Article: Bathing your Golden Retriever is an important component of treating CAD, since it will remove allergens that may have settled on your dog’s fur. If your Golden Retriever has scratched its skin so much that it has become infected, a medicated shampoo will help treat those infected skin lesions. Medicated shampoo will contain either an antimicrobial or antifungal ingredient.  Medicated shampoos often contain oatmeal or essential fatty acids to keep the skin from drying out. Purchase the medicated shampoo at your vet’s office. Do not use a human shampoo to bathe your dog. Dog skin and human skin have different pH levels. Because of the pH differences, human shampoo could irritate your Golden Retriever’s skin. To help your Golden Retriever feel less itchy, bathe it either once a week or every other week. Even if your Golden Retriever feels really itchy, do not bathe it too frequently (more than once a week)—this could strip its skin of essential oils, causing dry skin. If your Golden Retriever still seems uncomfortably itchy with weekly or bi-weekly bathing, talk with your vet about how often you should bathe your dog.  Consider rinsing or wiping down your Golden Retriever each day. This would remove the allergens in between baths. However, this may not be practical if you have a busy schedule. You could also use a topical anti-inflammatory product between baths on the itchy spots. This product, which would contain a steroid like hydrocortisone, would be available at your vet’s office. If your Golden Retriever has skin lesions, wash very gently around those areas, since they may be very sensitive to the touch. When you finish bathing your Golden Retriever, apply a leave-in conditioner to the skin and coat. This conditioner will not only soothe the skin, but also serve as a barrier to keep allergens from contacting the skin. Apply the conditioner according to the product label instructions. Use a pet-safe conditioner.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Use a medicated, pet-specific shampoo. Bathe your Golden Retriever regularly. Apply a conditioner after the bath.