While its great knowing what anti fungal medications are good for dogs, not all shampoos out there have them.

THE TWO MOST COMMON TREATMENT SHAMPOOS active ingredients

For a long time there was only Maleseb anti fungal shampoo. It has 20g/L chlorohexidine (anti bacterial) and 20g/L miconazole (antifungal) Must be left in for 10 minutes

A new entrant by PAW says that it is a low irritant shampoo to aid in canine seborrhoea and pyroderma and puritis associated with these conditions. It is said to “control malassezia (fungal) and staphylococcus (bacteria) and its active ingredient is: 7.21 g/ L Piroctone olamine “. Its advantage over malaseb is that it is supposed to be more gentle and has half the leave in time at 5 minutes.

Piroctone olamine = Octopirox = piroctone ethanolamine, is a compound sometimes used in the treatment of fungal infections in humans too.

What anti fungal dog shampoo for what allergy condition?

The selection of appropriate anti-seborrheic shampoo therapy is based on hair coat and skin scaling and oiliness, of which there are four general presentations:

1) mild scaling and no oiliness,

2) moderate to marked scaling and mild oiliness (the most common),

3) moderate to marked scaling and moderate oiliness,

4) mild scaling and marked oiliness.

IN DETAIL

1              Dogs with mild scaling and no oiliness need mild shampoos that are gentle, cleansing, hypoallergenic, or moisturizing. These shampoos are indicated for animals that have mild seborrheic changes, are irritated by medicated shampoos, or bathed too often. These products often contain emollient oils, lanolin, lactic acid, urea, glycerin, or fatty acids.

2              Dogs with moderate to marked scaling and mild to marked oiliness should be bathed with shampoos that contain sulfur and salicylic acid. Both agents are keratolytic, keratoplastic, antibacterial, and antipruritic. In addition, sulfur is antiparasitic and antifungal.

Some of these shampoos also contain ingredients that are antibacterial, antifungal, and moisturizing, which can help control secondary pyoderma, Malassezia spp, and excessive scaling.

Shampoos that contain ethyl lactate lower the cutaneous pH (which has a bacteriostatic or bactericidal action by inhibiting bacterial lipases), normalize keratinization, solubilize fats, and decrease sebaceous secretions. These actions also result in potent antibacterial activity.

In dogs with severe oiliness and minimal scaling, profound odor, erythema, inflammation, and a secondary generalized pyoderma or Malassezia dermatitis are often present. Shampoos that contain benzoyl peroxide provide strong degreasing actions along with potent antibacterial and follicular flushing activities.

Because benzoyl peroxide shampoos are such strong degreasing agents, they can be irritating and drying. Other antibacterial shampoos are better suited in animals that have superficial pyoderma without significant oiliness. These shampoos usually contain 2%–4% chlorhexidine (often in association with tris-EDTA) or ethyl lactate. The follicular flushing action of benzoyl peroxide makes it helpful for animals with numerous comedones or with demodicosis.

Benzoyl peroxide gels (5%) are good choices when antibacterial, degreasing, or follicular flushing actions are desired for focal areas, such as in localized demodicosis, canine acne, or Schnauzer comedone syndrome. However, these gels also may be irritating.

BIG NOTE

You will find that the action of most of these shampoos is to remove oil build up, and the method used to kill fungus and bacteria often causes harsh drying – so no matter what shampoo you use, even if it includes an emollient, you will probably find your dogs skin excessively dry after using a medicated shampoo.

Excessive dry skin causes more itchiness AND also the likely production of excessive oil to leach from the body to the skin making good conditions for secondary infections again.

THAT is why the use of a good medicated leave in Dog conditioner (with perhaps some of the active emollient ingredients above) is almost always prescribed for use AFTER medicated dog shampoos.

An example (not a specific recommendation) is Blackmores Paw range “sensitive skin conditioner” it is made to use after anti fungal shampoos (reduces drying out of skin). They say that it is ” sulphate free cleansers minimise the loss of natural oils, while using a nutrient rich conditioner helps to replenish and hydrate the skin”

INGREDIENTS: Purified water, cetearyl alcohol, glycerin (vegetable), sufractant, avocado oil, jojoba oil, preservatives thickener, vitamin E, rose oil, patchouli oil, Australian sandalwood oil.