Doggy odours: how to deal with them

BUBBLE BATH: Should help remove doggy odour.

IF your dog has doggy odour there could be many causes and there are many solutions.

It can be caused by the dog rolling in decomposing organic material. It’s a favourite fragrance of most dogs, and is usually cured by a good bath.

Odour might be due to excessive skin oil. Usually shampoo will get rid of this and strip it out. Some dogs require weekly baths and in between you can use dry shampoo.

Cover up the smell with colognes for dogs (never use human cologne) most vets  stock ‘Desodorante para perros,’ there’s also one for cats.

A change in diet could be in order. The food you’re using could result in excess oil in the skin and coat. Try a food with a lower fat content or foods containing Yucca schideriga extract. This extract from the yukka plant results in stools and urine which is less smelly, Eagle is one brand.

Better nutrition in general may help. If buying cheap food from a supermarket try feeding a better quality food, such as a Super Premium like Hills Science Diet or Euakanuba (Eams) Purina or Pedigree. An addition of vitamins and minerals and particularly biotin has been found to help.

Excessive body odour could be a sign of illness. Offensive odour is a sign of cancer, seborrhea, mange and a variety of other diseases. Have the vet check your dog thoroughly.

Yeast and other infections in the ears are common and cause odour, so seek experienced help.  Mange is quite nasty smelling, and if your dog smells in the hindquarters, it could be a problem with hair matted around the rectum, or with the anal sacs.

The anal sacs are located to the left and right of the anus and produce a sour or rancid-smelling, watery secretion that’s brownish in colour. They usually empty when your dog poops, sometimes in an explosive way if the dog is frightened or stressed. Sometimes they don’t empty and you or your vet must do this. The clue is when you see your dog ‘scooting’ along the floor, dragging his rear on the ground.

Offensive mouth odours could be due to gingivitis or periodontal (gum) disease. This also requires treatment from your vet. It can also be a sign of corprophagy (stool eating) as some dogs eat their own stools to conserve enzymes which are in short supply. Other dogs will eat horse manure, cow manure and dog and cat feces, because they taste good to your dog.

Some doggy odour is natural but if it’s bad have a chat with your vet.

Author badge placeholder
Written by

Euro Weekly News Media

Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

Comments