Dawn dish soap IS useful for removing oil from the fur and feathers of wildlife but is not recommended for use on pets for flea control.
Why?
Dish soap is harsh and does not support the skin PH of your pet. So while using any dish soap will work, why would you subject your pet to a harsher product than needed?
Using Dawn dish detergent (or any other brand of dish soap) will dry out your pet’s skin and coat.
The truth is that you can use a pet oatmeal shampoo and conditioner to kill fleas and provide relief to the itchy skin of your pet.
The advantage is that a pet oatmeal shampoo and conditioner is formulated specifically for the PH of your pet and is non-toxic. It soothes the irritation.
In fact, to use oatmeal pet shampoo for successful flea control, just suds it in and leave it on for 15 minutes.
The way it works is by breaking down the external covering of the flea which normally protects the flea from drowning. When applied and left on, the waterproof covering breaks down–and the fleas drown.
So, the big secret is that you don’t actually need to use flea shampoo either AND you also don’t need to use a harsh product (like dish soap) on your pet to achieve the same results.
One of the reasons people are confused on this issue is because Dawn has long be used on wildlife victims of oil spills. Rescuers found that Dawn was a good option to remove the substance from oiled feathers and fur.
Proctor & Gamble has actually been promoting a Dawn campaign that fund-raises for wildlife–which people have taken to mean that it is okay to use on pets.
I asked P&G about people using Dawn for flea control and the reply was, “We have not tested the Dawn product on the removal of fleas. We know many consumers use our products for different purposes. However, we have not done the technical testing to prove this is safe or effective.”
So there is the answer and just remember that most savvy pet professionals recommend a pet oatmeal shampoo and conditioner for gentle and effective pet flea control issues.
