Equal parts soap and purified water, kept out of eyes and ears. Plus the animals this is not for, and when to ask a vet first.
The last of the nine label recipes, and the one that deserves the most caveats.
Pet Shampoo: Mix 1 cup soap with 1 cup purified water. Massage into fur, keeping soap out of eyes and water out of ears.
Equal parts, the same ratio as the body wash recipe. Mix what you need for one wash rather than keeping a diluted bottle around for months.
Out of the eyes. Soap stings, and an animal that gets soap in its eyes will remember and resist the next bath. Work from the neck back and clean the face with a damp cloth and no soap at all.
Water out of the ears. This is less about the soap than about moisture sitting in an ear canal afterwards, which is a common route to an ear infection in floppy-eared dogs. A cotton ball loosely in each ear during the bath, removed after, handles it.
Wet the coat thoroughly first. A dry coat repels water and you will use far more soap fighting that than you need to. Pour the diluted mixture along the spine and work it down and outward with your fingers. Rinse until the water runs completely clear, then rinse once more. Soap residue left in a coat is itchy, and an itchy animal scratches.
Towel first, then dry properly. A damp undercoat takes far longer to dry than it looks.
Cats groom by licking, and they are more sensitive to what goes on their coat than dogs are. Most cats do not need bathing at all. If yours does, that is a conversation with a vet rather than a recipe from a blog.
The same goes for any animal with a diagnosed skin condition, an open wound, a flea treatment on its coat, or a puppy young enough that its vaccinations are not finished. Ask your vet before using any soap, including this one.
The soap is unscented and contains no essential oils. That matters here, because several essential oils that are perfectly fine for humans are not safe around pets. Nothing has been added for fragrance. It is made with an organic blend of plant oils, with no artificial detergents, synthetic dyes or foaming agents.
Do not add essential oils to a pet wash without checking which ones are safe for that species.
Yohan & Alex
Co-founders, Whole Naturals
For external use only. Keep out of reach of children. Discontinue use if irritation, redness or discomfort occurs.
