Pet wipes, compared by what's on the label

Read the label first

Marketing copy tells you little, so we start from the label. Every fact here comes from a maker's page or the pack, or, for a few products whose maker page we couldn't read, from retailer listings, which we flag. When the maker doesn't say, we write "not stated" and leave the gap alone. We haven't tested a single wipe, and there are no prices, because they change daily. No brand pays for a ranking. Amazon pays us only when a reader buys through a link (see the affiliate disclosure), and our method is on how we research.

Start with safety

Pets lick what a wipe leaves behind, so the safety rules come before the product picks. The pet wipe safety hub has the short version: no disinfecting wipes, no dog wipe on a cat unless the pack says cats, nothing deep in the ear and nothing on the eyeball.

The detail sits in five guides. Baby wipes on dogs covers which human-wipe ingredients cause trouble. Dog wipes and cats explains why cats react differently and what to look for on the label. Chlorhexidine wipes covers the medicated antiseptic and when to ask a vet. Cleaning dog paws has steps for mud, road salt and hot pavement. Pet wipe ingredients is the plain-language label reader.

Pick a wipe

For a general dog wipe, start with best dog wipes, which sets sheet size, scent and ingredients side by side. Cats get their own page, best cat wipes, because many dog products are not labeled for cats. For a young dog, see puppy wipes, where the question is which makers state a minimum age.

Muddy dog? Go to paw wipes. Itchy ears or tear stains? Read ear wipes and eye wipes before buying anything medicated, because half the time the answer is a vet. Yeast-prone paws and skin folds are in wipes for yeast, smell is in deodorizing wipes, and sensitive skin is in hypoallergenic wipes, including what that word does and doesn't promise.

More entry points: dog butt wipes for rear-end clean-up, biodegradable dog wipes for what makers state about packaging and breakdown, dog dental wipes for teeth and gums, and cat ear and eye wipes for the cat versions of those two jobs.

Already have a brand in mind?

Four label reviews read each brand's ingredients and note what the maker leaves out: Earth Rated (unscented and lavender), Pogi's (seven ingredients), Burt's Bees (dog, puppy, cat and eye-ear wipes) and Petkin (Natural and Oatmeal). To see many makers on one page, use dog wipe brands compared. For a head-to-head, see Earth Rated vs Pogi's.

Not sure where to start?

The Wipe Finder filters our product data by pet, body part and concern. It hides any wipe where the maker didn't say, on purpose: a blank is not a yes.

Nothing here is veterinary advice, and no page has been reviewed by a veterinarian. For red, painful, swollen or discharging skin, eyes or ears, see a vet.