Stinky Dog

[lilbitsmom]

lol
i have a almost 4 month old shepherd mix and i am washing her with puppy shampoo... now i know they get stinky from playing and doing other puppy things, but she gets stinky so quick. in like 2 or 3 days she smells like...... well just a dog that hasnt been washed in about 3-4 weeks... i think she might be older since we got her from the animal shelter and they arent really sure. is there any brand or specific type of shampoo that you would recomend for extra stinky dogs?

Thanks in advance

[Blaze]

Does your dog roll in smelly odours or does she just naturally get that way?
If you're sure it's just her coat then I would suggest getting a shampoo from a grooming salon. They will know the best type for your dogs coat etc. If you are washing her regularly then I would use a mild shampoo so that you won’t dry out her coat. I use baby powder on my dog as well as shampoo but she's white so I'm not sure how that would work with a shepherd mix. You could also try a dog perfume specifically designed to disguise smells. If you think the smell could be a medical problem (ear infection, gum disease etc) then I would take her to your vet for a check up.

[lilbitsmom]

well shes usually inside but when she goes outside she doesnt step or sit on or close to dog poop and she doest roll on the ground. the most she will do is sit or lay down for a little or dig to try and get under the sides of the side walk. i wash her bed often too as it gets the stinky dog smell on it and also because i dont think id like to lay in my bed if i have been walking around outside barefoot (should i wash her bed?) i just think she is a genuinely stinky dog. i thought it might be since I live in Florida and its hot here, but i learned dogs dont sweat like we do... so thats why im kind of at a loss.

i dont know if this has anything to do with it but when i adopted her she had very small patches of hair missing on a couple of places. she had one on her forehead but it was small. about the size of... hmmm its small so its hard to describe but about this size 0 and also one on her tail. the hair has grown back and you cant notice that there was any hair missing and it might have been because of the condition she was in before i got her (she was a stray and was estimated to be about 8 weeks old)

[eXile]

Well I know that with labs they develop this "mold" in their skin that has a disgusting smell to it, im not sure if your dog has the same thing. When I first got my dog he had never been bathed before. It took me a while to get used to the way a dog smells. So that may be the issue here, your just not use to having a dog. What type of odur is it though? Is it a very stale odur?

[GretaJack]

Dogs have oil glands in their skin, just like humans do, It helps keep their skin healthy and their coats shiny. It could be related to what you feed her. It could be a skin condition that might need vet attention. It could also be that you might be bathing her too much. Every time you bathe a dog, you are removing their naturual oils from their coats. So the glands go into overdrive to produce enough oil to replace what was removed. When I worked for a groomer she refused to bathe a dog more than one a month, and she perferred 6 weeks. She would trim before that, just not bathe.

I don't bathe my dogs on a frequent basis. In fact I can't even remember the last time I bathed them. But I do have dog cologne that I use occaisonally but mostly I use baby wipes. I feel it they are good enough to clean a baby's butt, they should be great for my dogs. It just helps. Not as nice a a freshly bathed dog, but I figure if I am going through the effort to bathe one, I might as well do all three labs and that is just an all day project that guaruntees a sore back for the next couple of days.

[saluki-sue]

GretaJack is right it could be what you are feeding, I know that when I was feeding Iams my dogs stunck like fish all of the time. they eat Nutro now and don't smell like dogs unless they are wet now. but you live in FL and it is humid most of the time which my make she smell, has she been spayed yet if not a bitch comming in to heat can smell not so nice. but dogs do sweat from their feet and mouth, I think sweaty dog feet smell like Freedos. if my guys do smell I find a good brushing and a swim in the ocean help a lot. to much soap and water will give them dry itchy skin. I do how ever was my dog beds once a week they get gross if I leave them any longer. talk to your vet just in case to see what they have to say you can never be to safe.

good luck

[lilbitsmom]

hmm.. I am thinking of changing my dogs food because of that reason. someone told me that her coat and poop stink if she doesnt eat really good quality food. They also told me that since she was a stray that the "outdoor" smell she had will take a while to get rid of since she wasnt inside and bathed before i got her. i never thought of cleaning her with baby wipes either. i think shed like that more than baths. ehh... how old are dogs usually when they get in heat?
SHe is only 3 months... but i think she might be a bit older since she can hold her potty in for the whole night. and i thought for the most part dogs can only hold it in for about the same age they are like 1 month 1 hour 2 months 2 hours....etc

[Dax]

Larger breeds can hold their pee for longer at an earlier age. Ariel was sleeping through the night and clean by 3 months.

As for "stinkiness" there are food supplements available at Petsmart that work faster than just feeding a new brand of food. A stray may have been living on garbage and food waste, their body odor would reflect that poor diet.

I would also add some fresh vegtables as a suppliment. Green beans are good. Carrots are excellent as well as they seem to help flush out their system.

Got any pictures of this stinker?

[SouthPaw]

Yes, let's see the stinker. 3M Pet Care makes heavy duty pet wipes which have aloe and vitamin E. They work well to "freshen up" and remove odors. They are a generous size for your dog. For mine, one can do the entire crew and then some. Good luck!

[eXile]

Baby wipes or pet wipes are a great idea!