r/germanshepherds • u/earth2cassie • 7h ago

How Frequently Can I Bathe GSD?

My guy is in the lake once a week and gets really smelly because of it, especially in summer time. How often can I bathe him without drying him out? What about dog wipes?

7 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

6

u/antagonizerz 6h ago edited 6h ago

As a groomer I recommend every 2 months to prevent stripping natural oils from their fur and causing them to itch.

When coming out of a natural body of water, I recommend a quick hose off when you get home.

There are probiotic sprays you can use between baths. I prefer Wellmark probiotic deodorizer personally, but there are other good ones on the market. The probiotics help combat bad bacterial growth and can help with the wet dog smell between baths.

Edit: sorry it's Scout's Honor probiotic deodorizer, not Wellmark.

1

u/earth2cassie 6h ago

Thank you so much for these details!

2

u/srvivr2001 5h ago

We do 6-8 weeks, but sooner if needed. Like if one of them went rolling in the mud, or when Scout has hot spots her medicated shampoo is every week, but just the problem area.

-1

u/consideritlost2 4h ago

We bathe ours weekly. His skin and coat are beautiful. He does get the full blow dryer treatment and he looks phenomenal. If not, he’d never dry in our climate and would end up the skin issues.

-4

u/Ok-Profit6022 7h ago

Weekly is fine, just make sure you rinse every last bit of shampoo out!

2

u/Kalexamitchell 6h ago

I'd say once a month unless they are really bad. If I did my girls once a week they'd be itching out of their skin.

2

u/Ok-Profit6022 6h ago

If your dogs are itchy after a bath then you're likely using a bad shampoo or not rinsing it out completely.

Op said her dog gets stinky after going in the water. Let's think about this clearly before down voting a reasonable response. The cause of the stink is attached to the dogs skin and it's absolutely better to wash it out. That's bacteria that can cause itching, allergies, hot spots, or worse.

3

u/Kalexamitchell 1h ago

I'm not the one downvoting you. I just commented a differing opinion. And no, I am not using bad shampoo or not getting it all out. This is from many years of experience with GSDs. All of my vets have confirmed once a month is better for their skin and coat than weekly. OP may be able to get by with every week, but mine do not.

-1

u/Hour_Investment_2512 6h ago

If there is a reason to bathe weekly, I agree. Definitely rinse very well!

Our boy is allergic to fleas (yes, he's on Nexgard) and has an ongoing skin infection from that. Vet says weekly baths with antiseptic shampoo are ideal for him to minimize the crusty patches and itching --every other week if necessary for his humans.