Animology Derma Dog Shampoo

This is the sensitive-skin one in Animology's professional range, and the difference from their general shampoo is the formulation rather than the size: Derma Dog is built as a mild shampoo for sensitive skin, to clean, deodorise and condition without being harsh about any of it.

Like the rest of the 5 litre range it is a concentrate at 20:1, so the bottle makes 105 litres of shampoo once diluted — which is what makes a professional-sized bottle the cheapest way to buy shampoo per wash rather than an extravagance. There is a conditioner built in along with Pro-Vitamin B5, the cleaning action lifts dirt and odour without stripping the coat of its essential oils, and the easy-rinse formulation is there to cut the time spent rinsing, which on a thick coat is most of the job.

• 5 litre bottle, concentrated 20:1
• Makes 105 litres of shampoo once diluted
• Formulated for sensitive skin
• Built-in conditioner and Pro-Vitamin B5
• All coat and skin types
• Suitable for dogs from 6 weeks old

Sensitive skin is a formulation, not a treatment. Derma Dog is milder than a general shampoo and that is genuinely useful for a dog whose skin reacts to washing — but a dog with red, flaking, weeping or persistently itchy skin has something going on that a gentler shampoo will not resolve, and washing more often usually makes it worse rather than better. Get the skin looked at. And dilute it properly: at 20:1 this is far stronger neat than any dog's skin needs.

Who it's for: groomers and multi-dog households washing dogs with reactive skin, and anyone whose dog comes up sore after an ordinary shampoo.