Smelly dog

[dixie_belle]

We have this big dog. She's a little of this, and a little of that. But most of what she is is stinky. Now that's not to say we don't give her a bath. We bathe her all the time. And she's an inside dog, too. So she's not outside rolling in something dead. It's just her natural smell. It's rather hard to describe.....sorta like a dirty penny? Today, for the umpteenth time, I gave her a bath and this time, instead of the dog shampoo, I used dish detergent. And then I rinsed her in warm water with vinegar in it. I figure vinegar is a natural deodorizer. Then I took her on the front porch, in the sun, and brushed her until she was dry. So now what does she smell like? Ready????....

a dirty penny salad. Sigh. I just can't win. I've tried the doggie deodorant sprays and they don't work either. We are going to try a new dog food, one with chicken as the first ingredient. Maybe it's the food making her smell? I swear, I just don't get it. And our other dog, my little Chihuahua smells great, so go figure. We'll see what she smells like after this vinegar rinse has time to set in.

 

[chandab]

It could be the food going through her.
I know she didn't get sprayed by a skunk, but I wonder if the home-remedy de-skunker bath would work for her. I think it was just baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, but will see if I can find the recipe in my files... Ok, so its a quart of peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda and a bit of dish soap; mix together with water just before bathing. I just used the peroxide and baking soda when my dog got skunked and it worked pretty good; I didn't premix, just wetted her down, rubbed in the baking soda and then poured on the peroxide. Here's a link to the HSUS webpage that shows the recipe: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/de-skunking_dog.html

 

[shorthorsemom]

First make sure her anal glands are empty. Your vet can check. If impacted your dog might be scooting or licking and making the stink get on the hair. Anal gland stink is awful. I would also check teeth and ears and skin too. What breed is your dog? There are only a few breeds I can think of that have an off odor. Most other dogs have a medical reason for un natural stink.
I never recommend using dish detergent. It will strip out natural oils and in addition it will strip out flea treatments like frontline.
What food are you feeding? Probably isn't the food but I am just curious.

sorry, typing fast here on a kindle... trying to give you some ideas to go after

 

[Marty]

My German Shepherd Tracey stunk. Every day, all day to no avail. There was nothing I didn't bath her in and she still stunk. She made my house stink. No one wanted to pet her because the smell would get on your hands. When she would rub up against someone they had to change their clothing. We got stuff from the vet, changed feeds, you name it and nothing. Finally a few years later I spoke to her breeder and all her siblings from that litter had the same problem. It was an auto immune problem. Nothing topical would touch this. It all had to come from within.

 

[dixie_belle]

I actually think it is just her natural smell. I've noticed my horses all have different smells (OMG how weird is it that I know my horses by their smell? I gotta get a life). I've done some research and it seems like the dogs with the most water repellant hair sometimes have an odor. I'm not real sure what Katie is. She's just this big, goofy dog. Doesn't have a single brain cell, but is so very sweet.

I've attached a picture of most of her when she photo-bombed my quilt picture taking session.

 

[shorthorsemom]

you cut her head off in the photo. LOL. From the bottom half she looks like might even have st Bernard or collie in her (bottom half wise) but not enough dog in the photobomb for me to guess breeds. Her mouth and nose almost looks Anatolian. Your quilt is gorgeous by the way.

How old is she?

How often does she get brushed to the skin to remove all the undercoat?

Have you checked her teeth.

do you feed a high quality dog food.

Has she ever had anal gland issues.

where does she enjoy laying? Is her bed down area clean?

A good weekly brushing to the skin will stimulate the oils and help bring on a healthy fresh coat.

best wishes.

Really after looking at her "type" I would still be searching for a reason behind the stink.

 

[jyuukai]

I used to watch a sweet dog that stunk to high heaven. He turned out to have a skin condition hidden by his fur. They had to keep him clipped and on medication, plus weekly medicated baths.

 

[Carolyn R]

Y'ep all great suggestions. Some oily coated dogs don't need foods with excessive omegas and oils, sometimes food allergy issues, anal glands and ears are huge smell factors. We had a lab with ear issues and skin issues, much of the skin problems subsided with changing to a better food, the ears, they required antibiotics and constant cleaning and drops.