Chocolate Dog

May 6, 2004 8:47 PM

Why does my dog smell like chocolate?

Our dog (see Matt's beautiful picture here) is a chow mix, or possibly a jindo, but mostly likely some sort of primitive mutt mix. In the past few weeks, she's started to smell, quite distinctly, of chocolate.

Now, this isn't a problem, of course. It's better than what dogs usually smell like. But I'm curious what caused it. She's been on medicine for hypothyroidism recently, and, if I'm not mistaken, her undercoat is getting darker and turning dark brown. She's seven years old and that's never happened before.

Turning brown? Smelling like chocolate? Is our dog becoming a Hershey's bar?

posted by anildash to grab bag (10 comments total)

its breath? or its fur?
posted by amberglow at 9:33 PM on May 6, 2004

I hesitate to break it to you, but you're most likely eating the wrong kind of chocolate, Anil. Forget Hershey's and embrace the (mostly undoglike) Swiss, French and Belgian chocolates - with at least 74% cocoa. Real chocolate should of course smell like cat.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:50 PM on May 6, 2004

there are metabolic disorders in humans that can cause people to smell like molasses, and things, this may be related, especially with the thyroid medication. I would ask your vet what the drug is doing and see if they have heard of that before.
posted by rhyax at 10:31 PM on May 6, 2004

What rhyax said. The change in her coat colour might be a cause for concern, I'd get her to the vet. I've never heard of a dog smelling like chocolate (you're sure she's not actually eating any right?), but any change like this warrants veterinary attention.
posted by biscotti at 11:38 PM on May 6, 2004

The change in color might just be a seasonal thing as she's shedding her winter coat. After extensive Google searching and brainstorming, I have three possibilities:

1. Someone you know is slipping her chocolate on the sly. (Does she spend any time with children?)

2. She's been rolling around in (or eating) chocolate mulch.

3. You'd be astounded how different smells appear to different people. If you're the only one who's noticed the chocolate smell, I'd ask a few other people for opinions. She could smell like some unknown substance that, for whatever reason, reminds you of chocolate.

All long shots, but... this is just that kind of a question.

P.S. If you figure it out, let us know. I'd love it if my dog smelled like chocolate instead of whatever vile thing he currently smells like.
posted by mmoncur at 2:29 AM on May 7, 2004

It could be nothing. I've heard of dogs that smelled like chocolate. For example.
posted by justgary at 2:58 AM on May 7, 2004

My dog smelled like chocolate for about a month once, after I put a new flea collar on him. It's probably the medicine, although I'm loving the chocolate mulch idea. I would definitely call your vet; you need to find out why Chelsie's undercoat is changing color. What a cutie.
posted by iconomy at 3:38 AM on May 7, 2004

I'd second the infered chocolate smell theory myself - the smell of organic burnt stuff allways makes me think of coffee and chocolte (for obvious reasons I guess), so it could be that.
posted by twine42 at 4:18 AM on May 7, 2004

twine, I parsed that as infrared chocolate. hmmm, possible marketing opportunity...
posted by theora55 at 10:50 AM on May 7, 2004

All three of our cats smell like what I have dubbed "Dusty Chocolate" (chocolate with dust on it... not a porn star). I always assumed that was what dander smells like. I would love to know the real answer.
posted by zabork at 5:52 AM on May 8, 2004