If your dog needs a bath while you’re at home, follow these veterinarian-recommended tips that can help prevent a painful skin infection called post-grooming furunculosis.

Keep your pet’s bathing supplies clean and sanitary:

  • Use any diluted or mixed shampoos and rinses on the day they are mixed/diluted; do not save leftovers.
  • If a separate container is used to dilute shampoos, wash thoroughly in between uses.
  • Postpone bathing for 2 weeks after stripping or pin brushing.

Techniques to bathe your pet at home:

  • Do not apply shampoo directly to the haircoat.  Create a lather in your hands and massage into the haircoat in the direction of the fur.
  • Never brush, bathe, scrub, or dry against the direction of the haircoat.
  • Do not vigorously brush the haircoat following a bath.
  • To prevent water from going into your pet’s ears, you can place a cotton ball in the ear (but don’t push it too deep).
  • Pouring water over your dog’s head may be stressful for them, so it is best to gently wipe your pet’s face with a washcloth.

When the public health authorities advise that it is safe for non-essential businesses to open again, be sure to select a groomer or self-serve dog-washing facility that follows the above practices and sanitizes bathing equipment between pets.

Some of the above tips were obtained from Today’s Veterinary Practice.