How to deal with doggy BO?

May 14, 2007 7:31 PM

How to deal with doggy BO?

My girlfriend has a pug with very foul BO. I thought it was because it didnt get a bath often enough but after dog-sitting for a few days its apparent that the clean smell fades after a couple of hours.

I would not mind except that carpets, pillows, couch cushions and pretty much any fabric that comes in contact with the pug ends up with a cheeto-like smell. Since it is a pug I cannot leave it outdoors or an owl/racoon/rat could take off with it.

What to do? Is strong BO a characteristic of pugs? I suspect that spraying Fabreze on the dog wont do.

posted by Pasa la bola chetu to pets & animals (15 comments total)

Has anyone cleaned (or checked) his ears?
posted by dilettante at 7:44 PM on May 14, 2007

Seconding the ears. It can seem to come from all over the dog, but once you get cleaning the ears out regularly, it can go away amazingly well. We got a puppy with absolutely disgusting all-over stink, and once we went to work on his ears nightly (gently!) with a soft cotton q-tip and maybe some water, it eventually disappeared, and hasn't come back. Just be sure, as with human ears, not to prod too deeply, and to be gentle about it. And if using water, don't soak the q-tip - drips into doggy ears are not well-taken!
posted by po at 7:50 PM on May 14, 2007

dog sweat sometimes smells like cheetos, or popcorn. i don't know why, but it's true. anyway dog sweat glands are in their paws, so maybe it'd do to wash his feet more often, or pay special attention to them when you do bathe him?

failing that, booties?
posted by sergeant sandwich at 7:52 PM on May 14, 2007

Check the dogs' diet.Whether I bathed her or not, My older dog always smelled like Frito's when she was eating Iam's. I switched her to something a little better after the dog food scare and her coat is less dull, no more smell and she has more energy.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 7:59 PM on May 14, 2007

I have six pugs, and none of them stink (and this is not caretaker bias, I've had many people comment that they can't believe my house doesn't smell doggy). Definitely check the ears, but don't use water on the q-tip...it's a good way to get a yeast infection in the ears. Also, diet could definitely be a factor. I feed my dogs chicken, rice, and veggies, but not everyone is willing to do that. So a switch to a different brand might help (Science Diet or one of the higher end ones would be good).

To answer your question: no, BO is not a characteristic of pugs.
posted by bolognius maximus at 8:43 PM on May 14, 2007

Sounds like the anal glands.

She/he will need to be juiced, if that's the case.
(A friend of mine has to go through this fairly regularly with both a cat and a dog).
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 9:02 PM on May 14, 2007

Make sure the dog eats quality food. I feed my pug/chihuahua mix Nutro Natural Choice Small Bites, Innova, or Royal Canin Chihuahua - she does wonderfully on any of these. When I got her from the shelter she had been eating Science Diet and she was a stinky, farty, gassy mess and she needed to have her anal glands squeezed. On the better food she does not have those issues. And her coat/skin are also in much better condition now too.

Do check the dog's ears but don't just dump water in there and definitely don't poke around with a q-tip.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 9:28 PM on May 14, 2007

Erm, to clarify, I did not mean to suggest poking about inside the ears with the q-tip, but swabbing the surfaces within sight, as the gunk that builds up there is for some reason very stinky, and can be gotten rid of this way. And a slight bit of water on the q-tip itself, just to moisten it, not dumping water in the dog's ears.
posted by po at 10:40 PM on May 14, 2007

If it smells like Fritos or popcorn, it may be because the dogfood is high in corn. Change to one that's rice based.

If the ears smell, do NOT go putting any q-tips in/near them. There's a solution you can buy in most pet stores specifically for this purpose. You put the drops in, hold their ears flat for a minute or two, then let them shake. Clean the outer ears with a cotton ball soaked in the same solution. After a few days, you'll notice a difference.
posted by wayward vagabond at 11:58 PM on May 14, 2007

Our little mutt does well with a basic diet of Innova Evo. It's a bit pricey, but we're lucky he doesn't need much food to maintain his slightly pudgy 12 pound form. (I do vary his cuisine with a bite or two of something from my every meal; the vet says he should weigh a pound or two less but I'm SO puppy-whipped.) With him it's not his body odor that changes with his diet, it's the smell and consistency of his "output" -- such things matter when one lives in a city apartment and has to pick up behind him.
posted by davy at 12:47 AM on May 15, 2007

Re the feed: in particular, feeds with a high proportion of corn/maize produce stinky puppies. Try something rice-based instead.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 1:07 AM on May 15, 2007

If the dog has kidney failure(which you'd know because of lack of appetite and excessive water drinking as well) they can start to smell bad. However, I can tell you from experience that Febreze most definitely doesn't work.
posted by Mr. Gunn at 8:52 AM on May 15, 2007

Another pug owner here. Nope, she doesn't stink. She definitely does get a lot of gunky ear funk which yes, q-tips eliminate.
posted by CwgrlUp at 3:47 PM on May 15, 2007

My money's on the diet. Food makes a huge difference in how dogs smell and it can also affect their eye and ear gunk, which can develop its own odor. See here for a good guide on how to get started with a better dog food. It's also possible that your pug has a skin condition, for which you may want to see a vet.
posted by hindmost at 1:34 AM on May 16, 2007

'nother pug owner. We sometimes have to clean the folds of her face with mild wipes the vet prescribed. Nthing cleaning the ears and making sure s/he's eating good food.
posted by nevercalm at 7:39 AM on May 18, 2007