7 Best Antibacterial and Antifungal Dog Shampoo 2022

Many pet owners take pride in caring for their furry friends. 

From dog food to dog shampoo, the products you choose to care for your dog play a vital role in their overall health.

Dogs are susceptible to different bacterial and fungal infections.

With so many products on the market, finding the right shampoo for your dog is difficult.

Many factors go into choosing the right shampoo for your furry friend.

Cost, ingredients, and effectiveness are the most important things to consider.

We break down the 7 best antibacterial and antifungal dog shampoos in 2022 and weigh the factors for each product.

IN A HURRY? HERE ARE OUR TOP PICKS…

Get them quick! Here are our top picks for antibacterial and antifungal dog shampoos we have found.

Check them out below.

1. Best Overall

At the top of our list is VetMD Medicated shampoo for dogs. 

This shampoo is free of harsh chemicals, artificial colors, and parabens. 

It is pH balanced for an effective, veterinarian-recommended shampoo.

It relieves bacterial and fungal infections with all-natural, high-quality ingredients.

It is ideal for dogs with sensitive skin because it is free of all dyes and fragrances. 

The effectiveness, affordability, and versatility make this shampoo top of our list.

2. Runner-Up

Not far behind is Pet MD Medicated shampoo. 

This shampoo can be used on dogs, cats, and horses and uses Chlorhexidine and Ketoconazole for extra antibacterial and antifungal properties.

This shampoo topically manages skin infections, dermatitis, and skin conditions like acne, hot spots, abrasions, and insect bites.

3. Best Value for Money

Veterinary Formula Clinical Care antiseptic and antifungal medicated shampoo is the best value for your money. 

It is scientifically formulated to relieve bacterial and yeast infections with ketoconazole and benzethonium.

This shampoo relieves redness and itching fast with its active ingredients.

It is pH balanced to leave your pet with healthy skin without parabens or soap.

The affordable price and effective ingredients put this shampoo the best value for your money.

It is what your pet needs for its skin problems!

4. Curaseb Medicated Shampoo

There are other good antibacterial and antifungal medicated dog shampoos on the market. 

Curaseb medicated shampoo is veterinary-strength pet shampoo medicated with ketoconazole and chlorhexidine.

These ingredients provide relief for irritated, itchy skin. The ingredients are antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-yeast. 

The powerful ingredients will take care of skin irritants, while aloe and vitamin E will south and nourish rashes, dry skin, and redness.

5. 4Legger Organic Dog Shampoo

If you want to go a natural route, try 4Legger Organic Dog Shampoo.  

This shampoo is USDA-certified organic, using ingredients like aloe vera, lemongrass, and coconut oil to remedy itchy skin.

Lemongrass has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties.

This shampoo takes advantage of those properties to provide you and your pet with an all-natural product to cure skin irritations.

This shampoo is free of petrochemicals, detergents, and other unnatural ingredients commonly found in other antibacterial and antifungal dog shampoos. 

This shampoo is for dogs with sensitive skin and will help relieve itch with organic ingredients.

6. DERMagic Shampoo Bar

DERMagic Shampoo Bar is another natural antibacterial and antifungal option for your dog. 

This shampoo bar uses antibacterial and antifungal properties of essential oils like spearmint and lemongrass to naturally cure your dog’s skin irritations.

Sulfur and neem oil boost the performance of this natural skin rescue bar. 

The diatomaceous earth helps exfoliate your dog’s skin to alleviate skin irritations. It is safe to use around all pets and children.

The bar form of this shampoo causes less waste than liquid form shampoos.

Eliminate spills and overuse from traditional shampoo with this all-natural shampoo bar!

7. TropiClean OxyMed Medicated Shampoo

TropiClean OxyMed Medicated Anti-Itch and Skin Recovery Solutions shampoo came in at #7 on our list.

This shampoo offers quick relief for scaling, flaking, hot spots, and eczema.

It is formulated with oatmeal and a blend of vitamins and minerals to nourish your dog’s skin.

It is free of harsh chemicals and works for dogs with sensitive skin. 

Use this shampoo with Oxy Med’s 3-step system for maximum relief. 

The medicated shampoo, followed by an ultra-soothing anti-itch oatmeal treatment and spot treatment anti-itch soothing spray, will leave your dog with itch-free skin!

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Antifungal Dog Shampoo

Finding the right antifungal shampoo for your dog can be a daunting task.

With so many products on the market, how do you know which shampoos are best for your dog?

Should I use a chemically medicated shampoo or some shampoo that goes a natural route? 

Should I take the vet’s recommendation or find another brand?

If you find yourself asking these questions, keep reading.

We will help you know what to look for in the best antifungal and antibacterial dog shampoo. 

You’ll want to find a shampoo that is compatible with your dog’s skin and effective but does not break the bank. 

Keep reading to learn what to look for in medicated antifungal and antibacterial dog shampoo.

Fungal Infections

Fungal dermatitis is one of the most common fungal infections in dogs. 

The symptoms of fungal dermatitis include intense itchiness, ear infections, and flaky or crusty skin, especially around the dog’s skin folds, nails, armpits, and anal region.

Fungal dermatitis is treated with ingested antibiotics or topical treatments like shampoos or ointments. 

Medicated Ingredients

Most medicated antibacterial and antifungal dog shampoos include ketoconazole and chlorhexidine gluconate. 

Chlorhexidine gluconate prevents bacteria from sticking to the dog’s skin. It damages bacteria by increasing the permeability of the bacteria’s cell walls.

When the permeability of a cell increases, the more likely that the cell wall will break down.

It is effective on both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, as well as fungi such as yeasts. 

Ketoconazole kills fungi and yeast in a similar fashion. It causes holes in the cell membrane, allowing essential parts of the cell to seep out.

The leakage kills the cells and clears up the infection.

There are also natural ingredients that have antibacterial and antifungal properties.

A great example is lemongrass, which is an essential oil used in natural antibacterial dog shampoos. 

It is a great natural alternative because of its powerful antibacterial properties that kill candida and staphylococcus.

Other Useful Ingredients

There are other useful ingredients that great dog shampoos use. You do not want your dog in chemicals.

Ingredients to look for in dog shampoos are things like aloe vera, oatmeal, ceramides, and shea butter. 

The ingredients work with the active ingredients to leave your dogs with infection-free, healthy skin.

These ingredients soothe the dog’s skin. They moisturize and alleviate the dog’s itchy skin.

Do Away With Harmful Chemicals

With so many good ingredients to look for, you also have to be on the watch for some ingredients to avoid in dog shampoo.

Some ingredients you do not want in your dog’s shampoo include:

• parabens
• formaldehyde
• propylene glycol
• Cocamidopropyl betaine
• ammonium
• sodium benzoate 

All of these ingredients can potentially be found in dog shampoos, and can cause serious harm to your dog’s health. 

What Makes a Good Dog Shampoo?

There are many factors that contribute to the quality of dog shampoo.

Dog skin is different than human skin, so it is crucial to realize shampoos made for humans are not good for dogs. 

No matter the quality of the shampoo, do not use human shampoo on dogs.

Dogs have skin that is much more alkaline than human skin. Their skin has an almost neutral pH, while humans have acidic skin.

The shampoo you buy for your dog should be close to a neutral pH.

Soap-free dog shampoo is ideal. Soaps tend to dry out dogs’ skin, which is not what they need after fungal or bacterial infections. 

You do not want to leave any shampoo residue behind after you bathe your dog.

You should look for a dog shampoo that rinses easily. If shampoo is left behind, it can irritate your dog’s skin.

You want a shampoo that will kill bacterial and fungal infections while moisturizing the dog’s coat and skin back to health.

The Difference Between Veterinary Grade and Medicated Products?

Veterinary-grade products are formulated and tested by veterinarians. 

These products have been proven to reduce bacterial and fungal infections and leave dogs with healthier skin and coats.

Medicated products do not have to be formulated by veterinarians. 

Many medicated products are still good and are recommended by veterinarians without being formulated and tested by them.

The Difference Between Antifungal and Antiparasitic Drugs?

Antifungal drugs are either fungicidal or fungistatic. Fungicidal drugs kill the fungi, while fungistatic drugs slow the growth of the fungus. 

Some antifungal drugs inhibit DNA and RNA synthesis, stopping the fungi from continuing to reproduce.

Most antifungal drugs are administered topically, while antiparasitic drugs kill parasites in multiple ways.

Some antiparasitic drugs interfere with the synthesis of the parasite’s microtubules, resulting in the death of the parasite larva. 

Some antiparasitic drugs are administered topically, but most are ingested. They are commonly in pill form or liquid form.

When these drugs are added to dog shampoo, they kill the parasites or fungus on the dog’s skin.

Over-the-Counter vs. Prescription Antifungal Dog Shampoo

Medicated dog shampoo can be bought over the counter or by prescription from a veterinarian. 

The difference between over-the-counter and prescription antifungal dog shampoo is its strength and active ingredients. 

Prescription antifungal dog shampoo has stronger and more powerful active ingredients than over-the-counter shampoo. 

Prescription shampoo must be used under the recommendation of a veterinarian and used how they say.

Over-the-counter medicated shampoo needs to be used cautiously. 

You can self-diagnose your dog and use over-the-counter shampoo, but make sure to read the instructions on the bottle and be wary of overuse. 

Antibacterial vs. antifungal dog shampoo

Some dog shampoo is antibacterial, and some are antifungal. 

Antibacterial shampoos should be used for fungal and bacterial infections, while antifungal shampoos should be used for fungal infections.

Bacterial infections that commonly infect dogs are staph infections and hot spots.

These types of infections should be treated with an antibacterial dog shampoo.

Fungal infections like dermatitis and ringworm commonly infect dogs. Antifungal shampoos should be used to treat fungal infections.

There are many shampoos that are both antifungal and antibacterial.

These shampoos do a great job at treating all skin infections and getting your dog back to its normal, happy self!

How To Choose the Right Antibacterial Shampoo for Dogs?

As the dog’s owner, it is your job to pick the products used on them.

You want high-quality dog products to increase your dog’s lifespan and quality of life. 

Check out the ways to choose the right antibacterial shampoo for dogs below.

What Ingredients Should Not Be in an Antifungal Dog Shampoo?

While there are some great products on the market for treating your dogs’ skin infections, many companies take shortcuts and add toxic ingredients to their shampoo. 

These ingredients cause harm to your dog. 

Check out the list of common toxic ingredients found in dog shampoo.

• Triclosan
• Petrochemicals
• Phenoxyethanol
• Synthetic dyes
• GMOs
• Silicones
• Mineral oils
• Sulfates
• Synthetic fragrances
• PEG and PPG
• Phthalates
• Parabens
• Formaldehyde
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Cocamide MEA
• Ethanolamine compounds

If you see any of these ingredients in your dog’s shampoo, you want to get a new shampoo.

These are all ingredients that you want to avoid because they are toxic to dogs. 

Look for natural colors and fragrances.

Know Your Dog’s Allergies

Every dog is different. One shampoo may work wonders for your neighbor’s dog but make your dog break out.

Just like humans, dogs benefit best from products made for them.

Allergy tests can be done to know what your dog is allergic to.

If you do not want to spend the money on a test, pay close attention to how your dog reacts to certain shampoos.

This concept can be used when choosing dog food too.

If your dog seems to have more skin issues or stomach issues after changing its food, they are most likely allergic to something in the food.

Many skin irritations in dogs start with their food, so make sure you are getting high-quality food to decrease the possibility of a food allergy.

Use this same concept when choosing a dog shampoo. 

Pay attention to the way your dog reacts to the shampoo you choose.

If they break out or become more irritated, try a different shampoo with different active ingredients.

Beneficial Ingredients

There are a lot of bad ingredients in dog shampoo, but there are some great ones, too. 

Some ingredients to look for when choosing your dog shampoo include aloe vera, oatmeal, and shea butter.

All of these ingredients are soothing for the dogs’ skin. 

Active ingredients like ketoconazole and chlorhexidine gluconate will kill or inhibit the bacteria and fungus, while the rest should soothe the skin.

Natural ingredients like lemongrass essential oil is a great natural alternative for treating infections. 

Choose shampoos with lemongrass to naturally rid your dog of common bacterial skin infections.

Is Anti-Fungal Shampoo Safe for Dogs?

Yes, antifungal shampoo is safe for dogs.

Antifungal shampoos should be used on dogs that are suffering from fungal skin infections. 

These shampoos can help treat and soothe the dog, so they no longer have to suffer.

How Fast Does Antifungal Shampoo Help Yeast on a Dog?

Antifungal shampoo needs to be in contact with the dogs’ skin for at least five to ten minutes to be effective.

Repeat baths every three to five days for two to twelve weeks. 

You don’t want to stop using your antifungal shampoo too soon. 

If you stop using the medicated shampoo, the least susceptible fungi that survived the first round will survive and begin to reproduce, resulting in an even stronger fungus colony on your dog’s skin.

How Often Should Dogs Be Bathed With Antifungal Shampoo?

If your dog has a fungal infection, they should be bathed weekly with an antifungal shampoo.

You do not want to stop using your antifungal shampoo too soon.

Make sure your dogs’ fungal infection is completely gone before stopping their weekly bathes.

Fungal infections can take weeks to clear up. 

But once the infection is cleared up, how often you should be bathing your dog with normal shampoo will depend on several factors, including their coat type.

For example, dogs with thick double layer coats like German Shepherds should only be bathed every 4-5 months. 

Bathing these dogs too frequently will increase the risk of damaging the protective oils on their coats. 

This will in turn lead to an increased risk of developing a skin infection.

That is why it’s so important to pay attention to your dog’s breed characteristics in order to choose the best solution for their long term health.

What Conditions Can and Can’t an Antifungal Dog Shampoo Help?

Antifungal shampoo is a great way to combat many fungal infections in dogs.

However, antifungal shampoo cannot cure everything.

Antifungal shampoo is great for treating infections like fungal dermatitis and ringworm.

These are common fungal infections that medicated antifungal dog shampoo can treat.

Aspergillus is a mold fungus commonly found in the environment.

If this fungus gets on your dog and causes irritation, the antifungal shampoo will not help. 

This fungus is resistant to fluconazole, a drug commonly used to treat molds and other fungi.

Does Antifungal Waterless “Dry” Shampoo Work?

There are mixed feelings about waterless antifungal shampoo. 

While it can help reduce fungal infections, these shampoos do not work as well, as regular shampoo needs water to work the best. 

How Does Antifungal Dog Shampoo Work?

Antifungal dog shampoos are packed with antifungal ingredients that either kill or prevent the reproduction of fungus on your dog’s skin and coat.

Some medications cause holes in the cell wall of the fungus. 

These holes either let essential components of the fungus fall out of the cell or allow surrounding cells to invade the fungus cell.

Both of these situations causes the fungus to die.

As the fungus dies, the dogs’ skin becomes more healthy.

Soothing ingredients like aloe vera and oatmeal then come to the rescue to help moisturize and heal the abrasions on the dog. 

Can Dogs Get Fungal Infections?

Yes, dogs can get fungal infections.

Fungal infections affect both the interior and exterior of the dog. Skin fungal infections that affect dogs include dermatitis and ringworm.

Interior fungal infections that affect dogs include blastomycosis and cryptococcosis. Interior infections cannot be treated with an antifungal shampoo.

How Do You Treat Fungal Infections in Dogs?

Fungal infections in dogs can be treated in multiple ways. Topical treatments include medicated mousse and medicated antifungal shampoos. 

For internal fungal infections, drugs are ingested to treat the fungal infection.

Does Antibacterial Shampoo Work on Dogs?

Yes, antibacterial shampoo does work on dogs. It must be used frequently to clear up the fungal infection.

When To Use Antibacterial Shampoos for Dogs?

Antibacterial shampoo should be used on dogs when they are suffering from a bacterial infection, like hot spots or staph infection.

What Can I Bathe My Dog With for a Yeast Infection?

Bathe your dog in medicated antifungal shampoo to clear up yeast infection.