My sweet little dog Sydney is a dear little animal.
And most of the time is a pretty laid back, well-behaved, low maintenance dog.
Except in the Fall.
Every year without fail, in late August, she gets a case of itchy butt.
Yes, in fact, that is the correct technical veterinary term.
I don’t know what causes it, we assume some kind of allergy. She gets irritated and starts chewing herself and doesn’t like to stop. We’ve tried creams, sprays… even resorting to the cone of shame when it gets too bad. It’s not fleas.. not a rash… just a case of itchy hiney that is hard to kick.
So when I came across a recipe for oatmeal shampoo I thought I’d give it a try. I added lavender and coconut oil though to help out even more. With the soothing oatmeal, calming lavender and moisturizing coconut oil this helps Miss Itchy Butt out tremendously. After the first time we used it she didn’t chew or itch for hours, which is a big deal these days.
This recipe makes a small pint size mason jar full. If you have a large dog or long-haired dog you may want to double or triple it. Just for reference Sydney is about 35 lbs. and has short hair. I used the full jar on her in one bath.
I recommend making it as you will use it, I don’t think it would keep very well. It’s super quick and easy to whip some up right before you need it.
Here’s what you’ll need
1/2 Cup Oatmeal
1/4 Cup Baking Soda
1- Tbsp Coconut Oil
6-10 drops Lavender essential oil
Warm Water
A jar for mixing
First you need to grind up your oatmeal. A food processor or blender does the trick nicely. You want it to be very finely ground, like flour, or baby oatmeal. If it is too coarse it will still work but it is kind of like shampooing your dog with vomit… which isn’t very fun. ( I may or may not speak from experience here… I’m not admitting to anything)
Once your oatmeal is all ground up put it in your jar. Add the baking soda, coconut oil, and essential oil. Now fill it the rest of the way up with warm water.
Shake it until everything is nicely mixed.
When you use it you want to get your dog good and wet before you start pouring it on. Then rub it in all over paying particular attention to problem areas and making sure you get it rubbed into their skin. Leave it sit for at least 5 minutes so all the soothing goodness can sink in.
Rinse throughly.
The nice thing about this is that because it doesn’t have actual soap in it you can use it as often as needed. It will leave your furry friend soothed and smelling lovely!
**This post contains affiliate links I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs for essential oils! And they are generous enough to pay me a small portion if you purchase through my links. Thanks!
So happy to find you!! We just recently got a puppy and I am all about natural products. I was looking everywhere for natural shampoo with no luck. I can’t wait to try this easy recipe!! Thanks for sharing. Pinned and following now 🙂
Oh puppies are so much fun!! This is super easy and so great for their coat! I’m glad you found me too, thanks so much for pinning!
I also tried looking for a homemade dog shampoo this past summer and could not find one. So thank you for sharing your recipe. How big of a dog will this quantity be good for? I have 2 large dogs, weighing about 92 lbs., and would like to use this on them.
Wowza those are big puppies! My dog only weighs about 35 lbs and I used this whole amount on her. I usually double it for my other dog he’s a 60 lb Black Lab. I’d say go ahead and triple it for your dogs!
When my dog starting itching in autumn, my vet wanted to do a lot of expensive allergy tests. I asked to try a dog probiotic (given by mouth for 7 days) first, and it cleared right up. Good luck!
That’s a great idea! Thanks for the advice, I’ll have to give it a try
My dog wouldn’t like this but I would love it! The other shampoo’s don’t last very long smell wise. He doesn’t go outside only to do his business. He loves bathes once he’s in. Haha, he’s a brat! I’d love for you to link up your post on my blog if your interested. Happy Wednesday!
My dog acts like I’m torturing her when I give her a bath! They are brats! This smells good for a lot longer then other shampoos, hope you like it!
What a great idea! My dog would love this. Thanks for linking up at the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party.
My dog get the itchies too:( I’m gonna give this a shot and see if it helps him! Thank you for sharing this with us at last week’s Teach Me Tuesday Linky Party! We hope to see you there again tonight starting @ 9pm est:)