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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 24, 2012 - 06:36pm PT
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Here's the deal - we inherited a scrody rescue mutt a few months back - part Golden, part Aussie and part god knows what.
We've managed to get her over the fleas, the ticks, the skin mites and the ear infections. Her weight is up to normal for her size and we have her on a fairly aggressive run/walk regimen.
In other words, the mutt is coming along quite well.
Except that she stinks to high heavens!!!!!!!!!!
To my nose, she smells like an half used bottle of roasted sesame oil forgotten in the back of the pantry for ten years. My wife says the mutt reminds her of dirty socks. In either case - this mutt smells!
We have tried every shampoo known to man or beast - Johnson's Baby, Tea Tree, Oatmeal, foofoo stuff my wife gets from Macy's, Hippie soaps from the vegan store, expensive Vet crap from two different Vets - even Dawn detergent. I went as far as to dust her with Baby Powder to cover up the stink. To no avail, she is right back to stinking like bad Chinese socks inside of two days.
Anyone in ST land have a cure for stinky canines?
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Nov 24, 2012 - 06:39pm PT
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Oatmeal bath then Dr Bronners bath?
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Nov 24, 2012 - 08:46pm PT
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If you had her on a lot of antibiotics recently, is it possible that she has developed a secondary yeast infection from that? I googled "stinky dog" and found this:
Signs and Symptoms of a Yeasty Dog
Definitive diagnosis by a vet of a yeast infection is accomplished either by cytology (looking at a skin swab under a microscope) or by culturing (submitting a sterile swab of the skin to the lab where the cells are grown and identified on a petri dish).
But as a pet owner, you'll be able to tell if your dog has a yeast infection just by her smell. Yeast has a very characteristic odor. Some people think it smells like moldy bread; others liken the odor to cheese popcorn or corn chips. In fact, some people refer to a yeast infection of a dog's paws as 'Frito Feet.' It's a pungent, musty, unpleasant smell.
The odor of a yeast infection is not a normal doggy odor. Healthy dogs don't have a 'doggy odor.' So if your pup has stinky paws or musty-smelling ears, chances are she's dealing with a yeast overgrowth.
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ncrockclimber
climber
The Desert Oven
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Nov 24, 2012 - 09:21pm PT
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There are some good suggestions above.
My experience, having 2 rescue cats and 2 rescue mutts, is that diet plays a huge part and it takes at least two months to get rid of the BO that comes from the typical fare that most stray animals ingest. Our last rescue, an orange cat that my wife found living in the dumpster of a public housing project where she was woking as a social worker, took a good 4 months to stop smelling like sh#t. Now, after eating premium food for two years, she smells normal like all of our other animals.
All pets have a slight oder. It is part of the game. The bad stench that you are describing goes away in time.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Nov 24, 2012 - 09:53pm PT
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hey there say, Ricky D...
i'd think, if it is not the fur...
it could be an infection, still, unfound...
or the previous medication...
*saw someone put a few good posts, as to this, here, already...
or--something it is eating?? in the food, though, if it is
just standard dog food, i'd think not...
does it roll around outside in a certain area???
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Rolfr
Social climber
North Vancouver BC
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Nov 24, 2012 - 10:20pm PT
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Ditto on diet for bad breath, you are what you eat.
But can anyone help me with my 12 year old Yellow Lab that has excessive drooling, I mean a continuos running facet face! Her diet hasn't changed . I have read that an abscess tooth may cause that condition or that it may be an allergic reaction.
Help please !
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nita
Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
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Nov 24, 2012 - 10:20pm PT
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A second + for Buddy wash....
While waiting for the Buddy wash, maybe try adding some red wine vinegar with your dog shampoo.
good luck.
Hey ...Miss Dawn.....(-;
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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 24, 2012 - 11:28pm PT
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Buddy Wash you two say? I Googled it and it looks worth a try.
I did initially suspect diet - but we have kept the mutt on our "go-to" doggie distress diet of plain boiled chicken, white rice and 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar with some occasional yogurt for biothingies - so I'm pretty sure I've ruled out that angle.
As for eating odd things - she does not munch small critters nor is she a poop eater. We thought for a while that she might be peeing on herself at night so we did a hard trim on the fur behind her thighs and rear. Fewer hair matts but still stinks.
She was on a broad spectrum antibiotic prior to our adoption but has been drug free for 7 weeks so I would be surprised if the funk came from those affects.
The "funk" is more pronounced after she gets exercised or excited - I swear it's her body oil itself that smells. Gets so bad after a long run that the odor would gag a maggot. The smell was so bad the other hot day that Dawn even sprayed the dog with Febreeze when I wasn't looking!!
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Phantom X
Trad climber
Honeycomb Hideout
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Nov 24, 2012 - 11:43pm PT
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What safety precautions can we take should anyone encounter this stinky dog?
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ncrockclimber
climber
The Desert Oven
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Nov 24, 2012 - 11:46pm PT
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Wow. The funk you describe sounds vile! Good on you for giving "Stinky" a good home. The fact that it gets more pronounced when the dog sweats would lead me to believe that it is something internal, and probably dietary. Like I said, it took our orange cat about 4 months to smell normal.
If you have a good pet supply store with a good pet nutrition specialist near, they might be able to help. If you want some good information, try giving The Natural Dog a call.
http://www.thenaturaldog.us/natural_dog_contact.html
The owner, Dawn, knows more about canine health than any non-vet I have met. She knows more about dog nutrition than most vets. I know that she is on the other coast from you, but she might be able to give you some good info.
Good luck!
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Nov 24, 2012 - 11:48pm PT
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Have a vet check the teeth
There could be something rotten in the ivories
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Nov 25, 2012 - 12:22am PT
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A friend had a dog with this problem and it turned out it had a fungal skin infection that took a long time to cure with systemic medicine (antifungal shampoo didn't do it). The cause of that dog's fungal infection was low thyroid (which female dogs are prone to) so that had to be treated too.
That dog also had very thin fur until the fungus was gone and the thyroid built up. Is that the case with this dog also?
And seven weeks after taking antibiotics is about the right length of time for a bad fungal problem to build up.
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perswig
climber
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Nov 25, 2012 - 08:29am PT
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Some things to consider.
1. Be thankful you don't have a hound, as this could be normal. Hounds are the 5.10 Newtons of the dog world, they just smell funky (I like it, some don't).
2. Check the records from your vet visits and see if your dog had a skin cytology, or better, a tape prep done. Ideally, this should be done days or a week or so since the last bath for accuracy, and after the other issues you listed have resolved. (When you say skin mites - Sarcoptes or Demodex?)
3. If not done recently, do a tape prep to look for Malassezia (yeast).
4. If negative, consider a thyroid panel. If this is normal, consider inflammatory disease (food/flea allergies, contact dermatitis) or primary seborrhea. (Don't let anyone sell you fancy foods initially, as true food allergies appear to be less common than the popular press would suggest, but do exist - novel protein or elimination diets are a bitch to manage but may be necessary.) Trial anti-inflammatories like steroids at low doses, high-dose omega fatty acids, etc are indicated next.
5. If positive, still do a thyroid panel, as long as your dog is off any meds that might suppress normal production. As Jan suggested, depressed immune function from hypothyroidism predisposes to opportunistic superficial infections.
6. If positive, check your prior shampoos for ingredients. 4% chlorhexiderm is a general anti-microbial but sometimes insufficient for Malassezia dermatitis. Ketoconazole or miconazole topically, every 2-3 days with 5-10 minute contact time, plus oral anti-fungal therapy may be needed. Check bloodwork to establish baselines for liver enzymes if the oral route is needed, as antifungals can piss off the liver and skin issues sometimes require weeks to months of treatment.
7. Caveat: don't blame me if this doesn't help; real vets despise dermatology.
Dale
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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 20, 2013 - 09:36pm PT
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A big ST shout out to eKat and Nita for their push to try "Buddy Wash".
Finally found some at a local Natural Food place and so Charming Dawn and I used it to soap up Mandy the Mutt yesterday.
WOW - she finally smells like a dog and not a High School locker room and her fur is soft as all get out.
I checked out the list of ingredients and said "heck, I'd try this too" - so I did - and now I smell purty and have soft hair - still grey - but I feel like an albino alpaca!!!
Thanks again to both of you for your help!
Ricky D, Charming Dawn and Mandy the Mutt
P.S. - For the Vet types how offered up their ideas - turned out that this shelter to foster to shelter to foster dog was so jacked up with both skin and diet issues that I'm surprised she is even alive.
We ran her on the chicken and rice diet for weeks plus daily doses of plain yogurt until we finally stabilized her weight and her gut. A daily regimen of exercise has restored weight, muscle and overall stamina. I am always skeptical of the whole concept of "detox" but I can't help but think that a stable diet with some PH adjustment has purged this formerly rotten carcass of a dog of a lot of her odor causing issues.
The Buddy Wash just seemed to cap off the process and make it shine like a happy mutt should!
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Jan 20, 2013 - 10:43pm PT
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Glad for the update and to learn about Buddy Wash!
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nita
Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
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Jan 20, 2013 - 11:16pm PT
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Hey, Radio Rick...
Pictures?
Glad the Buddy wash worked so good for your *little buddy. (-;
ps...Hi, Dawn....
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jan 20, 2013 - 11:20pm PT
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hey there say, Ricky D..
thanks for the update, very happy to hear this!
happy dog days, :)
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Jan 21, 2013 - 01:27pm PT
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Hmm, I might have to try this buddy wash, it doesn't look too expensive.
What has worked for me to mostly get rid of skunk spray (and if it can do that it can get rid of most smells) is:
1 quart hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 to 2 teaspoons of liquid soap. Add lukewarm water if needed (for larger dogs). Mix ingredients well. The solution will fizz, as a chemical reaction is occurring. Use immediately - do not store.
This solution will also clean urine from mattresses, rat urine from car upholstery, etc. It will somewhat bleach some things and needs to be kept out of the eyes, etc. The chemical reaction really kills/cleans bacteria and smelly compounds.
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