11 Best Dog Shampoos for Dandruff in 2023: Reviews & Top Picks

Dandruff, also known as “seborrheic dermatitis” can affect dogs just like it can humans. We all know the symptoms of dandruff—dry, flaky skin is the major giveaway. It can be caused by a range of conditions including fleas, skin allergies, and improper grooming. The good news is that often, dandruff is easy to treat.

That said, if your dog is suffering from dandruff, it might be best to get them checked out by a vet to rule out more serious skin conditions. If your vet has recommended using a shampoo that helps with dry, flaky skin, check out our best dog shampoo for dandruff reviews to help you get an idea of what’s on the market.

Note: If your dog is suffering from a skin issue, be sure to run any new shampoo you’re thinking of using by your vet to make sure it’s suitable for your dog.

A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2023

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo	Formulated to soothe dry, irritated skin Free of soap, gluten, dye, DEA, sulfate, and phthalate pH balanced	Check Price
Budget Buy		John Paul Pet Sensitive Skin Dog Shampoo	Eco and animal-friendly Professionally formulated PH balanced and skin-kind	Check Price
		Vetnique Labs Medicated Anti-Itch Dog Shampoo	Vet-formulated Pramoxine helps numb itchy skin Doesn’t strip healthy oils from the skin	Check Price
		Earthbath Mild Cherry Puppy Shampoo	Eco-friendly and cruelty-free Aloe vera infused to soothe dry skin Perfect for puppies over 6 weeks old	Check Price
		Hartz Groomer’s Anti-Dandruff Dog Shampoo	Easy to lather Made with salicylic acid Gentle on your dog’s skin	Check Price

The 11 Best Dog Shampoos for Dandruff

Leave dandruff in the dust with Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo. This pH balanced formula uses all natural ingredients to nourish dry, irritated skin, leaving behind a healthy and hydrated coat. The gentle lather is easily worked into the fur down to the skin, lifting any excess dandruff and loose hair away and leaves your dog smelling light and fresh. The aloe and cucumber scent is long lasting yet mild enough that it won’t bother the most sensitive of dog noses.

Once your dogs dandruff is a thing of the past, you can safely continue to use this shampoo during bathtime to prevent future irritation, making this an all in one must have product!

At PetKeen.com we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest, so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!

John Paul Sensitive Skin Formula Oatmeal Dog & Cat Shampoo is our recommendation for the best dog dandruff shampoo for the money. This inexpensive shampoo is made with oatmeal, aloe vera, and almond oil, which leaves behind a light almond scent on your dog’s fur after use. It is designed to get rid of dirt and build-up without being harsh on your dog’s skin.

This shampoo was chosen as our best value pick because it tackles dandruff, allergies, and dry skin at a very affordable price, is highly reviewed, and best of all, it’s guaranteed cruelty-free! The only thing some may not like about this product is that the almond scent is pretty faint. That said, whether or not this bothers you comes down to your personal preference.

Our third choice dog shampoo for dandruff is Vetnique Labs’ Dermabliss Anti-Itch & Allergy Relief Soothing Oatmeal shampoo. This shampoo is vet formulated and is designed to cleanse without stripping your dog’s fur of healthy oils. For this, it utilizes a soap-free formula and its key ingredients are safflower seed oil and oat extract.

While the soothing properties of these ingredients get to work, pramoxine creates a numbing effect on your dog’s skin. This helps to relieve dry, itchy skin. Though this is a medicated shampoo, it doesn’t smell strongly medicated. On the downside, this shampoo is pretty pricey for a 16-ounce bottle.

If you’re the proud parent of a gorgeous pup, you’ll no doubt be on the lookout for a shampoo that’s safe for them. For puppies over 6 weeks, we recommend Earthbath’s Ultra-Mild Wild Cherry Puppy Shampoo. This cherry-scented shampoo is cruelty-free, soap-free, tearless, and infused with aloe vera to soothe irritated and dry skin.

We also love the fact that this shampoo is paraben and phosphate-free, biodegradable, and safe to use with flea treatments. Its sweet cherry scent is something you’ll either love or hate and it is a bit expensive compared to many of our other recommendations.

Hartz Groomer’s Best Professionals Anti-Dandruff Dog Shampoo is another good choice for best dog shampoo for dandruff. This shampoo was professionally formulated to treat and soothe flaky, itchy skin in dogs. Its magic ingredient is salicylic acid—this reduces redness and inflammation while shedding dead skin cells. It’s completely paraben-free, so it’s a great choice for dogs with itchy, sensitive skin.

This shampoo is easy to lather as it’s not too thick in consistency and works on softening your dog’s coat as well as tackling dandruff. Best of all—it comes in a 32 fl oz bottle, so it will last for ages! On the downside, the bottle isn’t the sturdiest and is prone to leaking.

Aloe vera, oatmeal, vanilla, and vitamin E make up this anti-itch shampoo for dogs. The added vitamin E is a major bonus—it’s good for the skin and is a great moisturizer. Moisturization is crucial when it comes to treating dandruff in dogs. As well as tackling itchy skin, Zesty Paws’ shampoo is designed to add softness and shine to your dog’s fur.

Another of Zesty Paws Itch Soother Dog Shampoo’s powers is that it helps to banish unpleasant smells. What we like about this shampoo is that it packs a lot of power into one bottle. On the downside, it may not be suitable for dogs with very sensitive skin or serious skin conditions.

Pet MD is one of the most trusted sources of information about pet health conditions. It has also developed its own range of pet care products, including this vet-approved anti-itch shampoo. Pet MD’s Benzoyl Peroxide shampoo is all about treating conditions like dandruff and banishing grease and dirt that could contribute to skin conditions.

This shampoo utilizes benzoyl and salicylic acid—this helps get rid of dead skin and exfoliates the pores. If your dog suffers from clogged hair follicles, Pet MD’s shampoo can help out with this as well as dandruff. It has a fresh, non-chemical-like scent. On the downside, this shampoo can potentially cause dryness on dogs with especially sensitive skin.

Vet’s Best Oatmeal Medicated Dog Shampoo targets itchiness, dryness, and flakiness on your dog’s skin. It smells pleasant and doesn’t have that harsh chemical-like smell that some medicated shampoos do. It is made of a few simple but powerful ingredients—tea tree oil, salicylic acid, oatmeal, aloe vera, and vitamin B5—a great combination for skincare.

You can use it with tick or flea treatments without worrying about washing them away and the tea tree helps give your dog that “fresh” feeling as well as relieving their flaky skin. The only thing we’re not keen on with this shampoo is that it’s a little watery—this means that it’s not hard to lose some of it to the drain when applying it to your dog’s fur. On the bright side, you won’t have to worry about working up a decent lather!

Veterinary Formula Clinical Care’s Antiparasitic & Antiseborrheic Dog Shampoo was made specifically for dogs with dandruff. Like many other dandruff shampoos, it’s made with oatmeal and salicylic acid but it has an extra trick up its sleeve—coal tar. Coal tar is commonly used to treat skin conditions in humans too and is known for its ability to shed dead skin cells and soothe flakiness, scaliness, and even inflammation.

What we like most about this product is that it targets not only flakiness and itchiness but also the soreness and redness that sometimes accompanies it. If your dog has a rash or inflammation, you might want to give this shampoo the once over.

You might want to check with your vet before using this product, though, as it’s not the gentlest dog shampoo out there and can even be harsh on some dogs’ skin. It may not be suitable for some skin conditions and could worsen the symptoms.

TropiClean’s Medicated Oatmeal & Tea Tree Dog Shampoo is a paraben-free, dye-free, and soap-free product for dogs with itchy skin. We love that this product is both eco-friendly and cruelty-free and comes in a 20-ounce bottle—more than the standard 16 ounces. This throws into the mix a little extra value for money at a not-too-shabby price.

Its ingredients include oatmeal, tea tree, and papaya—a good combination for skincare and a fresh, tropical scent. Its naturally-derived ingredients make it one of the least harsh choices of all our recommendations. Its magic ingredient is beta-hydroxy which is commonly used in skincare products to unclog pores and exfoliate. One thing to watch out for with this shampoo is that it is prone to leakage, especially when being delivered.

Infused with colloidal oat flour and honey, Burt’s Bees Dog Oatmeal Shampoo is an inexpensive, PH-balanced shampoo free of parabens, chemicals, and artificial fragrances. It is designed to moisturize skin and leave your dog feeling soft while the colloidal oat flour goes to town on soothing skin irritation. We really like this shampoo’s very reasonable price, natural ingredient selection, and eco-friendliness—the bottle is made of 80% recycled material!

If you prefer scented shampoos, though, you might be disappointed as Burt’s Bees shampoo is fragrance-free. Overall, it’s a gentle, inexpensive option that’s unlikely to worsen your dog’s dandruff or skin condition. The reason this shampoo is our bottom pick is that, while there’s a lot to love about it, you may need to use quite a lot of product as it’s hard to lather. Also, a little subjective on our part, but we do prefer shampoos that leave behind a nice smell!

• See Also: Is Dawn Dish Soap Safe For Dogs? Is It Effective For Cleaning?

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting The Best Dog Shampoo for Dandruff

As there are so many dog dandruff shampoo options out there, it can be hard to make a decision as to which one would be best for your dog. First and foremost, we’d like to reiterate something we mentioned near the start of this article—if your dog has a skin condition, check any potential shampoos out with your vet first before using them.

However unlikely a product may be to cause a reaction or worsen your dog’s condition, it’s better to be safe rather than sorry. This is because though certain shampoos are designed to treat and soothe dandruff and other skin conditions, some just simply might not be suitable for the type of condition your dog has.

If you’ve got the go-ahead to use an anti-dandruff shampoo on your dog, ask yourself these questions when picking one out:

• See Also: Does Dog Shampoo Expire? What You Need To Know!

Conclusion

Let’s recap. Our choice for the best overall dog shampoo for dandruff is Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo. We particularly like the refreshing treatment you can give your dog for a reasonable price.

Our best value pick goes to John Paul’s eco-friendly shampoo designed with sensitive skin in mind. Finally, our premium choice is the pricey but gently cleansing Vetnique Labs Dermabliss Medicated Anti-Itch & Allergy Relief Soothing Oatmeal Shampoo.

We hope that our best dog shampoo for dandruff reviews have given you a good idea of what’s available to treat and soothe your dog’s flaky skin. Remember—when in doubt, talk to a vet. Good luck!

Featured Image Credit: Vershinin89, Shutterstock