Whether you just need to wipe down your dog’s dirty paws or want to give their coat a refresh in between baths, dog grooming wipes are a convenient solution.
The best dog grooming wipes are ideal for pups with oily coats and can help keep your pup odor-free between full grooms. If your dog has allergies, wiping them down with a wipe can help remove allergens from their coat as well.
Read on for how to choose the best dog grooming wipes for your pooch.
Traits We Want in the Best Dog Grooming Wipes
Ingredients: Look for ingredients that are gentle on the skin. Opt for wipes that are PH-balanced for your dog’s skin, and avoid using wipes designed for humans, cats, or other species. Avoid options with soaps, sulphates, and parabens. Note that alcohols (like propylene glycol) may dry out some dogs’ coats.
Natural ingredients like aloe and oats can help soothe dry, irritated skin. Ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are antimicrobial and antibacterial.
Some ingredients (especially those in medicated wipes) may only be suitable for adult dogs, so check the labels on your wipes before using them on young puppies and talk to your vet about suitability.
Durability: Wipes that shred to pieces during use are no help, so choose for a wipe that’s durable enough to withstand firm wiping.
Scent: Dogs are more sensitive to scents than humans are, so unscented or lightly-scented wipes are best.
The Best Dog Grooming Wipes
| Whole Dog Journal Rating | Product | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
  | Earth Rated Thick Hypoallergenic Dog Grooming Wipes | $10 | These gentle, unscented wipes are made with hypoallergenic ingredients that help moisturize your dog’s skin and coat. |
 | Furbliss Refreshing Scent Dog & Cate Grooming Wipes | $13 | The Furbliss Refreshing Dog Wipes made my dog’s oily coat feel soft and clean, but they contain an alcohol ingredient that may be drying for dogs with sensitive skin. |
| Douxo S3 Pyo Pads | $19 | For everything from minor skin irritation to hot spots, these Duoxo antiseptic and antifungal wipes are commonly vet-recommended—and are easier to use than over-the-counter medicated shampoos. |
| Earth Rated Pet Ear Wipes | $12 | These pleasantly oat-scented wipes did a great job of cleaning out my dogs’ ears and didn’t rip during testing. |
| Vet's Best Ear Relief Finger Wipes | $18 | These finger wipes are an innovative design to get in the small crevices of your dog’s ears but the shape may encourage pet owners to clean the inside of the ears instead of just the exterior. |
| Earth Rated Pet Eye Wipes | $12 | Though they’re made with gentle ingredients and are unscented, during testing, these wipes were too sudsy to comfortably use to wipe away eye crusties. |
Best Dog Grooming Wipes: Earth Rated Thick Hypoallergenic Dog Grooming Wipes
The Earth Rated Thick Hypoallergenic Dog Grooming Wipes are gentle and are completely unscented (though they also come in white tea & basil and lavender scents). Soothing ingredients like aloe, shea butter, chamomile, and cucumber help moisturize skin and coats and leave them feeling soft.
My only qualm about these wipes is that because they contain moisturizing ingredients, they leave a bit of residue on your hands and on some dogs’ coats (especially on short-coated dogs with very oily coats).
This is a good option for dogs with skin folds, like Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs, who need regular wiping to prevent dirt buildup and infection. Earth Rated wipes are also a good option for regularly wiping down muddy paws. They won’t dry out your dog’s paw pads and are durable and textured to help get mud and other debris off your pup’s feet.
Since they’re made of plant-based cellulose fibers, these wipes may be compostable at some composting facilities based on their guidelines.
Runner Up Best Dog Grooming Wipes: Furbliss Refreshing Scent Dog Grooming Wipes
The Furbliss Refreshing Scent Dog Grooming Wipes have a light fresh scent that smells like clean laundry. I have a dog with a coat that gets quite oily in between baths and these wipes helped her coat feel less greasy. They also leave slightly less residue on your hands after use than the Earth Rated wipes.
However, this option does contain an alcohol ingredient (propylene glycol), which can dry your dog’s skin out with frequent use—especially on dogs with sensitive skin or allergies.
Best Medicated Dog Grooming Wipes: Douxo S3 Pyo Pads
When my Collie got a hot spot on her tail, my vet recommended the Duoxo S3 shampoo and pads to keep the hot spot clean. I found the Douxo S3 Pyo Pads much easier to use on a regular basis since I didn’t have to put my dog in the bath every time I wanted to clean her hot spot. After about five days of regular use, my Collie’s hot spot had drastically decreased in size and irritation thanks in part to the use of these wipes.
The Duoxo S3 Pyo Pads work best for small areas of minor skin irritation, itching, and hot spots. For dogs with large areas of irritation, a medicated shampoo or mousse may be better suited since they can be more evenly distributed.
These wipes contain Chlorhexidine and Ophytrium and are both antiseptic and antifungal. During testing, I found that they weren’t overly drying (they actually seemed to help moisturize my dog’s skin) and had a pleasant vanilla-like scent.
Though this is an over-the-counter product, always consult with your vet before using any product on a dog with sensitive or itchy skin.
Best Dog Grooming Wipes for Ears: Earth Rated Pet Ear Wipes
The Earth Rated Pet Ear Wipes come in a pleasant wild oat scent that isn’t too strong. These wipes are quite big, which is helpful for larger dogs with big, floppy ears, like the hound breeds. The large size allows you to move the wipe around to a clean spot as needed. However, they may be a bit too large for small- and toy-sized dogs.
During testing, these wipes did a great job at clearing dirt and wax buildup in my dog’s ears and removed more gunk and grime than the Vet’s Best Ear Relief Finger Wipes. They’re made with gentle, hypoallergenic ingredients, like aloe and chamomile, that can help soothe your dog’s skin.
The wipes themselves are quite durable and, as an added bonus for eco-conscious pet parents, they’re made of plant-based cellulose fibers.
We Also Tested
Vet’s Best Ear Relief Finger Wipes
The finger cover design of the Vet’s Best Ear Relief Finger Wipes is handy for getting into small crevices in your dogs ears and is especially helpful for toy-sized dogs. However, there is alcohol in these wipes which may be drying for some dogs’ skin. The finger wipe design may also encourage pet parents to clean the inside of their dog’s ear canals, which isn’t recommended.
Earth Rated Pet Eye Wipes
The Earth Rated Pet Eye Wipes are meant to help wipe away discharge, crust, and tear stains from your dog’s eyes. However, they were very sudsy and tended to get suds too close to my dogs’ eyes for comfort during testing. I also wish they wiped away dried-on eye discharge a little bit more effectively.
