Waterless Dog Shampoo: Benefits & Uses

In a nutshell, waterless dog shampoo absorbs oil, cleans skin and fur, and leaves a fresh scent behind. Now, I’m not exactly sure why it’s called waterless, as waterless shampoo does contain water and leaves hair wet afterwards. However, waterless dog shampoo really does work. Check out these tips on choosing and using this essential dog grooming product.

Benefits of Waterless Dog Shampoo

Great for Spot Cleaning

Dogs will get dirty. That’s just what happens, and sometimes giving your dog a complete bath is not going to happen, especially when traveling. That’s where waterless shampoos for dogs come in handy. Waterless dog shampoo can be used to clean paws after a romp through the yard, remove urine sprinkles from long-haired male dogs, wipe away pollen and clean up after a bout of diarrhea.

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Waterless dog shampoo also works well on senior dogs or dogs recovering from surgery. Sometimes, it’s just too hard to completely bathe an older dog, so weekly washing of his face, feet and rear with a waterless dog shampoo will keep your senior dog clean and stress-free. For dogs recovering from surgery, it’s risky putting them in a tub for fear of getting their incision wet. Waterless shampoo helps keep your dog feeling and smelling fresh during his recovery.

How to Use Waterless Dog Shampoo:

• If your dog gets dirty, spray waterless dog shampoo liberally on the area, massage into skin and coat, and wipe with a dry towel. Afterwards, comb or brush your dog’s coat and repeat once the area has dried. You can certainly blow dry the coat until it’s dry too.
• If dirt (such as mud) has already dried, or your dog has longer fur, spray waterless shampoo onto your dog’s coat and brush his hair to loosen up any dried mud. Wipe the sprayed area with a clean dry towel and repeat the process until fur is free of dried dirt. Again, brush afterwards and then again once dried.

Tearless Dog Shampoo for Faces

Having lived with long-coated dog breeds for years, I’m well aware these dogs constantly dunk their beards into water bowls every day. With all this water and hair, their beards start to smell like a dirty mop really quickly. Every other day, I would wash their beards with a waterless dog shampoo that not only removed that sour smell, but also removed food particles and dirt. Honestly, waterless shampoo for dogs did a pretty good job! Now, I did have to wash their beards weekly, but a waterless shampoo made it much easier by removing excessive gunk beforehand.

Make sure you choose a tearless waterless shampoo on your dog’s face. Even for small dogs, or dogs that eat raw meals daily, a good waterless shampoo will spot clean muzzles and leave them sparkling clean and smelling super fresh until their next full bath.

My Favorite Waterless Dog Shampoo

Wow, I’ve used so many waterless dog shampoo brands that it makes my head spin. By far, my favorite waterless shampoo for dogs is Nature’s Specialty Speedy Groom Waterless Shampoo. It can be easily sprayed onto a small or large area, massaged into skin and, most importantly, wiped away. Plus, it smells heavenly like sweet plums. Your dog’s coat will gleam afterwards, which is not too shabby for a waterless shampoo.

My favorite tearless brand is Espree’s Plum Perfect Facial Cleanser. It’s more of a mousse than a spray, but it does a great job removing food particles while cleaning the fur on your dog’s face. In addition, it doesn’t leave a sticky residue like most waterless shampoos and, of course, it smells amazing. Before you assume I have a plum scent addiction, Espree also makes a rainforest scent too. 🙂

Keep a bottle of waterless dog shampoo handy. It’s worth every penny!

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