A leading vet is warning dog owners after a new TikTok trend shows people using a certain type of shampoo on their pups.
Purple shampoo is used by people with blonde and other light hair shades as it distributes pigments that neutralise brassy or yellow tones. However, the latest trend has seen people using the product to clean their dogs.
While this might seem harmless enough, the sudden craze has been flagged as a concern from Dr Sean McCormack, of tails.com. The head vet says the chemicals within the shampoo are dangerous for dogs' skin.
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Dr McCormack says using shampoos not specifically designed for use on dogs can have serious health consequences. Dogs are more sensitive to the ingredients found in human shampoo. Using human shampoo on dogs can cause irritation, leaving their skin dry, flaky and more vulnerable to parasites, bacteria and viruses.
Irritation caused by using harsh toxins can encourage excessive itching, which can result in abrasions and wounds forming on the skin and an increased chance of bacterial infection. This could cause numerous different skin-related issues for your dog.
Purple shampoo contains high levels of citric acid, an ingredient in lemon juice, which plays a role in lightening the hair. While citric acid is safe to consume for humans, high levels are not suitable for dogs, causing irritation, upset stomach and can even be toxic.
Also - dogs groom their fur by licking, which could lead to harmful consequences if their coat is coated with acidic chemicals. There are dog-friendly products that offer coat-brightening, leaving absolutely no excuse to douse your dog in chemicals intended for human hair.
Many products designed for human use leave harmful toxic residue on your dog's fur which can dry out and intensify any pre-existing issues. Sulphates found in purple shampoo often irritate human skin. This would be the reality for dogs being washed in purple shampoo, rather than natural dog-friendly formulas that have been created especially for them.
It is essential that you avoid using human shampoo on your dog. There are plenty of quality and affordable dog shampoos available on the high street and online, but if you are not able to find dog shampoo, then a little baby shampoo will do as these tend to be mild and won’t contain any harmful chemicals.
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