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Dog Shampoo for Dry Skin: A Closer Look at Great Coat Aloe and Oatmeal Dog Shampoo

Great Coat oatmeal and aloe shampoo for dogs
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Scratch, scratch, scratch. Dogs with dry skin may try to relieve their itchiness by rubbing against furniture or rolling onto their backs, and they may have dead skin flakes (dandruff) stuck in their fur. Humans can easily apply lotion or ointments to their dry skin, but the same can’t be said for dogs.

Your dog’s dry skin may have multiple causes, such as environmental allergies, food ingredient sensitivities, parasites, bacteria, and even weather changes and low humidity. Once your veterinarian has ruled out any medical causes, dog shampoo for dry skin can become your (second) best friend. 

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of dog shampoo for dry skin, and I’ll share what happened when I lathered my dog up with Great Pet’s Great Coat Aloe and Oatmeal Shampoo.

Why Use Dog Shampoo for Dry Skin

Soothing dog shampoo can relieve excessive itching and refresh your pup’s coat from drab to fab. Bathing is an important part of overall grooming care for all dogs, but overbathing a dog can contribute to dryness. Sometimes even the best pet parents bathe their pooch too much because they think it’s the solution for dry, itchy skin

When dead skin sloughs or flakes off, you’ll likely notice doggy dandruff. Shockingly, skin issues dominate veterinary visits, with pruritus (itching) diagnosed in 7.5 million dogs in 2019 (1). A high-quality dog shampoo for itchy skin is one of the pieces to help solve the canine dry skin puzzle.   

Great Coat Oatmeal and Aloe Shampoo for Dogs is a pH-balanced hypoallergenic formula to help a dog’s itching, scaling, or sensitive skin. One of the best ways to improve dry skin is with gentle moisturizers to clean skin without stripping oils from the coat. Fortunately, Great Coat is soap-free and detergent-free so it won’t interfere with natural oils in the skin.

Dog staring at bottle of Great Coat

Great Coat Aloe and Oatmeal Dog Shampoo: Features 

Grooming products are a multibillion-dollar industry, with dog shampoos high atop that list. It’s not exactly the sexiest topic to discuss, but it’s a super important one in the pet industry and for pet parents. It can be dizzying to wade through the thousands of dog shampoos online, let alone one for dry skin. 

Great Coat Aloe and Oatmeal rises to the top with its no-nonsense, what-you-see-is-what-you-get approach to an all-too-common problem in dogs. Itchy skin is a nuisance for dogs and equally frustrating for pet parents. I’m all about reading the label of a dog shampoo and not wondering if the ingredients are safe for my pet.

Here are the key features in Great Coat’s formula to consider before you purchase it:

Hydrolyzed Oat Protein

Designed to relieve itching, hydrolyzed oat protein soothes and moisturizes dry, flaky, sensitive skin. Great Coat cleanses without irritating your dog’s already dry skin thanks to this ingredient infused with hydrolyzed oat proteins. 

Oatmeal is very gentle with its skin-protective qualities. It helps create a strong skin barrier so moisture is locked in. As a bonus, it washes away dirt and crud to keep skin hydrated and the coat clean.

Aloe Vera

Some pet parents use aloe vera as a home remedy for dry skin or hot spots on dogs. Aloe vera restores the natural moisture of your dog’s skin and coat. Coupled with the oatmeal extract and hydrolyzed oat protein, the aloe vera works in tandem to provide quick relief to dry skin.

Hypoallergenic Formula

Hypo means “less,” so a less-allergenic shampoo like Great Coat is less likely to trigger an allergic reaction. It is formulated for dogs with sensitive skin, and dryness can trigger itching and discomfort. 

If your dog has sensitive skin, Great Coat is pH balanced to lock in moisture while working the product through her coat. As a bonus, the hypoallergenic formula keeps her less likely to scratch and itch again and again.

Piña Colada Scent

Despite being freshly bathed, your pooch may still have a wet dog odor. Great Coat smells like a tropical island vibe without being overpowering. I asked my spouse (who isn’t a fan of piña coladas) to smell it, and she described it perfectly as “light and beachy.”

Not everyone wants an overpowering scent in a dog shampoo. A week after using this shampoo on my Cocker Spaniel, he still smelled yummy like a ripe coconut as he breezed by my home office.

pH Balanced

A dog’s skin is very close to being neutral on the pH scale, which is why you shouldn’t use human shampoo on them. Human shampoo is much too acidic for a dog’s skin, which can lead to more dryness and irritation if used. 

Great Coat Aloe and Oatmeal Dog Shampoo is pH balanced so it doesn’t disrupt your dog’s natural skin chemistry. Because it is soap-free and detergent-free, it won’t further irritate flaky or dry skin.

Dog sitting with Great Coat shampoo

Putting Great Coat Soothing Dog Shampoo to the Test

In pursuit of a solution to my dog’s seasonal dry skin, I put Great Coat dog shampoo to the test. I used it twice on my Cocker Spaniel within three weeks. It’s important to me that a dog shampoo works up a good lather but doesn’t contain harsh ingredients or soap that could further dry out my dog’s skin. It gives me comfort that Great Coat considered this in their formula.

One of the first things I noticed about Great Coat was the pearl-like texture and light scent. I poured a bit into my hands and lathered it up in the bathroom sink before using it on Dexter. It didn’t irritate my skin in the least because I, too, have sensitive skin and don’t use anything that may irritate my body. 

As I worked the shampoo into my dog’s wet coat and massaged it into his skin, the aroma of piña colada enveloped the room. I am not into heavily scented products, which was one of my initial concerns with Great Coat. Would it be too strong and smell like perfume or overly tropical? I am happy to report that the dog nor I had an adverse reaction or sneezing fit from the scent. 

Great Coat lathered beautifully and rinsed out well. Some shampoos take a whole lot of spray downs and rinse cycles to get the product out of my dog’s coat. Not so with Great Coat, and it went up against a thick-coated Cocker Spaniel. 

I use a professional-grade handheld dog dryer to blow my dog’s coat dry. His coat laid nicely, and there was no static or fly-away unruly hair situation commonly found with some dog shampoos. It’s been my experience that some dog shampoos made for dry skin can sometimes make the dog itchy or itchier. This didn’t happen with Great Coat. 

After about a week, I could still smell the light beachy scent from Dexter’s skin and coat. I like this because it proved the scent holds up without being overpowering. After about two weeks, I didn’t notice the scent any longer.

Bottle of dog shampoo from Great Coat

Things We Like

  • Great Coat is infused with nano-encapsulated vitamins. My dog’s skin felt soft, and his coat glistened in the sun on our walks. Because there are vitamins and moisturizers built into Great Coat, I am certain they made a difference.  
  • Lots of lather without itchy skin later. I love that there is no soap in this product but it lathers up like a boss. I worried about itchy skin, but Dexter didn’t itch, scratch, or bite at his paws after bathing with Great Coat. 
  • Oh, so baby soft. I love to inhale the scent of my dog. There, I said it. Something is comforting about curling up and burying my nose in my dog’s coat. His fur remained baby soft for days on end. 
  • Bonus points for white dog coat cleansing. Anyone who has a white dog or a dog with white hair will understand the yellowing or graying that happens to the coat now and then. My dog is a dirt magnet, and I only realize in photos that his coat looks anything but white.  
  • Made in the USA. This is important to me as a dog mom. I want to feel confident and safe in what I put on my dog’s skin, which is the body’s biggest organ.
  • Great Coat is pH balanced. Dog shampoos are formulated for different pH balances. Great Coat is made specifically for dogs and helps with dry skin, too.
  • Oatmeal and aloe for the win. I love the soothing properties of these two ingredients. I used it a few times, but Great Coat can be used as needed without worrying about stripping your dog’s coat of essential oils.

Things to Consider

  • There are no unscented or other scents available. Not everyone is into piña colada, present company excluded. Would love to see Great Coat make another scent or less tropical version in the future for these pet parents.
  • One size bottle. If you have multiple dogs or a very hairy pooch, you might go through this bottle faster. I like to buy gallon sizes and refill the original bottle with the product.  
  • The product must sit on the coat for 5 to 10 minutes. This is typical of most moisturizing dog shampoos, so be prepared to entertain your dog. My pooch doesn’t mind baths, but if yours does, consider slathering pet-safe peanut butter on the tub to occupy your dog’s time. 
  • For best results, Great Coat recommends shampooing your dog twice. I didn’t do this because once is always enough for my dog. If you have a dog with very dry skin or dandruff, be sure to include a second wash. 
  • May help your dog’s flaky, dandruff skin. I can’t attest to how well this feature works because my dog doesn’t have any dandruff or flakes on his skin or coat.
Lather from Great Coat

Great Coat: Our Verdict

I plan to use Great Coat in our rotation of dog shampoos. I rotate my shampoos, and I will continue to do the same for my dog. Great Coat is now a part of our regular grooming and cleansing routine. 

Thorough rinsing is incredibly important no matter what dog shampoo you use. You shouldn’t bathe a dog too often nor forget the important rising process. Your dog’s flaky, dry skin may continue if rinsing is not performed completely and thoroughly. Great Coat rinsed out beautifully and didn’t get stuck or caked into my dog’s coat. 

I also used Great Clean wipes in-between shampooing for a burst of piña colada yumminess. They are thick and great to use on dirty paws and sticky spots without irritating the skin. I love products that complement one another, so this is a bonus item if you fall in love with Great Clean dog shampoo as I have.

No one wants their dog to suffer from itchy, dry skin. If your pooch faces this problem, Great Clean is worth your time and monetary investment. Happy bathing!