo is that you can use the same microfiber cloth (run through warm water to fully rinse it out, of course) to tackle paws, their body, and around the eyes of your animal without any worry.
It’s important to keep the towel clean and to add more shampoo as necessary, but other than that you’re good to go.
You don’t have to rinse these towels out with spring water before you go from your to their eyes, but you will want to make sure the towel is as clean as possible – or start with sensitive areas like their eyes and then move on to other parts of the body.
Closing Thoughts
So there you have it, a detailed breakdown clearing up the common misconception of whether or not you should be using wipes or wipes on your animal and why.
There are plenty of people out there (responsible owners included) that have no idea why wipes and wipes aren’t interchangeable, using either one – usually whichever is cheapest – to give their a bath without realizing the risks they could be putting their puppy in.
Hopefully now it’s clear why using wipes is such a bad idea, especially those that have propylene glycol as one of the primary contents.
If there’s one thing you need to stay away from with it has to be propylene glycol!
Whenever possible, try to use wipes as they are specifically formulated for the coat of your furry little family member’s health. Use wipes in a pinch, sure, (maybe to clean out some hard to melt ear wax) but avoid using them on a regular basis.
Keep this in mind and you’ll be good to go the next time with your needs a bath but you can’t get them into the tub.
FAQ
How Can You Wash a ‘s Face in a Way That is Safe and Comfortable for the ?
There isn’t a on the planet excited about getting their face washed.
This is always something that they are going to want to resist, which makes your job as a owners a little more challenging.
Thankfully though, as long as you use products that are as free of chemicals as possible (to avoid any potential your rotation) and work gently with your – while coming them down with your voice – you’ll have a much easier time of things.
Use wipes “” exclusively when you are cleaning their face. It’s the only way to make sure that there are no additives and irritants that are going to make the experience go sideways for you and your .
If you don’t have wipes, use warm water without soap. This will handle the heavy lifting of getting most of the dirt and muck that wet wipes would have gotten off without worrying about what kind of additives could be in your soap or human shampoo.
Should You Wash Your After a Walk?
It’s always a good idea to give the paws of your a good washing when you bring them in from a walk, especially if you’ve gone into areas that your usually doesn’t adventure into.
For one, you’ll be able to clean their paws of any dirt, muck, or grime they might have picked up along the way. You don’t want them tracking that stuff all over your house, do you?
Secondly, you’ll get a better look at the paws of your dogs when you’re cleaning them in the bath or with wet wipes. You’ll be able to check for damage to the pads, check on their toenails to see if they need to be trimmed, and can monitor their health that way, too.
Finally, it’s just a good idea to clean their feet every now and again. It’s impossible to know what dogs walk around in when they are out and about, and cleaning their feet with quality products goes a long way towards keeping them happy and healthy!
What is the Difference Between a and Wipes?
There are a couple of major differences when you’re looking at wipes vs wipes, but the biggest difference is the way these products treat the pH levels of .
products are always going to treat that has a pH level of 5.5 (the average for humans). Dogs, on the other hand, have a pH that is significantly higher than that.
When you use bath wipes designed for lower pH levels on dogs you can end up “burning” their – causing irritations, rashes, and even opening them up to bacterial infections.
Steer clear of that trouble altogether by avoiding wipes and going with wipes instead!
What Chemical in a is Unsafe for Dogs?
A couple of different chemical additives in products/ can be unsafe for a , but the worst offender of them all is propylene glycol.
wipes never include this additive that’s almost always found in options because of the way it can not only burn their , but it can start to poison dogs as well.
with propylene glycol need to be avoided at all costs, but even just general “bath wipes” should be avoided, too. It doesn’t take a lot of propylene glycol to start poisoning your pup, either – and the problem can build and build over time until it becomes really dangerous.
No, steer clear of any that have even just a little propylene glycol in them.
