DOGGIE ODOR

We love our dog, but sometimes he really smells. What can we do?

Dogs use various secretions to communicate with one another by scent. Typically, these odors are most prominent around the ears, paws and anus. Most people, especially pet lovers, do not find anything offensive about a dog’s “natural” scents, but there are cases when doggy odor makes it difficult to be around a pet. There are a variety of reasons why a dog can become unpleasantly odorous. For example, his skin and coat could have become very dirty, he could have rolled around in a smelly substance outside, he could have developed a skin condition, he could have an infection in his ear, or his anal sacs could have become impacted.

You should bathe the dog with an odor-fighting shampoo and clean the ears with an ear cleaner. This should clear up the odor problem. However if the odor persists, consult a veterinarian to eliminate any underlying medical causes, including an ear infection, or anal sac blockage.

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DIRTY EARS

My dog keeps shaking her head and scratching her ears. Is something wrong?

This pet is exhibiting signs of an ear infection. About one in five dogs will get an infection of the external ear canal in their lifetimes. Dogs with long, floppy ears like cocker spaniels, and breeds with hairy inner ear flaps like schnauzers are especially prone to developing this problem. It is recommended that dogs with signs of ear infections be taken to a veterinarian, since the condition, though usually not serious, requires medical treatment. However, there are things you can do to help protect your pet against future ear infections. Inspect the pet’s ears daily, sniffing for foul odors, and clean the ears at least once (or preferably twice) a week.

Use blunt pet tweezers to pluck hair from the inner ear flap, especially in “hairy eared” breeds like the miniature poodle. This will reduce the risk of ear infections.