What Causes My Dog to Smell Really Bad?
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Communication
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Dogs use smells to communicate, as well as body positions and vocalizations. The theory is that dogs roll in stinky stuff like carcasses and feces of prey animals in order to bring information to the rest of the pack about how good the hunting is in the area where that particular dog was roaming as wolves do (dogs are descendents of wolves). Not only is the type of prey in the smell caught in the fur, but also the scent of that particular area, which humans are unable to detect. When a dog rolls in cow manure and trots home, the theory is that the dog is trying to communicate where good hunting grounds are to the human members of the pack. The strong scent of feces or decaying bodies may also mask the wolf or dog's own scent from potential prey.
Health Issues
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Has your dog been scooting on the carpet lately? "Scooting" is when a dog sits on the floor, sticks the hind legs up so the anus has direct contact on the floor and drags the body along with the forelegs. A dog does this when the anal sacs are full and feel uncomfortable. Anal sacs (also called anal glands) are located inside the body on either side of the anus. Normally, when a dog defecates, the anal sacs empty. The liquid inside is usually described as a strong rotten fish odor. Another sign that a dog is having anal sac problems is if the anal sacs spontaneously empty. The dog may look guilty and frantically try to clean the area where the liquid spilled. The smell usually goes away in a couple of hours. This should be brought to the attention of a vet.
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Mouth
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Dog breath is not known to smell like roses, but it shouldn't smell like decay or rotten meat. If your dog's breath has suddenly gotten worse, this warrants closer investigation. According to veterinarian Dr. Debra Primovic, the sudden bad breath (halitosis) could be due to the gum infection gingivitis, periodontal disease, an infected wound or even cancer of the mouth. Other signs of infections, tumors or gingivitis can be bleeding from the gums, drooling more than usual, problems eating or difficulty swallowing.
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- Photo Credit Rena Sherwood
