How often do you guys bath your long-haired chihuahuas? Is there anything that should be done differently than with smoothcoats? I bath JJ, my smoothcoat, as often as needed, which tends not to be super-often since he mostly hangs out indoors during the winter, and usually smells good.
I rescued Monty, a longcoat, a little while back, and since he had two casts on bathing was out of the question. Now he's out of the casts and looking a bit scraggly. Any and all advice is welcome.

I use Zodiac Oatmeal Shampoo plus a conditioner on all 3 of my long hair chis. Usually about once a month. Brush them frequently and every once in a while I give all 3 some scrambled eggs to keep their coat and skin healthy. If you have knots to deal with a small razor grooming comb or clippers will gently remove them.

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I never knew you could give chi's scrambled egg

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I take my long-coat to a groomer every 4-6 weeks in warmer weather. However, around winter time (Nov-Jan) I don't bathe him as often unless he runs around in mud or gets dirty.. I do trim the area around his paws and bum though about every other week. His coat remains very shiny, soft, and smooth. Brushing it out also helps with that.

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--Brittney & Cody

I use French shampoo with Cade oil, it is AMAZING!
I have tried many shampoos and this is by far the best.

Chanel gets her belly and paws rinsed with warm water after each walk,
which is 4 times per day. It is filthy outside, we live in a busy city and
the winter's slush, mud, snow and salt mix are just horrible. As for actual
bathing, she gets a proper bath whenever needed, I rather not bathe her
often, so she doesn't lose the natural oils on her skin, so only when needed.

I do brush her daily, and trim her paws & butt every two weeks.

The one thing I do different with Chanel is I brush her well prior to her bath,
in order to get out possible tangles or matts. Oh and I also trim the hair inside
her ears to help prevent infection. I think that's about it...

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Wow, so many great suggestions! Thank you guys so much. I do brush Monty often, which he enjoys and it fluffs him up. I think I'll try bathing him soon.

LS, is it a particular type of French shampoo? Or is that the commercial name? Thank you for the tip on brushing him prior to bathing. I would not have thought of it, but it sounds like a good idea.

Here is exactly what the bottle says...

Viry-Dog
France

Shampoo
Cade
Concentrated Formula


Not sure where you can get it from, I bought many bottles at a dog show last
year and the year before. I will be going back to the show this year just so I
could buy some more. If you can not find it I would just look into shampoos with
Cade oil in them, something natural with very few ingredients. It is especially
great for dogs with sensitive or irritated skin, dermatitis or eczema. I found it
because Benji had skin issues in the past, but now I use it on all my dogs.

Cade oil is even used in human shampoos for hair loss, dandruff, hair weakened by dyeing and bleaching, and skin eruptions, etc.

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Wow I feel like I've been neglecting Gigi. She never smells and I just bathe her to refresh her coat. I bathe her every few months. I've had her almost a year and bathe her just 3 times. None of those times did she smell.