Which Is The Best Whitening Shampoo For Dogs?

White dogs are inexplicably enchanting. But maintaining their silky, bright white coat can be a problem when it suffers from discoloration and presents dark overtones.

Have you tried all the expensive or inexpensive brands of shampoos and conditioners to whiten your dog?

There are so-called ‘best whitening shampoos for dogs’ available in the market that leave a blue or yellowish hue or turn the coat’s color to off-white—which you don’t want.

But every cloud has a silver lining. There are products that the groomers use and vets recommend that are guaranteed to bring out your dog’s beauty.

1. Makondo Dog Whitening Shampoo

What’s Best About It	Flaws But Not the Deal Breakers
Fights off skin dryness, protects the sensitive skin, and  stops itching problems   Best for deep, thorough, yet gentle cleaning of white coat dogs   No sulfates, parabens, or toxins   Helps detangle the coat   Prevents hair loss   Rinses out easily without leaving residue   Works well on the long and thick coats	We recommend trying this shampoo on a smaller patch of your dog’s fur to check if your dog has allergies   It takes about four baths to see the results   Expensive but provides value for money

2. Chris Christensen White On White

What’s Best About It	Flaws But Not the Deal Breakers
No bleaching agents, harsh chemicals, or softening agents   Neutralizes unwanted stains   Removes the yellow color and brings back the original color   Lasts up to four weeks and does not rub off on hands or clothing	Can be more expensive than other whitening shampoos   Doesn’t have any scent

3. Perfect Coat White Pearl Shampoo for Dogs

What’s Best About It	Flaws But Not the Deal Breakers
Maintains the color and brilliance of white and light coats   Good for sensitive skin   Contains no harmful chemicals that can strip your dog’s coat of its natural oils and nutrients   Lasts about a month	Contains preservatives     Your dog may not like the coconut scent   The bottle lid is not handy

4. Chris Christensen Show Off No Rinse Shampoo

What’s Best About It	Flaws But Not the Deal Breakers
Easy to use. Simply spray on, lather, and then towel off   Best for long travels Renews the color and removes dirt and stains   Contains no harmful chemicals or bleaching agents	Can be sticky   Not a replacement for regular shampoos   Does not get rid of the urine smell

5. Bio-Groom Super White Pet Shampoo

What’s Best About It	Flaws But Not the Deal Breakers
Tearless   Designed to enhance the color of white and light-colored coats   Cleanses the coat thoroughly while adding volume and shine to the hair   Leaves the hair smooth, manageable, and shiny without any tangles   Contains no harmful chemicals or bleaching agents   Stays for three weeks   A little of it goes a long way	Contains perfume and artificial colors   Gives a strong floral scent that might make you or your dog uncomfortable

6. Wahl White Pear Brightening Shampoo for Pets

What’s Best About It	Flaws But Not the Deal Breakers
Whitens the coat and removes the odor as well   Is thick and lathers nicely   Gets all the dirt on a dog with one washing   Light scent   Plant-based cleansing	Wahl does not have a conditioner for any of their shampoos     It’s dilute and comes out very fast   No perfume and artificial colors

7. Nature’s Miracle Whitening Odor Control Shampoo

What’s Best About It	Flaws But Not the Deal Breakers
4-in-1 benefit shampoo Neutralizes doggy odor Deodorizes Cleans dogs’ skin and white coat Conditions dog’s skin and coat   No dyes or parabens   Enhances hair softness and maintains skin’s essential oils   Safe with anti-flea and tick products	You may not like its scent   It may not thoroughly whiten your double-coated white dog as compared to other shampoos. But works well with single-coated pups   Can have a drying effect on dry skin

8. Veterinary Formula Solutions Snow White Shampoo for Dogs

What’s Best About It	Flaws But Not the Deal Breakers
Formulated specifically for dogs with white coats   Patented optical brighteners safely eliminate yellowing, stains, and dingy fur to bring out your dog’s natural bright white coat   No bleach or peroxide   Contains Vitamin E and green tea extract   Doesn’t wash away topical spot-on flea and tick ointments and won’t cause any reactions Can be used without a conditioner	When purchasing the product, be careful since the bottle can leak shampoo   Can dry out the skin if not diluted   A small amount won’t be enough to whiten your dog’s thick fur

9. Earthbath All Natural Light Color Coat Brightener Shampoo

What’s Best About It	Flaws But Not the Deal Breakers
All-natural formula; Optical brighteners based on natural minerals along with gentle cleansers makes this shampoo best for sensitive dogs No parabens, dyes, soap, sulfates, phthalates, and alcohol Balances pH Lasts for a month ;	If you don’t like lavender scent, go for other shampoos Doesn’t detangle the coat; Can have drying effect if dog’s skin is dry ; Can make your dog’s coat fuzzy if used daily ; Not very foamy

10. Lillian Ruff Brightening Shampoo & Conditioner

What’s Best About It	Flaws But Not the Deal Breakers
Helps prevent matting, tangling, and fly-away hair   Aloe in this shampoo hydrates and moisturizes your dog’s skin  Good for dogs having sensitive skin and allergies   Gluten- and paraben-free	Avoid getting it into your dog’s eyes as it can cause irritation   Don’t use too much, else your dog’s skin will dry out, leading to itchiness

Why Is My Dog’s Fur Changing From White to Brown?

Your dog’s white-colored coat changes, most notably, because of the following reasons:

Dog’s Tears

Dog’s tears contain iron, which is why they leave behind brownish traces or yellow hues on their white coats. The iron creates an oxidation reaction that changes your dog’s color. These stains can only be removed by those dog whitening shampoos that cancel the effects of iron, giving your dog his color back.

While this happens to dogs of all colors, it gets prominent in pets with white coats.

Water With Iron

When dogs drink water from the bowls with iron in their chemical compositions, the color fades slightly. The large traces of iron cause oxidation of the hair around the mouth that turns the white color into brown.

Moreover, when a dog touches his face to another body part, it transfers the iron particles to the rest of the coat—consequently, your dog’s color changes.

Dog’s Shampoos with Harsh Chemicals

If your dog’s shampoo contains harmful chemicals such as parabens, sulfates, artificial colors, bleaching agents, etc., it can cause

1. Discoloration
2. Irritation
3. Itching
4. Changes to skin
5. Damage to the hair follicles

Acid Rain

This is quite rare, but we can’t rule out the possibility of having acid rain. This rain has iron particles which cause the color change.

Poor Nutrition

If your dog’s food isn’t sitting well with your dog, there might be discoloration on his skin.

Does Dog Whitening Shampoos Work?

Yes, dog whitening shampoos do work, but it depends on which brand and type you are choosing.

1. Shampoos that contain bluing agents don’t remove stains. However, it will change the color of the white coat, making it look brighter.
2. Clarifying shampoos diminish the stains of urine, licking, and the sun only.
3. Enzymatic shampoos effectively remove the stains but will require multiple applications to get actual results.
4. Bleaching and dyeing shampoos instantly produce the desired whitening results but are harsh to dogs’ skin and may require additional conditioners to maintain the dog’s coat.

How Do You Clean a White Dog’s Face?

Even the best whitening shampoo for dogs shouldn’t be applied to the face directly. Unless the shampoo clearly mentions that it’s tearless, avoid the eyes as much as possible.

Instead, we recommend washing your dog’s face separately. Here are some tips for cleaning a white dog’s face.

1. Wipe your dog’s face clean
2. Completely pat dry
3. Gently apply Boo Boo Butter or any other of your vet-approved ointments to the irritated area, avoiding eyes.
4. It helps protect the white hair from staining and also moisturizes the hair.