Dog shampoo and flea collars

[YMS_1975]

Hey guys....

I bought two products for my "Buddy" :

1) Hartz Ultra Guard Rid Flea & Tick Shampoo for dogs &

2) Seresto (Bayer) flea collar.

About two or three weeks ago, Buddy started acting differently. He started to throw up, he wouldn't eat, had diahrrea, became lethargic, etc.

I took him to the vet and they said it was most likely the flea collar. So they gave him some kinda liquid application on his coat in lieu of the collar. Fine...that part was addressed.

But I gave him a bath using the shampoo mentioned above and he got sick again. Same symptoms. I Googled the reviews on this shampoo and the results were very scary. I threw the bottle out immediately.

Can anybody reccomend a SAFE dog shampoo that is effective in treating dog smell?

[TXLabLover]

I rarely if ever bathe my labs, only if they've rolled around in something stinky.
That being said, I do like the TropiClean brand.

[shellbell]

A collar, shampoo, and topical application all in what sounds like the same month is WAY too many chemicals. And I don't use Hartz or anything of the like for flea/tick treatments, go with something name brand like Frontline or Advantix, which yes will be pricier.

Do you actually have a flea problem? You may not need to use anything, especially as it is getting colder out. Since he has already had so much applied to him, definitely don't use any other type of flea or tick chemicals for at least thirty days. And if you need to use something, go get Frontline or Advantix. If you just want a dog shampoo, pretty much anything at Petsmart or Petco, whatever you have near you is fine. Just make sure it does NOT have any flea or tick chemicals in it.

[POPTOP]

Rarely bath my two, maybe twice a year. I use Earthbath.

Luckily, there we have not had a flea problem in years. IF you need to treat yard or house I highly recommend Zodiac products, sold on Amazon. I think your pup got an overload of chemicals.

[Tanya]

curious on why you want a flea collar, is there a particular issue in your area? It's not something i've ever bothered with honestly. even for fosters that came with some fleas. if you do have a flea issue did the vet not recommend a safe product?

for washing use something "natural" from a pet store. with fewer harsh chemicals. my dogs get a bath only when they roll is something particularly stinky (think dead or poop hehe). labs are pretty rinse and wear dogs, too much washing with soap can damage their coat. I use earthbath products as well. flea and tic shampoo is harsh definitely NOT something to be used to just clean a stinky dog. too much washing can cause the dog smell.

[YMS_1975]

The only reason I purchased the flea / tick collar was to be proactive. He's my first dog. But after the vet treated him and advised against the collar I disposed of it.

I purchased the dog shampoo because he stinks.
I just figured the flea/tick control was an added bonus for protection. But now that I've seen how badly he reacted to it, I just want something to help him clean up and not stink so bad.

And no.....he doesn't have an issue with fleas.

[smartrock]

If he stinks, there are a few things to check out, unless you know it's from rolling in rotting carcasses.

If he wears any sort of a fabric collar, check to see if it's his collar that stinks. Frequently those collars will develop a bad odor from being wet, from water draining from their ears and down their neck to their collar, from rolling in stuff that has never gotten washed out.

Some people say their dogs smell bad on certain foods and not on others. How old is this guy and what are you feeding him?

Some people's dogs have trouble with their anal glands and say that smell is like rotting fish. Is there any evidence of anal gland problems?

Some dogs develop a bacterial or yeast skin infection that's not necessarily obvious if you dog has a thick coat. My dog developed a big, smelly hotspot up between his shoulders that I just couldn't see because his coat is so, so thick. I tried washing him but clued in to the problem when that area seemed particularly oily and I looked at his skin. If you wash him or he gets wet and his coat is really thick, you may have to use a blow dryer to make sure he gets totally dry. If their skin stays moist for a long period of time, I think it can encourage the growth of some smelly things, like damp gym socks.

Is there a specific area of him that smells worse than the rest of him? I know my male dog Chase, and Snowshoe's Oban developed a pretty awful smell that seemed to emanate from their backs, on their hips where the tail attaches (or that's where Chase's was, I think Oban's was near there). There was no infection, nothing I could find as a cause. I'd wash him and rinse him with a solution that was 50% white vinegar and 50% water, then dry him thoroughly, that seemed to help. With Chase, whatever it was eventually went away after several months and it never returned.

For the most part, I don't wash either of my dogs with shampoo except when we're leaving the beach at the end of vacation. They get rinsed with clear water and dried now and then, but not often. They smell like dogs but they do not smell bad.

[Tanya]

be very careful of any chemicals you put on or in your dog. remember if it is meant to kill something or get rid of pests that means there is something toxic or nearly toxic in there. same goes for treats, MANY items from china have been recalled for killing dogs so it's recommend to always look where things are made and avoid them if they have been made in china (though somethings you won't know that the ingredients may come from there but at least you lower the chances by at least avoiding those easily marked as made in china).

[barry581]

The only time I use any type of flea/tick meds are when I board the dogs. Other than that I don't want to put any unnecessary chemicals on them. I will bathe Bruce after a training session when he swims. I use Tropiclean, squirt him down with the hose, soap him up, and squirt him down again. He loves it, and smells like coconuts for a couple days!

[YMS_1975]

If he stinks, there are a few things to check out, unless you know it's from rolling in rotting carcasses.

If he wears any sort of a fabric collar, check to see if it's his collar that stinks. Frequently those collars will develop a bad odor from being wet, from water draining from their ears and down their neck to their collar, from rolling in stuff that has never gotten washed out.

Some people say their dogs smell bad on certain foods and not on others. How old is this guy and what are you feeding him?

Some people's dogs have trouble with their anal glands and say that smell is like rotting fish. Is there any evidence of anal gland problems?

Some dogs develop a bacterial or yeast skin infection that's not necessarily obvious if you dog has a thick coat. My dog developed a big, smelly hotspot up between his shoulders that I just couldn't see because his coat is so, so thick. I tried washing him but clued in to the problem when that area seemed particularly oily and I looked at his skin. If you wash him or he gets wet and his coat is really thick, you may have to use a blow dryer to make sure he gets totally dry. If their skin stays moist for a long period of time, I think it can encourage the growth of some smelly things, like damp gym socks.

Is there a specific area of him that smells worse than the rest of him? I know my male dog Chase, and Snowshoe's Oban developed a pretty awful smell that seemed to emanate from their backs, on their hips where the tail attaches (or that's where Chase's was, I think Oban's was near there). There was no infection, nothing I could find as a cause. I'd wash him and rinse him with a solution that was 50% white vinegar and 50% water, then dry him thoroughly, that seemed to help. With Chase, whatever it was eventually went away after several months and it never returned.

For the most part, I don't wash either of my dogs with shampoo except when we're leaving the beach at the end of vacation. They get rinsed with clear water and dried now and then, but not often. They smell like dogs but they do not smell bad.

My lab is 3 months old. He does wear a leather collar, but he stinks all around like sweat almost. He's very active. We've smelled him and he doesn't have one area of concern; it's all over. My older son suggested maybe it's because he's running around as much as he does. I'm not sure. But that doesn't sound right. After all, he is a dog. They're supposed to run.

As far as his food, he eats Acana Large Breed - Puppy formula.

I just need something without any harsh chemicals, is gentle & safe and can address the stink.