I do CO on my dog!

**CJCHair-stylist** · September 3rd, 2014, 03:06 AM

Okay this is going to sound weird, but its a method I tried out of pure desperation. I have owned two Chihuahuas and I am on number two at the moment, my first one had Seborrhaeic Dermatitis and constant skin problems. I had her to the vet countless times buying special shampoos and medicating her and nothing ever worked until her untimely death at only 5 years old - she died from having a slipped disc which left her paralysed forcing us to put her to sleep.

I then got my latest Chihuahua just shy of ten years ago - he had very dry skin and was always itchy, so I had to wash him very often to try and put moisture back into his skin - which was really a band-aid solution which never solved the problem. So since lurking the LHC a year before I joined in 2012(three years ago) - I learned of the CO method which I subsequently tried myself. I was really pleased with how clean it left my hair which usually gets oily quite quickly and it really helped me to stretch washes. I no longer use that method, but I was looking at my little dog scratching a way and had the light bulb moment to give it a go on him out of desperation.

After one wash of slapping on my cheap silicone-free conditioner and massaging him for ten minutes before rinsing (which he loved) he was like a new dog. No itches anymore, he smells divine and he stays clean for so much longer because he is not rolling around in dirt and licking all the time to get rid of his itches. I have been doing this for three years and he has never had skin problems again. My client uses it for her Labradors and says they feel like giant teddy bears.

Thank you LHC for helping my Chihuahua :-) Porky is very grateful.

**Creagan** · September 3rd, 2014, 03:15 AM

Hmmm.... My 10 year old Kerry Blue Terrier has horrible dandruff the vet keeps claiming is part of "Kerry skin issues." (Apparently dandruff and skin tags/toenails growing out of a dog's back are the same thing.

) I'll have to get my parents to try this the next time he's washed.

**CJCHair-stylist** · September 3rd, 2014, 03:19 AM

I think the CO helps because it doesn`t strip the skin of natural oils. Its worth a try - just make sure the condtioner is silicone-free.

**Angela_Rose** · September 3rd, 2014, 03:35 AM

Originally Posted by Creagan

Hmmm.... My 10 year old Kerry Blue Terrier has horrible dandruff the vet keeps claiming is part of "Kerry skin issues." (Apparently dandruff and skin tags/toenails growing out of a dog's back are the same thing.

) I'll have to get my parents to try this the next time he's washed.

Sorry, did you say toenails growing out of their backs? WTF.

**veryhairyfairy** · September 3rd, 2014, 07:51 AM

I've used CO to wash dogs, too, and I use it when I give my kitties a rag bath (bowl of warm water, dash of CO, dip rag in, wring rag out, wipe cat's fur, repeat).
Animal/pet shampoos are so dang harsh, and really unnecessary for most pets.

**LadyCelestina** · September 3rd, 2014, 08:43 AM

Uh,don't dogs have different ph of the skin than people do?

ETA: I do understand that since your dog has skin issues,anything that makes it feel better is good,but maybe you can test the conditioner using ph strips or use some dog-conditioner,if any exist?

ETA 2: Just saw that the situation got better and been better for 3years,I'm sorry I thought you just did it once or twice

**Thinthondiel** · September 3rd, 2014, 08:55 AM

Glad that you solved the problem! But I just thought I'd let you know that washing more often likely made the problem worse - washing doesn't moisturise skin, it actually removes moisture (or rather, the stuff that keeps the moisture inside our skin). It might seem logical that adding water to skin would hydrate it, but any eczema sufferer will tell you that washing often is just about the worst thing you can do.

I've read the science behind it before, but don't remember it well enough to repeat it here, and I can't find a link right now.

**brickworld13** · September 3rd, 2014, 09:02 AM

Hmmm. My mom has a little dog with a lot of skin issues. I may have to suggest this.

**CJCHair-stylist** · September 3rd, 2014, 09:42 AM

I couldn`t agree more Thinthondiel - I was following veterinary advice when it came to the washing even though I didn`t completely agree with it. So sometimes I guess you have to do like a Mother would who knows their child and wing it using just plain common sense. It worked for my dog, but that is not to say it will work for any dog. The CO method worked pretty awesome for my nephews` cradle cap too!