Health & WellbeingIs it safe to wash my dog with human Head & Shoulders shampoo?
Actually the active ingredient found in head and shoulders is "Zinc Pyrithione" and the safety of this was studied and published in a journal article titled
Skin Pharmacol Appl Skin Physiol. 2002 Nov-Dec;15(6):434-41. It studied the safety of Zinc Phyrithione and Ketoconazole and also how efficient they were at treating canine seborrhea (dry skin). They both were deemed safe for use, avoiding any product going into the eyes, and Ketoconazole was found to be far superior for treatment of canine seborrhea than Zinc Pyrithione.
So to answer your question, yes Head and Shoulders, with the active ingredient Zinc Pyrithione, is safe for use in bathing pets as long as none gets in the eyes or is ingested (zinc in large quantities can be toxic to all pets). But there are more effective options out there such as Ketoconazole based shampoo's.
Updated on November 25th, 2025
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Become a credit card member today!
