Understanding the function of the various ingredients may appear daunting. The following table should help you understand why certain ingredients are included in a shampoo. This information can help you, with consultation from your veterinarian, select the right one for your pet's skin condition.

 

 1.Cleansers

 

 Besides water, which gives your pup's shampoo its liquid texture, cleansers are usually the main ingredients in Fido's dog shampoo. These cleansers include the sulfate-based detergents including sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate, according to Women's Health. You may also find natural cleansers like vegetable glycerin soap and saponified coconut and olive oils. These ingredients, known as surfactants, help to loosen, encapsulate and remove unsightly dirt from your pup's skin and coat, according to the Washington Post. While some surfactants create a lot of lather, others don't and additional foaming agents like cocamide DEA or disodium cocoamphodiacetate may also be included in the shampoo to create suds during a bath.

 

 2.Moisturizers

 

 To keep your pup's skin and coat well-moisturized, his canine shampoo may contain some emollients and humectants. Emollients are usually vegetable- or mineral-based oils, including jojoba, macadamia, safflower, corn, almond and mineral oils. The oils add shine and silkiness to Fido's coat, according to the Animal Sense Pet Products website. Humectants rehydrate your pup's skin after cleansers wash some of his natural oils away. They include lactic acid, sodium lactate, urea, propolene glycol and glycerin, according to "Muller and Kirk's Small Animal Dermatology." To properly mix emollients and humectants with the other ingredients in the shampoo, chemicals known as emulsifiers are added to the shampoos. These include glycerin, lanolin and alcohols, according to "Making Natural Liquid Soaps."

 

 3.Skin Soothers

Natural ingredients like colloidal oatmeal and aloe vera help to soothe itchy, irritated skin and are included in many dog shampoo formulations. Tea tree oil can also help with skin inflammation and dandruff; it even acts as a natural flea-fighter, according to the Earthbath website. Essential oils like lemon, peppermint and orange oil may also help fight fleas while imparting a pleasant odor onto your dog's coat, states Dogster. Antibacterial shampoos contain ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, chlorhexidine and triclosan, which not only help calm skin irritations but also aid in healing any skin infections your pup may have. Most antibacterial or antifungal shampoos require a prescription from your vet, so consult with her before using them on your pup.

Ausmetics dog shampoos let pups liking washing