Why Does My Dog Smell? 16 Possible Reasons

Water gets mixed with natural oils and microbes on the skin get a perfect environment for these microbes to extract some aromas from the host skin.

Their oils are essential for the good health of the skin but in their pristine nature, they trap particles of dirt and bacteria that break down and create an odor when combined with water.

This smell occurs to a greater extent in long-coated breeds simply because it obtains more permeation time and besides natural oils, the smell may also be due to bacteria and yeast living on your dog's skin.

You can try dog shampoo when bathing and it helps a lot in minimizing the pungent smell of a wet dog specifically, these shampoos are formulated not to remove the natural oils on your dog's skin but instead target dirt and bacteria.

Most times this happens because of some other underlying factor of illness that provides a breeding ground for the microorganisms, the odor may end up being mild or foul according to the severity of the infection.

Excluding the bad odor, most skin infections will manifest through various signs such as redness, itching, and falling hair, and in case such symptoms are followed by a smell.

It could be an indication of the infection and you should present it to the vet for proper diagnosis and treatment, routine grooming coupled with good hygiene of the skin and coat and keeping them clean will prevent most skin infections.

The ear passage is quite warm and humid which makes it a perfect place for bacteria and yeast proliferation, potential underlying causes include allergies, overproduction of wax, and water trapped inside the ears, and the bad smell is accompanied by redness, swelling, and discharge.

Keep the ears clean to fend off infections and allow your pet dog to be sound in their ears ensure that you choose an ear cleanser that is recommended by a professional, if you sense a foul smell or any sign of infection within the ears, then consult a doctor for proper treatment.

Treatment typically involves some ear cleaning and medication to manage the infection and with serious cases may require oral antibiotics or antifungal treatment. Keeping your dog's ears dry and clean, particularly after he has gone swimming or has been bathed, will prevent infections from cropping up once more. 

They have now emerged as one of the most prevalent reasons behind bad breath and general smell in dogs because the plaque and foreign objects deposited over the teeth further get inhabited by bacteria, leading to infections and diseases of the gums, which smell awful.

This smell could be overwhelming, and generally, there will be drooling problems while eating and visible tartar over the teeth, these can be prevented with regular dental care in dogs, and daily tooth brushing with dog-specific toothpaste removes plaque and hence helps in the prevention of its calcification. 

Your professional can perform professional cleaning and check for any signs of dental problems while addressing dental issues on time means preventing serious complications from happening and making the breath smell nice from the mouth of your dog.

These glands are found near the anus of the dog and have an inherently odorous output and if the glands become blocked or infected, really pungent smells may be produced.

Scooting the back end across the ground or increased interest in licking the area are typical behaviors for dogs with anal gland disorders, these problems can be avoided by regularly expressing the anal glands and some dogs need their glands expressed more often than others and you can easily learn how to safely do it at home. 

Anal gland problems may be treated with a good diet with fiber which will keep your dog's bottom end in fine working order, regular care and monitoring will nip these problems.

Feeding your dog a good balanced diet can improve his health and reduce body odor you should look for rich protein, no fillers, and absolutely no artificial additives within the dog food.

Adding some supplements like omega-3 fatty acids into their diet may help in improving skin and coat conditions which will make them less smelly, poor food leads to a deficiency of the necessary nutrients and your dog's skin is going to be more prone to infection and odor. 

In addition to this, some ingredients of dog food may not digest well and bring forth gas and bad breath, the right diet can go a long way toward decreasing odor for dogs of all breeds so begin with ensuring that your pet gets the kinds of nutrition he needs to stay as healthy and fresh-smelling as possible

Indigestion in dogs may make them smell bad due to the production of foul gas in their digestive system and it is caused by many factors, from poor eating habits and food intolerance to other underlying diseases.

The smell will be terrible and may accompany other symptoms like diarrhea or bloating, feeding your dog a good and easily digestible diet may reduce gas and digestive problems, and remember to avoid giving your dog table scraps or other foods that can give him digestive upset, such as dairy or fatty foods.

You can add medicines to their diet that are going to help their digestive system and release that gas which will keep them in comfort so eating healthily and taking care of health in general will keep their digestion in good shape and thereby reduce the smells.

A viable reason for bad smell in dogs could be a urinary tract infection that may contain some bacteria in the system that makes the smell and the infections mainly occur in females and different factors can be causal agents. 

This ranges from poor hygiene to different health conditions that often predispose the animal to infection and apart from the bad smell the UTIs present with some common symptoms such as frequent urination, painful urination, and blood in the urine.

Keeping fresh water on hand and allowing dogs to have routine bathroom opportunities will help prevent UTIs and keeping the genital area clean and dry will further help to reduce infection and promote overall health. 

It can also be a matter of the odor indicating that foreign substances are building up on the skin and coat of your dog because you are not grooming your dog properly.

The owner must groom his dogs at his or her home regularly for cleanliness and overall good health and generally, this means brushing the coat, bathing the dog, and keeping the nails trimmed so that the dog stays clean.

Brushing your dog regularly removes all sorts of dirt and various matter, along with dead hair, which holds odors and it can bring excitement to the skin and circulate natural oils which keep the coat from becoming dry and dully brilliant. 

Dogs appear to take great interest in rolling in the decaying carcasses of other animals or even in dung which can give a foul odor, instances of this nature are instinctual in that their wild ancestors used to do it to conceal their smell so that they could either avoid an attack by other wild animals or surprise and catch a possible meal.

This may be an instinctual and hardwired drive, although it douses your dog in overwhelming, and foul odors are very hard to wash away, and in case your dog has rolled into something smelly he needs to be bathed. 

Always keeping a close watch during walks and avoiding places that he might go to reach out for smelly stuff, training in obedience to commands such as "leave it" can also keep them away from foul-smelling rolling.

This mostly occurs in the damp areas of a dog's body like the ears and skin folds and In most cases, the infection results from an overgrowth of the normal yeast that grows on a dog's skin.

This is normally brought about by some other underlying problem, such as illness or weak immune system, and many times one would describe a yeasty smell from an infection similar to must or cheese.

Besides the bad smell, most of the other common symptoms of a yeast infection would include itching, redness, and thickening of the skin and of course, this normally includes antifungal medications to ward off the yeasts and medicated shampoos.

These are some major reasons that make a dog smell since they usually result in skin irritation and infections a dog with allergies scratches its skin, and because of that, they spend much time licking their skin. 

It creates a very perfect set-up for the multiplication of bacteria, and yeast, and the pungent odor that gives rise to these secondary infections may be quite hard to control.

The odor is not the only indicator and the allergies also have associated itching, redness, and hair loss, all of which can be avoided in your dog if your allergies are detected and managed. It could be anything from dietary changes to medication against allergies or just keeping them away from what triggers them in the environment, such as pollen or dust mites.

Dirty bedding may contribute to their foul odor as it contains bacteria and other contaminants that deposit onto their hair and if not cleaned regularly, it might develop into a constant odor and even when your dog has been bathed and it may make the job of keeping fresh your dog hard if the bed is not cleaned regularly.

Wash your dog's beddings regularly to keep them clean and fresh and use some detergent to wash them in scalding water for removing off bacterias. Let the bedding dry thoroughly before letting your dog go back to it because moisture can reanimate the smell.

Apart from the cleaning of bedding, you should clean up round the sleeping area and vacuum to pick up dirt and hair, or an air purifier can be used for the purification of the environment, getting rid of allergens and smells and keeping your dog's living space clean will help keep him from smelling and avert general ill health.

They usually leave a foul smell on dogs because they eventually become irritated and infected and when your dog scratches and bites these pesky little critters, the surface of the skin sometimes opens up, creating a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and yeasts.

These secondary infections may be producing a lot of foul odors afterward that are hard to control, the flea and tick can give rise to itchiness, reddening of the skin, and loss of hair.

Regular grooming and checking of your dog for parasites also let most of the invasions get noticed at a very early stage, thus avoiding the infection and cleaning the area around your dog adequately and making him flea and tick free will also help in controlling the odor and getting him back to good health. 

Most hormonal imbalances may be a cause of foul odor in dogs since most of them lead to skin conditions and infections like hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease, and many others that may affect skin making it easily infected and smelling foul. 

Apart from the terrible odor, the hormonal imbalance is mostly characterized by other symptoms such as weight increase, lack of energy, and deteriorating coat condition and the good news is that this is usually treatable provided one stays on top of the underlying condition using medication and keen observation of your dog's health condition. 

Regular grooming and a good diet will maintain the dog's general health and condition of the skin and if there are underlying diseases, then treatment may prevent infection and decrease the smell.

Many health problems developing in old age in dogs may add up to an unpleasant odor and older dogs are more predisposed to dental problems, skin infections, and a reduction in grooming ability that generally contributes to foul smell. 

Apart from the smell, age-related changes often manifest in other ways, such as a decrease in mobility, change in body weight, and change in coat condition. Proper care and treatment keep such conditions at bay and reduce odors. 

Older dogs crave a regular grooming schedule and such a regimen involving regular bathing and brushing, along with dental care for your senior dog, maintains the possibility of keeping them as clean as possible and smelling fresh.