Why Does My Dog Stink?


Dogs and "smell" seem to go hand in hand, but when is your dog's smell so pungent and bad that it borders on abnormal? First, let's explain that dogs do not sweat like humans through their skin. Most of the perspiration happens through their paws. There is a tiny bit of perspiration that happens through their hair follicles, but it's limited. The main way dogs regulate their body temperature is through panting. Which is why you should avoid taking your dog on major hikes on hot, hot days! All healthy dogs may smell the same to us humans, but in fact, each dog has it's own individual smell. A dog produces it's individual scent by secreting oil through it's skin, hair and glands. So yes, your dog when healthy, will  have it's own "dog smell". But if the smell is SO BAD it borders on something died, you may want to seek out what could be causing it.

  1. Something in fact did die and your dog rolled in it. This is the most obvious conclusion. Dogs are notorious for rolling in things that don't smell good! If this happens, you will need to bath your dog and hope for the best. 
  2. Allergies often manifest as problems with the skin. Allergies are not something that can simply be ignored and do take some diligence on finding out the source of the allergy. If ignored, the skin will begin to thicken from inflammation, secondary inflammation will occur and the skin will start producing excess secretions of oil and water. Simply bathing your dog does not help. You may make the problem worse by over-bathing your dog. You need to find the root cause of the allergy and that may take a veterinarian. 
  3. Seborrhea. I am not going to go into great detail on seborrhea, because that could be a whole blog post in itself. In Layman's Terms, Seborrhea is excessive scaling and flaking of the skin. Your dog's skin could be dry and flaky or oily and greasy. There are two forms of seborrhea, primary and secondary. Primary seborrhea can be breed specific and start at an early age with no underlying disease. Secondary seborrhea is caused by an underlying problem: disease, hormonal changes, allergies, infections, poor diet, obesity, environmental factors, ect. If you suspect your dog has seborrhea, it's best to get a Vet for help in determining the cause.
  4. Yeast has a very distinct smell. It is often compared to corn chips and manifests in the paws and ears. You will also see your dog excessively scooting around on their butt. If you suspect  the smell is yeast, the first thing you should do is examine what kind of food your dog is eating. Is it high in carbs? Yeast thrives on carbs. You will also need to clean the paws, ears and have your dog's scent glands cleaned regularly until the yeast is cleared up. If it persists, it may be time to visit a vet. 
  5. Infected ears. Is your dog scratching it's ears and shaking it's head a lot? Chances are, Fido has an ear infection. It could be bacterial. If so, you will need to clean your dog's ears until the infection is cleared. Sometimes, medicated ear ointment from your vet is needed. 
  6. Flatulence. Of course this will make your dog stink! This will make the whole room stink! If your dog has bad flatulence, chances are that it is dietary or there is an intestinal problem going on. First thing comes first, change to a higher quality diet. 
  7. Bad Breath is most of the time caused by built up odor producing bacteria in the mouth that can be caused by tartar or something like an abscess. Sometimes it can also stem from an underlying problem in the gastrointestinal tract, liver or kidneys. The first thing to examine is whether or not you are giving your dog adequate dental care through regular cleanings. If not, it may be time to start! If you are on par with the cleanings, it may be time to have a Veterinarian examine your dog for an underlying problem. 
For more information on stinky dogs, please visit these sites:

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