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- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
For some dogs, a regular bath and brush can help to keep a coat under control. But if the remnants of your dog’s coat are appearing in tumbleweeds across your hardwood floors in between grooming sessions, you may want to up your game with a deshedding shampoo.
To find out what deshedding shampoos have to offer, we spoke with Katlin Primrose, a cooperative-care and fear-free groomer who runs the Primpaws Grooming Academy and has her own salon—which sees lots of super shedders.
Katlin tells us that high-quality deshedding formulas will use healthy oils that coat the shaft of the hair, which smooths the coat and allows the dead hairs to fall off. As for ingredients, she uses the adage less is more. Avoid long lists of ingredients, especially artificial fragrances that could irritate your dog’s skin. And if a product doesn’t list ingredients or claims that the recipe is proprietary, stay away!
Want to try a deshedding shampoo but not sure where to start? Hop down to our explainer on how to use deshedding shampoos, or browse the list of our favorites, curated with Katlin’s help.
Best for All-Around Shed Control: FURminator Ultra Premium DeShedding Shampoo
FURminator products are well-known for helping pet parents tackle excessive shedding. This shampoo checks several of Katlin’s boxes, specifically including Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to strengthen hair follicles
The FURminator Ultra Premium DeShedding shampoo is designed to reduce excess shedding while strengthening and nourishing your dog’s skin and coat. In addition to being formulated without parabens and dyes, this shampoo is also anti-odor and can reduce the “wet dog” smell that often follows bath time.
The manufacturer recommends using this product as part of a suite of grooming aids, including FURminator deshedding conditioner and a deshedding tool.
Key Features:
- Paraben- and dye-free
- Anti-odor formula reduces wet dog smell
- Strengthens and nourishes your dog’s skin and coat
Best Scent: TropiClean Lime and Coconut DeShedding Shampoo
The TropiClean Lime and Coconut DeShedding Shampoo helps to control unwanted shedding while exfoliating and soothing your dog’s skin. It features a pleasant tropical scent and helps to mask the wet dog smell post-bath time. The formula is cruelty-free and includes natural vitamin E.
Like many shampoos recommended by expert groomers, this shampoo is free from parabens, dye, and soap, leaving your dog’s coat silky. This formula is best for dogs 12 weeks and older.
Key Features:
- Paraben- and dye-free, and made cruelty-free
- Lime and coconut scent reduces wet dog smell
- Exfoliates and nourishes your dog’s skin
Best for Dogs with Allergies: Wahl Shed Control Pet Shampoo for Dog Shedding and Dander
Katlin highly recommends Wahl grooming products for their quality and effectiveness. The Wahl Shed Control Shampoo reduces both shedding and dander—an important consideration, since keeping your dog’s coat and skin healthy can lead to significantly less shedding.
Like most Wahl shampoos, this formula creates a big lather but rinses away clean. This means that only a small amount to shampoo goes a long way (and according to Katlin, less is more when it comes to shampoo and conditioner). This pH-balanced formula was designed for dogs with allergies and sensitive skin. It is free from many ingredients that can irritate skin, such as parabens, alcohol, and PEG-80.
Key Features:
- Reduces shedding and dander
- Big lather
- pH balanced for sensitive skin
- Free from parabens, alcohol, and PEG-80
Best Shampoo Bar: Keleb’s Undercoat Control DeShedding Shampoo Bar
If you’re looking for a bar-based cleanser, Keleb’s Undercoat Control Deshedding Shampoo bar is a popular pick. It’s formulated to reduce the amount of loose undercoat hair on dogs and contains natural oils to loosen and remove dead hair. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids promote healthy skin and strong follicles while increasing moisture and elasticity in the skin.
This formula also includes shea butter and coconut oil to relieve irritated skin and help prevent hot spots. If you’re not sure about a shampoo bar, don’t despair—this product produces a lather easily, and some pet parents find it tidier than liquid soaps. We also like that these bars are ultra concentrated and will last longer than traditional shampoos if stored appropriately.
Key Features:
- Includes Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to promote healthy skin
- Bars are long-lasting
- Helps to keep skin moisturized and follicles strong
- Good for controlling undercoats
Best for Double Coats: TropiClean Perfect Fur Dog Shampoo for Double Coats
TropiClean Perfect Fur Shampoo for Double Coats is a popular option for dogs with undercoats, like Huskies, Pomeranians, and German Shepherds. Moisturizing and detangling shampoo ingredients—including potato protein, sweet potato extract, vitamin E, and coconut oil—boost softness and strengthen your dog’s coat while also helping loose fur work its way out.
This shampoo has a pleasant citrus scent and is formulated to help your dog’s coat to dry quickly (though we still like a blow dryer for dogs with thick double coats).
Key Features:
- Designed for use on dogs with double coats
- Uses natural ingredients to boost softness
- Strengthens follicles to decrease shedding
Best for Exfoliating: Shed-X Shed Control Shampoo
This formula is almost entirely natural ingredients and oils, which are good for keeping hair strong and removing excess and dead hair. Shed-X Shed Control Shampoo is made from oatmeal and wheat protein, vitamins A, D, and E, and flaxseed and grapeseed oils—all of which help to gently cleanse and exfoliate your dog’s skin, releasing dead and excess hair to reduce overall shedding post-bath.
Like many other deshedding shampoos, this formula includes Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and leave your dog’s fur shiny and silky. For best results, the manufacturer recommends creating a lather and allowing this to sit on your dog for several minutes before rinsing. It is gentle enough for frequent use.
Key Features:
- Made from natural ingredients with natural exfoliants to remove loose and dead hair
- Uses Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to promote healthy skin
- Gentle enough for frequent use
Best for Odor Control: Arm & Hammer Ultra Fresh Shed Control Dog Shampoo
Arm & Hammer Ultra Fresh Shed Control Dog Shampoo is a good option for pet parents looking to marry shed and odor control. This product has a fresh citrus scent and uses the Arm & Hammer baking soda formula to help get rid of strong pet smell, including “wet dog” odors. The deshedding formula works to remove loose fur and dander while strengthening hair follicles to reduce post-bath shedding. This product is also safe for use with topical treatments—it will not wash them away.
Key Features:
- Strong odor control
- Helps strengthen hair follicles to reduce post-bath shedding
- Safe for use with topical treatments
How Deshedding Shampoos Work
Deshedding shampoos typically work by using healthy oils rich in Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that coat the hair shaft, allowing the loose undercoat to slip off more easily during and immediately after a bath. Popular deshedding ingredients, per veterinarian Dr. Sabrina Kong, include natural moisturizers such as aloe vera, shea butter, and oatmeal.
Deshedding formulas offer the most benefit to double-coated breeds, especially during shedding seasons in the spring and fall.
To use a deshedding shampoo, take careful note of manufacturer instructions on the bottle. Many deshedding shampoos require pet parents to lather their pet and wait for several minutes before rinsing (we recommend a lick mat for pups who don’t like to stand around in the tub). To avoid leaving residue or causing skin irritation, make sure to thoroughly rinse your dog until no suds remain.
Katlin cautions pet parents that it can take 24 hours for the post-bath shedding to take place—and it can initially look like it hasn’t worked at all. “You will find your dog shedding excessively for 24 hours after their deshedding bath. This is totally normal. After a day or two their shedding will reduce significantly.”
Blow drying with a dog-safe blow dryer and grooming with a brush designed for double-coated breeds can expedite the process.
How We Chose
We selected the products featured here based on a combination of our own hands-on testing, a comprehensive look at customer reviews across a wide variety of retail platforms, and interviews with grooming experts. We prioritized natural and safe ingredients that were developed in cruelty-free environments. We’re also guided by the experience of living and playing alongside our own much-loved and strongly opinionated pets, who are never stingy with their feedback.