What you can do about your smelly dog
25.6.2019
Translation: machine translated
"It's a dog, it just smells like that." No, it doesn't. Animal odour is okay, anything more than that is not. Because odour has its reasons. Fortunately, there are solutions.
Smells are part of life. Within seconds, they take us back to past moments, make us smile, but also make us turn up our noses. Foul-smelling dogs probably fall into the latter category for most people. You don't just have to put up with the stench. Just like with us humans, something can be done about it with dogs too.
There are reasons for bad odours. Dogs don't stink per se. Sure, they smell like a dog and not like an Axe testimonial. Even that can be too much for some people. But if your four-legged friend keeps even the biggest animal lover at arm's length, you should start looking for clues.
Oral hygiene
Yes, oral hygiene also makes sense for your four-legged friend. After all, food residues that get stuck in their mouth will eventually make them stink. That's why you should regularly check your dog's lips and brush their teeth. Brushing the outside of the teeth for 30 seconds is enough. If the bad breath persists over a longer period of time, gum inflammation may be to blame. Then it's time for the vet.
Food
We only gave our dog Jana crushed grain with water at the beginning. That's what the breeder told us to do. At some point, the work became too tedious for us and we gradually got Jana used to dry food. The result: less work, but also more odour. This levelled off over time, probably due to the hard change. However, if your dog smells more over a longer period of time, this can either be an indication of poor quality food or intolerances. These cause flatulence (commonly known as bloating), which rarely smells good.
Infection
Does your dog smell unpleasant from its ears? This could be a sign of bacteria. Especially if he scratches his ears frequently. Then it's time for you to go to the vet. Because ear infections can easily become chronic. That's what happened to Jana. From then on, regular ear care was on the programme.
Wetness
I think we can all agree that a wet dog is no fun for our delicate little noses. The only thing that helps is good drying. Keep a towel by the front door. That way, you can towel your four-legged friend properly before he steps into the house. Otherwise, he'll do the job himself - on your upholstered furniture.
Age
Older dogs have a stronger odour because their skin barrier becomes weaker. In plain language, this means that protection decreases and bacteria and yeasts multiply more easily on the skin. This leads to a bad odour. Bad breath is also much more common in older people. In many cases, you simply have to live with this, which should be manageable after all those years of loyalty.
Fur cleaning
The more often you wash your hair, the quicker it gets greasy. This rule of thumb also applies to dogs. Regular shampooing really gets the sebaceous glands going. It is better to rinse with clear water. Or use a disinfectant shampoo that kills bacteria. Long-haired dogs such as golden retrievers, shepherds or huskies should be combed out, especially in summer. This is because dead undercoat lies directly on their skin and prevents sufficient ventilation.
Most of the reasons for smelly dogs are relatively easy to solve - as long as you know what to look for. If you're looking for my "follow author" button, that's the black rectangle next to my name. <p
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
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