Pet Soap

[Silver]

Dear soap makers!
I was wondering if anyone has made pet soap for either dogs or cats? My furry friends sometimes get into all sorts of messy things and water just does not seem to handle it, so I was wondering what kind of requirements pet soap might have. As with people soap, I was hoping for something that would leave their coats shiny and in as natural of a state as possible without stripping any natural oils. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Many thanks,
Silver

 

[lsg]

Pets' skin have a different pH than people. Some essential oils cannot be used in pet products. When I made soap shampoo for my Pyr, I used a cider vinegar rinse after shampooing her.

 

[paillo]

I make dog soap just for our use, and it's proved much better and milder than any commercial stuff regardless of label appeal. Fabulous lather. I did try to sell it for a while, but even at a natural pet food store they barely sold, not sure why, my people soaps flew out the door.

Olive/rice bran, avocado, coconut, shea, castor, neem and emu oils. Ale infused with marshmallow root, soap nuts, calendula and chamomile petals. Split with goat milk. Colloidal oatmeal. Very low amount EO blend tea tree, lavender, cedarwood, eucalyptus. Was a soft soap and took forever to cure, but my year-and-a-half old bars are really wonderful and my dogs' longish coats are soft, silky, brushable, and no itchy skin.

 

[penelopejane]

Colloidal oatmeal is in a commercial shampoo I used on my pets and it was excellent.

 

[Silver]

I make dog soap just for our use, and it's proved much better and milder than any commercial stuff regardless of label appeal. Fabulous lather. I did try to sell it for a while, but even at a natural pet food store they barely sold, not sure why, my people soaps flew out the door.

Olive/rice bran, avocado, coconut, shea, castor, neem and emu oils. Ale infused with marshmallow root, soap nuts, calendula and chamomile petals. Split with goat milk. Colloidal oatmeal. Very low amount EO blend tea tree, lavender, cedarwood, eucalyptus. Was a soft soap and took forever to cure, but my year-and-a-half old bars are really wonderful and my dogs' longish coats are soft, silky, brushable, and no itchy skin.

That sounds absolutely perfect! How much coconut oil would you approximately use in a batch? Would it have a high superfat? My biggest fear is making a batch where the coconut oil would be too high and the soap too harsh, or not high enough and unable to properly clean.
Many thanks,
Silver

 

[Arimara]

Dogs are more tolerant of EOs, generally speaking than cats. If you were to make a soap for dogs, you can NOT say that it is good for cats as well. many of the EOs that are dog friendly will kill a cat, even the larger cat breeds.

If you are seriously interested in making a soap for pets, I strongly suggest that you learn all that you can about EOs, about whch oils may be safe for pets, and about pet skin care as well. Dogs and cats have far more sensitive skin than ours and some oils have properties that may adversely affect them.

 

[Relle]

I agree with the above for cats and dogs.

As for bunnies, they are even more sensitive. I spoke at length to my vet and it's best NOT to use any EO'S on them and neem oil can kill them, so if anyone is thinking of putting that in a pet soap for buns - DON'T.

So not all pet soap is created equal, for ALL, animals.

I was going to make a pet soap and after speaking to the vet decided against it.

 

[paillo]

That sounds absolutely perfect! How much coconut oil would you approximately use in a batch? Would it have a high superfat? My biggest fear is making a batch where the coconut oil would be too high and the soap too harsh, or not high enough and unable to properly clean.
Many thanks,
Silver

I stand corrected, checked the recipe I don't label, just for our use, and use babassu, not coconut. Obviously I haven't made this in a long time

Olive 45%
Babassu 10%
Avocado 10%
Castor 10%
Shea 10%
Rice bran 7%
Emu/neem 5%
PKO flakes 3%

Superfatted at 8%

As for EOs, I'd carefully research what's safe for dogs. I wouldn't scent at all for cats. But then my cats would never submit to a bath so haven't even considered making cat soap

 

[Silver]

This is great, thank you all for your comments! I will definitely think twice before including any EO's in my pet soap and will do heavy research before choosing to incorporate any.
Silver

 

[Arimara]

As for EOs, I'd carefully research what's safe for dogs. I wouldn't scent at all for cats. But then my cats would never submit to a bath so haven't even considered making cat soap

A cat's nose is said be more keen than a dogs. Whenever your kitties rub their faces on you or on anything in their environment, they are actually leaving their scent you and said objects. In other words, they own you, lady-that-feeds-her-"masters". :mrgreen:

 

[Momsta5]

For my mom's dog I do an all organic HP vegan soap (olive oil, hemp oil, coconut oil, castor,palm, if I have it I'll add shea) with no oats because she is an itchy, allergic and yeasty girl. I infuse my olive oil with calendula, plantain and chamomile. I add a few drops of lavender and cedarwood oil for their benefits not to scent.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

Our cat had a really dry and flaky skin. I used gentle commercial shampoo with oatmeal. After a bath he would loose all that usual shine and his hair would puff up like a cotton ball (he was a long-haired cat).
I think that is inevitable, but they need to be cleaned. Soap high in SF might help a bit, but I don't believe in miracles.
If I was to make some, I would be more inclined to make soap that is gentle, maybe LS without coconut oil, just with olive oil, maybe some butters.
I know it's said that cats don't need a bath, but our cat was old and too lazy to clean himself, he really did need a bath every now and then.
I'm talking about him in the past sense, because he left us last week, bless him.

 

[Arimara]

I'm sorry for your loss. I've never heard of a cat too lazy to clean itself but perhaps it was age?

A liquid soap as you described would probably be a good choice for a pet soap. I've seen too many pet washing products that made me cringe because I knew if I were to use them, they'd be drying on my skin. I'm not going to knock all companies out there because there are some great pet products out there but there are some completely crappy pet washes out there that should not exist.

 

[Susie]

Old cats often stop cleaning themselves. Not because of laziness, but because of arthritis in the neck and joints that decreases their flexibility.

 

[Arimara]

Old cats often stop cleaning themselves. Not because of laziness, but because of arthritis in the neck and joints that decreases their flexibility.

Thanks. I can't have cats. I'm not allergic to them but my kid thinks she is (she's not). Doesn't stop me from loving them from a distance.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

Thank you Arimara.
Yes, Susie's right.
I haven't seen him cleaning himself for years, possibly, 2-3.
I used the term lazy but it's often because of arthritis or even feline dementia. He had other signs of dementia too so it's quite possible he had it. He died of cancer though, at 17. Quite a good age for a cat but oh boy did he break our hearts....

 

[joy.]

I use a hot process 100% olive oil and goat milk bar superfatted at 20% on my very sensitive great dane that breaks out in a rash from every commercial shampoo I've used on him. I cooked it until the pH was max. 8 (several hours) adding aloe juice to keep it from lumping while cooking. It has to be stored in the freezer, is super soft, doesn't smell good, doesn't lather well, and it's not easy to use a bar of soap on a dog, but it doesn't give him a rash!

 

[Arimara]

Thank you Arimara.
Yes, Susie's right.
I haven't seen him cleaning himself for years, possibly, 2-3.
I used the term lazy but it's often because of arthritis or even feline dementia. He had other signs of dementia too so it's quite possible he had it. He died of cancer though, at 17. Quite a good age for a cat but oh boy did he break our hearts....

17 is a good age, maybe a touch young for a cat. But a good life is a good life.

I use a hot process 100% olive oil and goat milk bar superfatted at 20% on my very sensitive great dane that breaks out in a rash from every commercial shampoo I've used on him. I cooked it until the pH was max. 8 (several hours) adding aloe juice to keep it from lumping while cooking. It has to be stored in the freezer, is super soft, doesn't smell good, doesn't lather well, and it's not easy to use a bar of soap on a dog, but it doesn't give him a rash!

Wow... I wonder how that would be as a liquid soap.

 

[joy.]

I'm talking about him in the past sense, because he left us last week, bless him.

Oh gosh, I just saw this. I'm so very sorry.

Wow... I wonder how that would be as a liquid soap.

I've thought about that, but I don't know how I would store it. With such a high superfat and the goat milk in there, I would think it would go bad if not kept frozen. The one time I've made liquid soap with goat milk, it didn't go well. It kept separating - even the plain, undiluted paste. I think the solids from the goat milk were dropping out of solution. Maybe frozen in balls, or a cream soap...

 

[Arimara]

I don't think I would ever make a liquid soap with that high a superfat. Maybe it's a matter of playing around with oils as well...