Furrish Nice & Gentle Dog Shampoo - 300ml

The Furrish Nice & Gentle Dog Shampoo is the sensitive-skin shampoo in the range - oat extract, no added fragrance, and the one to reach for when a dog reacts to everything else.

Key Features

• 300ml bottle
• For puppies and dogs with sensitive or easily irritated skin
• Oat extract to calm dry, itchy skin - the same ingredient used in colloidal oatmeal washes for the same reason
• No added fragrance, which removes the single most common cause of a reaction to a grooming product
• Glycerin and hydrolysed wheat protein, as across the range
• Currently in stock

The Right Starting Point For Itchy Skin

• If your dog reacts to grooming products, change one thing at a time and start with fragrance. It is the usual culprit
• Oat is genuinely soothing on irritated skin and has a long track record in both human and veterinary dermatology, but it is comfort rather than treatment
• This is a cosmetic shampoo, not a medicated one. A dog with diagnosed atopy, a bacterial or yeast infection, or mange needs the shampoo the vet prescribes, and this is not a substitute

Washing A Dog Properly

• Brush the coat out thoroughly first. Shampoo turns a loose tangle into a tight mat, and a mat that gets wet is far harder to remove
• Wet right down to the skin with warm - not hot - water. On a thick or double coat this takes longer than you think, and a half-wet coat is the main reason a wash does not work
• Massage in, then rinse until the water runs completely clear. Leftover shampoo is the most common cause of post-bath itching
• Keep it out of the eyes and ears. Plug the ears with cotton wool if your dog tolerates it, and never pour water over the head
• Dry properly. A damp undercoat in humid weather is where hot spots and yeast start

What Is In It

• Aqua, ammonium laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, polysorbate 20, glycerin, cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolysed wheat protein, phenoxyethanol, sodium chloride, parfum, citric acid
• Glycerin is the humectant - it holds water against the skin and is why the coat feels soft rather than squeaky afterwards
• The hydrolysed wheat protein coats the hair shaft, which is what adds body and reduces breakage. It sits on the hair rather than being absorbed
• Ammonium laureth sulfate is the detergent. It is a sulfate, so if you are deliberately buying sulfate-free, this range is not it

A Note On Dog Skin

• Human skin sits around pH 5.5. Dog skin sits closer to neutral, roughly pH 7 to 7.5, and the outer layer is thinner than ours
• That is why human shampoo - baby shampoo included - is the wrong thing to reach for. Used regularly it strips the protective film and leaves a dog itchy and flaky
• Anything you use often on a dog should be formulated for a dog

Who Makes It

• Furrish is a UK dog grooming range built for home use rather than for salons - the kit you would want between professional appointments
• The range covers the whole routine: brushes and combs, shampoos, a detangler, wipes, colognes, a towel and clippers

Good To Know

• Formulated for dogs. Do not use it on cats, rabbits or other small pets without asking your vet - cats in particular groom everything straight back off
• Not for puppies under eight weeks, or for a dog on medicated or prescription shampoo unless your vet says it is fine to alternate
• Avoid broken, raw or infected skin
• Contains hydrolysed wheat protein. It is topical rather than eaten, but worth knowing if your dog has a diagnosed wheat sensitivity
• Patch test anything new - a small amount on one spot, then leave it a day and check for redness before using it all over
• Grooming products are not treatments. Persistent scratching, bald patches, scabs, a greasy or yeasty-smelling coat, or a smell that comes back within a day of a bath all need a vet rather than another product
• Keep the bottle closed and out of direct sun. A car boot in a UAE summer will cook most grooming products