You’ve probably come across countless articles that discourage the use of human-based products on pets. And for the most part, such articles tend to offer practical and useful pieces of advice.
For instance, you cannot expect your pooch to enjoy the same nutritional benefits you would derive from human food. The same applies to medical and even skincare products.
But as you may expect, there’s always an exception to every rule, especially where the product in question is mostly recommended for topical application. So, can you use baby powder on your dog?
Yes, you can use baby powder to make your pooch smell better and possibly help relieve a host of skin conditions. However, as is the case when prescribing most human-based products on pets, moderation is the keyword.
As soon as you achieve the desired results, you should immediately cut back on the use of baby powder on the canine. The same holds true if the dog develops any skin sensitivities during the application process.
Read on for more insights on the topic.
Table of Contents
Reasons for Using Baby Powder on Dogs
The main advantage of using Johnson baby powder on dogs is that the powder soaks up all the excess oil from the dog’s hair roots. That ensures a thorough bath, thereby prolonging the time between baths.
Baby powder also comes with a delightful odor and leaves your canine smelling nice after every application.
The pleasant fragrance particularly comes in handy when you don’t have the time to take the dog through a proper bath or if the dog is proving difficult to bathe, as is the case with most pups.
For instance, if you’re visiting a friend along with your dog and staying over for a couple of days, it may be rather inconveniencing to give your pooch a full bath.
In such cases, a baby powder might prove to be very useful. It seamlessly removes all the bad odor, creating a fresh and deodorizing effect.
All you have to do is sprinkle some powder onto a cloth and then wipe the dog down.
Lastly, baby powder is the cheaper option to dry bath products. Not to mention, it’s widely available.
Reasons against Using Baby Powder on Dogs
We’ve already seen that you can use baby powder on dogs for smell removal, as well as to help with numerous other conditions.
However, there are certain circumstances when using baby powder on dogs isn’t ideal, as listed below.
1. Baby powder comes with mild choking effects. Depending on the amount applied, the powder could irritate the pet’s windpipe and result in profound choking as well as coughing and sneezing.
2. Baby powder also comes with immense skin-drying effects. Using too much of the product, or applying it too frequently could cause your canine’s fur and coat to lose its natural luster and oils.
3. Many baby powder products are talc-based, and there’s a strong link between talc and cancer.
4. The product is strictly recommended for topical application. In the event your pooch becomes too curious as to lick or inhale the powder, you could be looking at potentially toxic situations.
5. While the powder smells nice to humans, your dog might find the fragrance distasteful. That’s because humans and animals perceive smells differently.
Worse yet, the smell might irritate your dog’s airway and result in full-blown respiratory conditions.
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Using Baby Powder to Contain Fleas in Dogs
One of the frequently asked questions by many pet parents is, can I put baby powder on my dog to kill fleas?
If you’ve had your dog long enough, you know how nagging the flea problem can be.
Indeed, fleas are among the most difficult pests to control, especially when they infest and overrun your dog’s patch. Fleas become even more difficult to cope with when their blood-sucking habits extend to humans.
Flea infestation in dogs mostly manifests in profound scratching and irritability. And since fleas live by sucking blood from their hosts, it’s difficult for an infested dog to lead a healthy and normal life.
Scratched areas could become inflamed and infected, leading to greater health concerns for your canine friend. That underscores the importance of exterminating fleas before they find a permanent habitat in your dog’s fur and begin reproducing there.
The good news is that you can conduct a flea diagnosis right at home.
All you have to do is wear a white piece of clothing on your hand and then run it through your dog’s fur. If the dog is infested, you’ll observe small hopping black specks on the white fabric.
There are numerous remedies for fleas on dogs, and baby powder is one of them. Baby powder works by suffocating and ultimately killing the pests.
When using baby powder on dogs for fleas, it’s prudent to start off from the areas where the flea colony thrives.
The following is a simple procedure on how to apply baby powder to help eradicate fleas from your furry friend.
1. Take the baby powder and dust it lightly throughout your pet’s fur. Take care that no powder enters the dog’s sensitive orifices, such as the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
2. While wearing rubber gloves, work the powder thoroughly into the dog’s fur, ensuring it gets in contact with every part of the dog’s skin, except its orifices.
3. Allow for up to three minutes for the powder to settle.
4. Using a flea comb, gently comb the dog’s fur thoroughly to clean it up.
5. Check that the fleas that are falling off the dog’s fur are already dead. You can confirm that by putting the fleas on a white paper towel or a flat white surface and observing for any activity.
6. You can repeat the process where required.
7. After you’re satisfied all the fleas have been exterminated, bathe the dog using your usual pet-based products, then dry it thoroughly.
Remember that applying the powder on the pet isn’t enough. You should also do the same for the pet’s bedding. If it calls for it, you could even overhaul the entire bedding and get your pet a newer set.
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Can I Use Baby Powder to Alleviate Itchiness?
Besides controlling fleas, can I put baby powder on my dog to stop itching?
Unfortunately, you can’t. You must remember that the causes of itchiness vary between humans and dogs. Therefore, it’s only logical that the remedies won’t be similar either.
While baby powder may help relieve various forms of itchiness for humans, the same cannot be said about dogs. Most dogs suffer itching that results from flea bites, skin conditions, or allergic reactions.
Itching that results from flea bites should go away upon exterminating the pests. But should the problem persist, you may never tell whether the dog has an allergic reaction or an underlying skin problem causing it to scratch.
In such cases, applying baby powder on dogs for itching could do it more harm than good. Therefore, your best bet is to enlist the services of a professional vet near you.
So, can I put baby powder on my dog’s paws?
Like any other part of the dog’s body, baby powder isn’t recommended for an itchy paw.
Using Baby Powder on a Dog’s Ear Wound
Applying baby powder on dog rash may be a tempting idea. However, it’s highly discouraged, especially if the wound is on the dog’s ears.
Doggy ear wounds tend to bleed excessively. However, baby powder can, at least, help stop the bleeding especially where you don’t have immediate access to a first-aid kit.
Just make sure you only use a little powder and that it doesn’t come in contact with your dog’s eyes, nose, and mouth.
Can you use baby powder to pluck dogs ears?
Its soft texture and the fact that it acts on the roots of the hairs makes it possible to use baby powder to pluck hair from your canine’s ears.
Plucking hairs from a dog’s ears is instrumental in preventing blockage of the ear canal, occasioned by the excess hairs that normally grow inside of the animal’s ears.
However, always ensure you pull one hair strand at a time to avoid causing too much pain to the dog.
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Can Baby Powder Treat Canine Heat Rash?
Like humans, dogs also get heat rashes and when they happen, heat rashes can adversely affect an otherwise lively and playful dog.
One of the worst things about heat rash is that your dog may repeatedly lick or scratch on the area, further aggravating the condition.
But you may be wondering, can I put baby powder on dog hot spot, and is cornstarch baby powder safe for dogs?
Yes, applying a small amount of cornstarch baby powder to the affected area may help relieve heat rashes and hot spots on your dogs.
The following is how you go about it:
1. Dab a small amount of the cornstarch baby powder on the rash or hot spot, rubbing it in gently so that it gets in contact with your dog’s skin.
2. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then rinse the mixture and observe how the dog responds to the treatment.
NOTE: Always wipe off all the mixture from your dog’s skin and on the floor to prevent the dog from licking it.
3. Also, insist on products that come with mild smells as you don’t want to throw your pooch off balance.
If the heat rash doesn’t go away even after a repeat application of cornstarch baby powder, then the dog may be suffering from an underlying medical condition.
So, Is It OK To Put Baby Powder On A Dog?
Baby powder isn’t only effective in terms of making your dog smell better. The product also comes with a host of skincare benefits for your furry, little friend.
Not to mention, it’s the cheaper and more available alternative to most skincare products.
Just remember to read up the ingredients and ensure the product is free from the carcinogenic talc.
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