9 Best Medicated Dog Shampoos of 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

When your dog is constantly itching, you may be wondering what you can do to give your dog relief. While all dogs itch from time to time, there could be an underlying problem that’s causing your dog to repetitively itch. From food-based allergies to bacterial infections, multiple conditions can be painfully affecting your dog’s skin. There are a lot of treatments and products available that can offer instant relief for your dog’s skin, including medicated dog shampoos.

However, it can be tough to find a medicated dog shampoo that’s just right for you and your companion. Thankfully, we’ve done the hard work, so you don’t have to. We made a list of in-depth reviews of the best medicated dog shampoos, with our honest opinions of each product.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (2024)

The 9 Best Medicated Dog Shampoos

1. Arava Natural Medicated Dog Shampoo – Best Overall

Arava Natural Medicated Dog Shampoo is a shampoo treatment for various skin ailments and conditions with antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-yeast properties. It’s made with the healing minerals from the Dead Sea, containing 28 active botanical and herbal ingredients to treat your dog’s skin. It soothes and offers instant relief from painful conditions like hotspots and dry, irritated skin. This medicated shampoo for dogs is made with high-quality, therapeutic ingredients, so it’s gentle on the skin and softens your dog’s coat. It can also help reduce the number of infections your dog may get, which means less frequent trips to the vet’s office.

This dog shampoo is lightly scented without harsh perfumes, leaving your dog smelling like it’s fresh from the groomer’s salon. The only potential issue is that contains BHT and alcohol, which can be drying without a conditioner afterward. Aside from that, we find Arava Natural Medicated Dog Shampoo to be the best overall medicated dog shampoo.

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2. SynergyLabs Medicated Shampoo – Best Value

SynergyLabs Medicated Shampoo is a strong shampoo treatment used to help treat and wash dogs suffering from painful skin problems. This shampoo immediately soothes and relieves irritated skin, while gently washing and conditioning your dog’s coat. It’s formulated with medicines that have antiparasitic, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, made with veterinarian-grade ingredients for mild to moderate infections.

This shampoo is pH balanced for dogs with sensitivity, so it’s safe for most dogs to use. It’s also paraben and soap-free, with no harsh cleaning agents or detergents. However, it does contain a fragrance-based scent, which a small percent of dogs can be allergic to. It also may stop working if it’s used routinely or too often, which defeats the purpose of a medicated dog shampoo. For those reasons, we kept it out of our #1 spot. Otherwise, we recommend SynergyLabs Medicated Shampoo as the best medicated shampoo for dogs for the money.

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3. Sogeval Douxo Chlorhexidine PS Shampoo – Premium Choice

Sogeval Douxo Chlorhexidine PS Shampoo is a premium-grade medicated shampoo for dogs that is used to treat certain skin conditions. This shampoo contains ingredients with antiseptic and antifungal properties, which help prevent infections and irritation. It also helps with conditions like seborrheic dermatitis and dry skin, reducing the amount of dandruff your dog is suffering from. The foaming solution lathers well for a deep clean, making it easy to use and rinse off. This shampoo also moisturizes and nourishes the coat, making it easier to untangle matted and snarled fur.

Although it’s a medicated shampoo for dogs, it’s expensive compared to other brands with similar features. It’s also not formulated for dogs with itching due to allergies, which are usually caused by proteins and need to be treated with a special diet. For these reasons, we kept it from our Top 2 spots.

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4. Pet MD Medicated Shampoo for Dogs

Pet MD Medicated Shampoo is a medicated treatment solution made with antifungal and antibacterial properties for common skin problems.  It’s effective against yeast, mange, acne, and other infections that cause painful itching, sores, and hotspots. The blend of aloe and oatmeal offers soothing and instant relief, while gently cleansing and conditioning your dog’s coat. It’s also less expensive than most medicated shampoos, saving you money and multiple trips to the vet’s office. However, this shampoo is made with a fragrance-based scent, but it’s hard to pinpoint what it’s supposed to smell like. It has a slight chemical odor in addition to the unknown scent, which is not ideal in a medicated dog shampoo. It also contains Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, a foaming agent that can cause allergic reactions in some dogs. As long as your dog isn’t allergic to these chemicals, Pet MD Medicate Shampoo can be a good option for your dog.

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5. Curaseb Benzoyl Peroxide Dog Shampoo

Bexley Labs Curaseb Chlorhexidine Shampoo is a therapeutic dog shampoo medicated with chlorhexidine to treat common skin conditions. It helps eliminate and prevent the growth of infection-causing bacteria, which give off unpleasant odors and irritate the skin. This shampoo gently washes and deodorizes your dog’s coat, so you won’t need to wash your dog with a separate product before or after using this treatment. It’s also made with a veterinarian-recommended formula without being overpriced, which can save you from having to buy expensive treatments.

However, Bexley Labs Chlorhexidine Shampoo for dogs contains fragrance and coloring, which have been known to cause itching and painful hives in some dogs with sensitive skin. It’s made with an artificial orange scent similar to cleaning products, which is not the greatest smell for dog fur. This brand also has inconsistent quality between batches, which is a serious flaw for something that is medicated with active ingredients. For consistent quality and better results, we recommend trying other medicated dog shampoos first.

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6. VetMD Medicated Shampoo for Dogs

VetMD Medicated Shampoo is a dog shampoo that is lightly medicated for mild skin conditions. It helps fight against bacterial and fungal infections, which can cause a foul odor and excessive scratching. It’s safe to use with topical tick and flea treatments, so your dog will still be protected from ticks and fleas while going outdoors. It’s also on the less expensive side compared to other medicated solutions, which may save you money if your dog’s skin problems are mild.

This shampoo is not strong enough for moderate skin conditions, which may a prescription from the vet instead. It doesn’t relieve itching caused by allergies, so it may not work if your dog has food-based reactions. VetMD Medicated Shampoo also contains fragrance and DMDM-Hydantoin, two chemicals that may irritate dogs with sensitive skin. We recommend trying one of our Top 3 Medicated Dog Shampoos for a stronger solution and better results.

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7. Sulfodene Medicated Shampoo

Sulfodene Medicated Shampoo is a dog shampoo made for moisturizing benefits for dry skin. It softens and conditions the coat, making it easier to maintain and brush out. This shampoo helps with dandruff and flaky skin, with aloe vera to soothe your dog’s skin from itching. It’s also on the affordable side compared to other dandruff and medicated shampoos, which can quickly add up in cost depending on the severity of your dog’s skin problems. One issue we found is that it contains sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), a powerful foaming agent that might worsen your dog’s skin condition. It’s not strong enough to fight infections, so it’s best suited for dogs with mild dandruff and flaky skin. Sulfodene 100523760 also has an overpowering chemical smell to it, which can make you not want to wash your dog with it. If you’re looking for dry skin relief and a naturally deodorizing shampoo, Arava Natural Shampoo may be a better option for you.

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8. Vetoquinol Universal Medicated Dog Shampoo

Vetoquinol Universal Medicated Shampoo is a dog shampoo treatment for mild skin problems such as dandruff and oily fur. It’s safe to use with flea and tick treatments, so you won’t have to worry about your dog bringing home a bunch of unwanted visitors. It degreases oily, dirty coats without drying out the skin, leaving it softer and more manageable than before. Vetoquinol 041554 Universal Medicated Shampoo is on the expensive side, so it may cost you more than anticipated if you have a large breed dog. It’s not as strong as other medicated shampoos, lacking any real antibacterial or antifungal capabilities.

This shampoo isn’t suitable for dogs with sensitive skin, so it’s better to skip this brand if your dog has reactions to some topical ointments. It also has a strong “medicine” smell to it that is pretty unpleasant, so you’ll want to have an additional product to deodorize your dog. We recommend trying other brands first for better results.

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9. Strawfield Pets Benzoyl Peroxide Dog-Shampoo

The Strawfield Pets Benzoyl Peroxide Shampoo is a medicated dog shampoo with benzoyl peroxide to treat minor dry skin and dandruff problems. It’s got antiseptic and antimicrobial properties to relieve itching and flaky skin, but it’s not strong enough for moderately irritated skin with more serious infections. This shampoo is soap and paraben-free, with no harsh detergents or foaming agents. The issue is with the active benzoyl peroxide, which may dry out your dog’s skin even more. Because of this, it requires a conditioning product after each use for dogs with longer hair to prevent tangles and knotting. It also contains a fragrance and artificial color, which are also known skin irritants.

Strawfield Pets Benzoyl Peroxide Shampoo also has a strong and overpowering chemical odor, leaving your dog smelling like a medicine cabinet. For higher-quality products with stronger medicated formulas, we recommend trying our Top 2 picks instead.

Buyers Guide: Selecting the Best Medicated Dog Shampoos

Medicated shampoos are typically targeted toward dogs with skin issues such as allergies, fleas, infections, or even some kind of yeast overgrowth. Medicated shampoos combat these issues by using ingredients such as cortisone, which is anti-inflammatory. What this does is treat the issue at its source rather than just treating symptoms.
When choosing a medicated shampoo for your pooch, getting some advice from your vet is always a good idea. They can advise you on using a shampoo tailored toward your dog’s specific issues. However, if your dog suffers from allergies or sensitivities, there are various options above that can be a great help.

While these shampoos are medicated, you still want the shampoo to be gentle on your dog’s skin. The last thing you want is to choose a shampoo that further irritates your dog’s skin. Common ingredients in these shampoos include benzyl alcohol, parabens, and propylene glycol. These ingredients are less likely to cause skin irritation for your dog’s skin than some of those found in other common shampoos.

Always follow the instructions on the bottle, and be sure to not over bathe your dog, as this can cause more harm than good in the long run. This is why it’s always a good idea to consult with a vet beforehand. If you are treating a specific issue, once every 1–2 weeks is generally ideal.

Final Thoughts

After carefully reviewing each product, we found Arava Natural Medicated Dog Shampoo to be the best overall medicated dog shampoo. It has natural botanical extracts for fast relief of itchy, dry skin. We found SynergyLabs Medicated Shampoo to be the best value. It’s made with high-grade therapeutic ingredients without using harsh chemicals to cleanse your dog’s coat. For a premium choice, the Sogeval Douxo Chlorhexidine PS Shampoo is a premium-grade medicated shampoo for dogs that is used to treat certain skin conditions and contains ingredients with antiseptic and antifungal properties.

Hopefully, we have made shopping for medicated dog shampoo an easier task for you. We looked for the highest quality medicated treatments with your dog’s safety and well-being in mind. If your dog is suffering from a painful skin condition, the vet’s office should always be your first step.

• See Also: 10 Best Dog Shampoos – Reviews & Top Picks

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Featured Image Credit: yuzu, Shutterstock