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Why does Your Dog Smell Bad

Each dog has its own unique smell. True, the aroma of some tailed pets is neutral and unobtrusive, but there are also such individuals from which a rather strong and unpleasant spirit emanates. Unfortunately, many owners are faced with a problem when literally everything in the apartment is saturated with a disgusting smell coming from the animal.

Reasons why dogs can smell bad

When they say that a person smells bad, they usually mean the smell of sweat or amber from the mouth after eating spicy food such as garlic or onions or drunk alcohol the day before. But what are the reasons for the stench from animals? Let’s figure out what are the main reasons why a dog smells bad:

  1. Dog smell from a dog is due to the increased production of sebum – a secretion secreted by the sebaceous glands. In the air, sebum is oxidized and takes on a specific bad smell (the so-called dog smell). Hypersecretion of the sebaceous glands occurs in dogs with various ailments (for example, with diseases of the endocrine system and gastrointestinal tract). The production of a large amount of sebum is also characteristic for hunting water dogs and for individuals without undercoat;
  2. Infectious skin diseases (for example, lichen, dermatitis, pyoderma, etc.) is also one of the reasons why an unpleasant odor can come from dogs;
  3. A bad smell from a domestic dog can be caused by blockage of the perianal glands (such pathology can be caused by many reasons: a sedentary lifestyle, weak immunity, trauma to the tail and lumbar vertebrae, constipation, etc.);
  4. A strong smell from a dog can be due to improper feeding. Dogs that too often consume smoked meats, spicy foods, sweets, and foods that provoke fermentation can smell bad;
  5. Lack of hygiene procedures is one of the main causes of bad smell. And here is the fault of the owner, who does not take good care of his pet. On the body of an animal that is not bathed or combed out, a fetid layer of sebum, dirt, and bacteria forms over time (the problem is especially acute in dogs with long hair, such as collies, bobtails, or Pekingese, as well as in pets with an abundance of skin folds, for example, Sharpei, English Bulldogs or pugs);
  6. Long-haired dogs may smell bad if there is dried excrement on the long hairs of the fur coat;
  7. Diseases of the teeth and gums contribute to the fact that the animal’s mouth smells unbearable;
  8. During estrus and pregnancy, female dogs smell bad. And this is due to hormonal changes in the body;
  9. If there are festering wounds on the dog’s body, then a bad spirit will most likely emanate from the body. Wounds can fester when bacteria penetrate into damaged tissues;
  10. Sometimes a strong smell from the dog can be present due to allergies (for example, to a food product, medicine or shampoo);
  11. A dog whose body is inhabited by helminths can also smell bad;
  12. An unpleasant smell is a symptom of many diseases, including kidney and hepatic ailments, diabetes mellitus, oncology;
  13. The dog may smell peculiarly sweat. True, the smell will not come from the armpits, but from the pads of the paws;
  14. Some dogs love to collapse in something that has a disgusting smell. Some animals may be attracted by the smell of other people’s feces, while others lose their heads as soon as they smell carrion;
  15. Of course, one of the reasons the house smells bad for a dog is marks, puddles of urine, and piles of feces on the floor or furniture.
  16. The smell from a dog in an apartment can also be if the animal has problems with its ears. Starting from banal pollution to a serious illness like otitis media or otodectosis;
  17. Even if not too strong, but an unpleasant odor happens if the dog has purulent conjunctivitis;
  18. Some dogs start to smell unpleasant during times of stress.

How to eliminate unpleasant dog odor in your home

Well, there are plenty of reasons why a pet can smell bad. In some situations, the owner himself is the indirect culprit of such a stench, if he does not care for his beloved animal. And sometimes the reason lies in a serious illness of the dog. Now we will try to figure out how to eliminate the smell from the dog if the whole house is literally saturated with it:

  1. Once a month, a pet dog should be bathed in warm running water with a pet shampoo (you can also use a deodorant dog shampoo, which removes the dog’s bad smell). The paws of the animal must be washed daily after each exit to the street;
  2. To avoid an unpleasant smell, dogs need to be not only bathed regularly but also combed out (long-haired – 3 times a week, short-haired – once a week);
  3. It also happens that the dog itself is clean and does not smell, but a terrible stench emanates from its bed. To avoid this, the animal’s bed must be washed every week, choosing an intensive wash mode;
  4. It will not be superfluous to show the veterinarian the dog that gives off a stale smell. The animal may have a health problem that needs to be addressed. The specialist will tell you how to not only rid the dog of the smell but also prescribe the treatment of the ailment that provoked the appearance of an unpleasant odor;
  5. 1-2 times a week, you need to clean the ears of dogs with long hair, and once every two weeks, the same procedure should be carried out for short-haired animals. Reddened ear tissues, wounds, an abundance of sulfur, a bad smell, and exudate are alarming symptoms that signal ear ailment;
  6. The animal’s teeth should be brushed once a week. During the procedure, you need to pay attention to the condition of the teeth and gums (rotten teeth and sore gums, we recall, are the reason for the disgusting breath from the dog’s mouth);
  7. To prevent the animal from defecating in the house, it must be taken out for a walk every day and in any weather. And it is advisable to devote not 5-10 minutes a day to the promenade, but at least 30-60 minutes twice a day;
  8. A well-bred dog, as a rule, does not defecate in the house. From a very early age, the animal should be taught that it is unacceptable to make puddles and heaps in the room;
  9. If the dog pee or poop on the carpet, the excrement should be removed first. And thoroughly wash the place “x” first with just water, and then with water with the addition of lemon juice (about 100-150 ml of juice is needed for 1 liter of water). Such lemon water can also remove odors from upholstered furniture;
  10. Pets’ eyes need to be wiped daily with a cotton pad dipped in boiled water or cooled and strained chamomile broth. Discharge of pus from the eyes is a reason for a visit to the vet clinic;
  11. So that the dog does not smell specific, it needs the right diet. The owner needs to make a choice either in favor of ready-made high-quality premium or extra-premium food or give preference to a natural menu based on natural meat and offal, vegetables, cereals, and dairy products (no sausages and sausages, sauces, instant dishes like pizza or hamburgers, buns and sweets in the animal’s diet should not be);
  12. To get rid of the dog smell on the carpet, you can use soda or starch (potato or corn). Spread soda or starch in a thin layer on the carpet and leave it there for 4-6 hours. After this time, you need to knock out or vacuum the carpet well;
  13. Washing the floors with water and vinegar (3 parts of water requires 1 part of vinegar) will help refresh the air in the apartment and “kill” the dog’s aroma;
  14. You can remove dog odor from non-fabric surfaces using a mixture of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dishwashing detergent (all three components are mixed in a 2: 2: 1 ratio). The resulting thick mass must be applied to a surface that smells bad, left to dry for a couple of hours, and then rinsed with water;
  15. Floors that smelled of dog’s urine can be washed with water with potassium permanganate (light and highly absorbent surfaces should be treated with a pale pink solution, non-stained surfaces with a darker solution);
  16. Vodka or pure alcohol can remove the smell from the pet. They should be used to wipe the area on the floor or carpet where there was a pool of urine. But after such a procedure, you need to thoroughly ventilate the room, otherwise, instead of the smell of a dog, a sharp aroma of alcohol will hover in the house;
  17. Chlorine-containing substances such as Whiteness diluted with water can remove the smell from the dog. They can wash floors and walls that have marks;
  18. If the smell of the dog is ingrained in the fabric of the furniture, you will need to clean it with special products that are sold in household chemical stores. On sofas and armchairs free from the aroma of dogs, it is advisable to put on covers that will need to be washed regularly;
  19. Essential oils (for example, mint, rosemary, tea tree, conifers, rose, lavender, citrus) will help get rid of the dog’s smell in the apartment. Such oils in small quantities can be added to water for cleaning floors, and also irrigate the space with them from a spray bottle;
  20. No matter how trite it may be, but the room where the dog lives must be thoroughly ventilated several times a day;
  21. In the house where the doggie lives, from which it smells bad, wet cleaning should be carried out daily or every other day;
  22. Special detergent disinfectants – odor eliminators, for example, Vaportek, Zoosan, Ultraman, BIO-GM, UF 2000, DUFTAPET, Natures Miracle will help get rid of the smell of dog urine;
  23. Some owners who are worn out trying to eliminate bad dog odors are buying ozonizers – technical devices that generate ozone. The essence of ozone lies in the disinfection of the premises and the elimination of various unpleasant odors (dogs and animal urine, cigarette smoke, dampness, burning, etc.).
Alice White

Written by Alice White

Alice White, a devoted pet lover and writer, has turned her boundless affection for animals into a fulfilling career. Originally dreaming of wildlife, her limited scientific background led her to specialize in animal literature. Now she happily spends her days researching and writing about various creatures, living her dream.

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