Does Your Dog Stink?

Common Causes of Smelly Dogs

Healthy, bathed and well-fed dogs smell pleasant. They don’t have an offensive odor. Even when wet, dogs should have no odor. However, if your dog stinks, it’s time to put on your detective hat and find out why your dog smells.

Plaque Buildup

Look in your dog’s mouth. If you’re not brushing your dog’s teeth, this could be a source of foul odor. Plaque builds up on your dog’s teeth and it completely covers the area with a putrid odor if not brushed in the early stages. When plaque builds up, gums become inflamed and infected, making the smell even worse. Also, broken or infected teeth will smell horrible. When in doubt, bring your dog to the vet for a complete checkup and dental.

Lip Fold Pyoderma

This happens when your dog’s lower lip folds horizontally onto itself, trapping moisture and food particles. It’s most common with loose-skinned or long-coated dogs, and it smells terrible. Unfortunately, there’s no permanent fix, but pulling the skin forward and washing the area with a medicated shampoo will prevent bacteria from growing and smelling.

I highly recommend washing your dog’s lip fold pyoderma twice a week if it isn’t infected. If the area is infected, consult with your vet and wash the area daily and pat dry. With moderate to severe cases of lip fold pyoderma, some dogs will scratch at the area and rub it along flooring and furniture, which causes further inflammation and bleeding.

Stinky Ears

Take a peek in both of your dog’s ears, and then give each of them a good sniff inside. Healthy ears should have no smell and the skin should look normal. Inflamed and infected ears can smell musty, sour or putrid, and usually have red, brown or black discharge. Plus, infected ears are extremely painful. If your dog pulls away, don’t forget the issue. Make an appointment with your veterinarian immediately. She can sedate your dog to examine and medicate his painful ears.

Skin & Coat

Run your hands along your dog’s coat, checking for any irritation. Look between each paw pad, at your dog’s neck, at his belly and at his genital area. Hot spots, which are moist lesions, can pop up quickly and they reek. Certain yeast skin infections have a musty smell like dirty socks. Plus, yeast and bacterial infections are usually accompanied by irritated skin, dark brown debris and sometimes itchiness. All dogs are different; so, when in doubt, ask your vet.

If your dog has dry, flaky skin and a distinct doggy odor, try feeding him a high quality diet. Similar to us, dogs are what they eat and some foods can cause a wet dog smell and lackluster coat.

Anal Glands

No one really talks about anal glands until her dog has an issue. Anal glands are located on both sides of your dog’s anus and contain foul-smelling liquid. Sometimes, when dogs are scared, they will express their anal glands. If you’ve ever experienced it, you know the smell very well. Examine your dog’s rear for any swelling, discharge or dried fecal matter. If something doesn’t look normal, schedule a vet appointment.

If your dog stinks, look for the reason. If you find nothing, schedule an appointment with your vet. It’s time to take your detective work a bit further.