Skincare for the pampered Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso

I personally do not espouse the belief that regular baths are detrimental to the skin of our Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso dogs. I agree with veterinarian Dr Karen Becker who advocates that “A good rule of thumb is to bathe your pet when he needs it, which is when he’s stinky, dirty, greasy or itchy and irritated.”

My personal and foster dogs spend a sizable amount of time walking, running, playing, and exploring outdoors year round. Since I like clean dogs and a clean home, I bathe the dogs on average every 3-4 weeks, or sooner if needed. In summer, baths tend to be more frequent.

One of my favorite brands for dog grooming products is US-based Espree. I use their shampoos on both my personal dogs and the foster furbabies. My latest find is the Espree Dead Sea Mineral Mud Bath. This product has the consistency of a conditioner and smells heavenly (“Tranquil Mint”) on our Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apsos! I normally apply it after shampooing and rinsing the dogs. I massage the mud into the skin of the dog, adding warm water to facilitate penetration onto the skin and hair. After about 10 minutes, I thoroughly rinse the product off and dry the dog.

Espree claims that its Dead Sea Mineral Mud Bath conditions, exfoliates, and hydrates. I have been pleased so far with the results – the dogs smell divine and their hair is soft!

I plan to now use the mud bath on dogs who are sometimes itchy. Several Amazon reviews claim that it provides relief to such dogs or those who have red spots. I have developed a two-pronged approach to my experiment: use the mud bath as a shampoo first and then re-apply as a conditioner.

Stay tuned to know if it helps dogs with allergies and itchy skin!

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