Big Paws Only Dog Forums
BPO Medical Forum => Treatment & Preventative Meds => : Binky February 07, 2007, 01:04:22 PM
-
My mother mentioned that she heard an ad on the radio about something you add to food or water to deoderize dogs? She wasn't too clear on what is was or how it worked. Has anyone heard of such a thing? We just had McDougal's teeth cleaned today, so that should cut down on his odor, but he is just smelly in general. Even after he's been bathed, he's stinky! Any ideas?
-
I haven't heard of anything like that but now you have me curious! lol Hopefully someone here can help!
-
Ahh...the things they come up with eh? That sounds as stupid and as scary as Febreeze.....y ou can't spray on sanitation but people fall for it. It is like putting perfume on a pig...doesn't work.
A stinky dog is the result of what is on the inside. Poor diet is the number one cause and poor digestion is the second. If a dog has perpetual bad breath, it may be that food is not being properly digested, and therefore bacteria manifests in the gut. In these cases, digestion needs to be improved and usually it resolves. Digestive enzymes are a big help and I recommend these be provided any time kibble is being fed - the system can always use help in digesting highly processed food. Probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria, are also highly useful to help break things down and manage the bad bacteria causing the odor.
Also, make sure you are not feeding a low quality kibble to begin with - an extruded or baked food is better on the system than a highly processed food. Top quality kibbles are listed over in the food forum from Whole Dog Journal.
Dental health probably ranks third for breath - but you just had those cleaned and if dental health is generally maintained, this would only be problem if there was an abcess or problem in the mouth.
-
Thanks everyone. I agree with the smell coming from the inside out. We have changed his diet as he was having some food related allergies, but he still is smelly. I will definitely look into some of these remedies.
-
Sometimes a smelly dog is the sign of an infection. My Samoyed is allergic to flea saliva. If he gets bitten once, he begins stinking and losing hair. I keep him on Frontline and I keep my yard doctored, as fleas and ticks are bad here.
Also, due to the heat and humidity here, he frequently suffers from yeast infections on his skin. My vet recommended daily yogurt. He said most dogs love the strawberry/banana kind, and of course Sam does, I've discovered. I figure the yogurt helps in so many ways and Sam considers it a special treat. Perhaps this is a dietary supplement option for your dog.
But speak to your vet about the smell. Different "stinks" can tell a vet the real problem, whereas we're all just guessing. Sam smells different with a flea bite infection than he does with a yeast infection, and the treatment options are different.