Does your pooch let off an odour that is sometimes unbearable to be around? No matter how much you adore and cherish your little four legged friend, an overpowering stench is one thing that needs to change about them! Not only will fixing the problem allow for a more pleasant time, it could also have a positive effect on your pup???s health.
Getting rid of your pets smell should be a priority for any owner, no matter how much you can put up with it. There are many reasons why a dog can smell bad, with some of these reasons being health problems that need to be acted upon as soon as possible.
If you are constantly washing your dog and the smell still lingers, it may be due to something much more than them just spending too much time rolling around in the garden. Below Petplan will go through some of the key reasons why your pet may stink and ways that you can stop the smell.
Causes for doggy stench
Skin: if there is an odour similar to rotting fruit then the smell may be related to a skin disease. This can be in the form of allergic skin reactions or parasite infestations which can manifest in to bacterial and yeast infections ??? causing a serious stink. Assess whether this is common around a particular season to determine whether or not it may be allergy related.
Some skin conditions can be treated by a healthy meat-based diet with regular doggie supplements to correct ant system imbalances. Plenty of water can also aid in decreasing the smell as well as anti-fungal shampoo can help with smells relating to allergies.
Ears: a smell coming from the ears can be strongly linked to skin allergies; however it can also be a much more serious case leading to ear canal cancers. More often than not dogs with floppy ears with have some form of odour coming from their ears over their life.
If the smell continues you will need to flush out your dog???s ears ??? this can be done at home or by a vet. The first time should be done by a vet to determine if there are any other issues that may be causing the smell.
Gas: if your pet is constantly letting off farts that could clear a room, it may be something to do with a mild intolerance of one or more ingredients that you are feeding them. In saying this, it could also be related to a gastrointestinal condition that could be seen in dogs that are constantly gassy.
By correcting your dog???s diet you will either stop them from continuously farting or find out that food is not the cause, leading to a vet check to determine the problem.
Anal glands: pets who suffer from anal sac problems can cause a serious stink. They???re prone to leak liquid from the anal glands on to their fur which will therefore be more prominent and stay around for a lot longer.
The best prevention for anal sac infections is an increased amount of exercise and a healthy diet. However if there is already a foul odour you may need to get the vet to drain the anal sacs.
Bad Breath: although many cases are linked to bad teeth or gum diseases, bad breath can also be related to oral tumours, stomach gases or the effects of kidney disease. Dogs need to have their teeth cared for all the time with teeth cleaning or a change of diet to more teeth friendly meals. If the smell is increasingly worse, take your pet to the vet for a check-up for a more serious problem.
Whatever the cause for the bad smell, there is usually a solution that can be found once a little bit of detective work is done to find the problem areas. Treatment can be anything from daily bathing and diet change to surgery for the more serious conditions. It is important to act early with bad smells as you never know the cause of the odour and it may be too late.
