Dog suddenly stinks extremely: What to do?
The dog smell can already be very intense in normal condition. However, if the smell changes and the dog stinks extremely, it may be a symptom of illness. But what exactly is behind the stench and how can you help your dog?
That some wet dogs stink is normal. Most dog lovers do not mind this smell, they may not even notice it. Sometimes, however, it happens that a four-legged friend smells unusually strong.
Your dog smells of excrement, of liquid manure or of dung? Then he has possibly only rolled in the dirt. However, if he still smells unpleasant after you have cleaned him from the dirt, there may be a health problem behind it.
Dog stinks from the mouth: What to do?
If your dog stinks from his mouth after eating, you usually don’t need to worry. As long as he only smells like food and the smell subsides, there is no need to worry.
Does your dog smell like fish? Then the bad breath can also be caused by inferior food. Other symptoms of this would be, for example, high amounts of feces, which show that the food is not optimally utilized, dull coat and lack of drive. Try to see if your dog’s condition improves when you switch to high-quality dog food or barfing, i.e. feeding raw meat.
Can your dog’s eating habits be ruled out as the cause and does his mouth really smell of decay? Then you should take the teeth and the oral cavity of the quadruped under the magnifying glass, because: Caries, periodontitis and gingivitis can also manifest themselves through stench.
Regular tooth brushing can prevent this. But if damage to the teeth or gums has already formed, a trip to the vet is unavoidable.
Is the stench coming from the anal glands?
However, a smell of fish or manure can also emanate from the dog’s bottom. For example, if the anal glands are inflamed. Since anal gland inflammation causes severe itching of the buttocks, you can probably often observe your dog sliding around with his buttocks on the floor.
If this “sledding” occurs, a visit to the vet is advisable, so that your dog does not have to torment himself with the unpleasant inflammation for too long.
When dogs are afraid, the anal glands moreover secrete a secretion that is otherwise necessary for territory marking and smells very unpleasant for human noses. Especially with long-haired dogs, this secretion can get stuck in the fur on the butt, so that the dog’s butt suddenly smells extremely, although the fear situation or territory marking is already over.
If your dog is often afraid, you can take away his shyness with a lot of patience. However, it may help to consult a dog trainer or animal psychologist who is experienced in behavior therapy.
Dog stinks due to skin infections
If the foul odor is coming from the dog’s skin, it may be due to an infection. Triggers of skin disease can be allergies, but also parasites, bacteria or yeast fungi.
A food allergy can also cause dogs to produce an excess of skin secretions, so that the otherwise normal dog odor is extremely increased.
Some chronic diseases such as diabetes or renal insufficiency can alter the dog’s metabolism in such a way that an unpleasant odor is emitted through the skin pores as well as from the mouth.
