Is diluted hydrogen peroxide safe for dogs? Get Your Pet Thinking

Other uses of hydrogen peroxide for dogs

Beyond cleaning a wound, Jennifer offers two other important uses of hydrogen peroxide for dogs —

Skunk Bath: Hydrogen peroxide for dogs is useful for de-skunking a dog. “Hydrogen peroxide is an essential part of a ‘skunk bath’ recipe: Mix 1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide, 1/3 cup of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid together,” Jennifer says. “Pour the mixture on a dry dog and then rub in. Allow to sit for a few minutes, then rinse. Repeat if necessary and follow up with a normal bath with regular doggy shampoo.”

Inducing Vomiting: Hydrogen peroxide for dogs can also help induce vomiting. “If your dog ate something naughty, your vet may recommend a dose for you to induce vomiting,” Jennifer advises.

Should you use hydrogen peroxide for dogs on their injuries?

Emmy award-winning veterinarian Dr. Jeff Werber confirms that hydrogen peroxide is safe for cleaning small wounds on your dog. However, he adds that there is no medically known benefit to using hydrogen peroxide for dogs instead of water and soap when cleaning out smaller, less-serious wounds.

Jenna Mahan, Director of Claims with Embrace Pet Insurance, also says to dilute hydrogen peroxide for dogs before use. “Hydrogen peroxide can be damaging to tissues and burn a little, so you may be better off using plain old saline, but if you do not have saline on hand, hydrogen peroxide can clean a wound quite well,” she says. Jennifer advises to dilute hydrogen peroxide for dogs with one-part water or one-part saline.

How to Clean Dog Ears with Hydrogen Peroxide

The jury is still out on whether or not hydrogen peroxide is good for treating ear infections and for keeping ears clean. But, for the most part, vets advise going with a solution specially designed for cleaning ears, rather than using a homemade hydrogen peroxide ear cleaner. If your dog has an ear problem, you need to take him to the vet. It might not be caused by what you think, and they will have the best solutions.

Some vets will tell you that hydrogen peroxide’s antibacterial qualities can help remove bacteria and it is relatively safe. But because the solution quickly degrades to water after bubbling, it can also provide a moist environment inside the ear that allows bad bacteria to flourish.

Hydrogen peroxide may soften, but does not dissolve waxes and oils. Also, it does not kill infections as well as alcohol does. Additionally, using too much or using hydrogen peroxide inappropriately can cause irritation to a dog’s skin.

Hydrogen peroxide for dogs does not kill dog ear mites. Your best bet is to go to your vet and get medication specifically designed to treat your dog for ear mites. If it looks like your dog may have an infection, you should see a vet for advice on what to use, and to make sure the ear infection isn’t a sign of something more serious.

Hydrogen Peroxide – Should it be Used For Dogs? Cats? | A Veterinarian Explains!

Hydrogen peroxide is a common disinfectant found in most homes. It generally comes in a square, brown bottle, and you likely remember the white foam it creates when cleaning a cut or scrape from childhood. It stings! Hydrogen peroxide is also a whitening agent, making it good for teeth whitening and laundry whites. Even though hydrogen peroxide is generally safe for people and a common household item, you likely know how important it is to do your research on human remedies before using them on your dog. So if you’ve ever wondered, “can you use hydrogen peroxide on dogs?”, in this article, we’ll discuss the common uses of hydrogen peroxide to treat dogs, and whether or not they are safe.