Every dog smells sometimes. If you have just come inside from the heavy rainfall and your dog is wet, or you just haven’t dried their coat enough after a shower, you will smell a bit of a wet dog scent in your house. But what if your dog smells all the time, and what if the smell, let’s put it nicely, isn’t that pleasant?
Some cavapoo owners, unfortunately,encounter this very issue with their dogs. They usually try to fix the smelly issue by hiding the smell. They may try to wash their dog often and use special scented shampoos to cover their dog’s odour. Or they may use various sprays and other solutions to get rid of the smell in their house.
However, all those solutions simply mask the symptoms, without addressing the main problem. And the problem is: if your dog has a nasty smell all the time (not just when they roll in something smelly in the backyard) – that means there is something wrong with their health.
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While every dog gets dirty or wet sometimes, which can definitely can cause it to smell, constant smell from your dog is a reason to worry. Almost always it means there is something going on with your dog’s health, and that’s what you need to pay attention to.
Here are the five main areas to look at when you smell something “fishy” about your dog.
One of the reasons your cavapoo may smell is potential skin issues. This may include over-production of skin oils due to a wrong diet. It may also be a yeast infection or candida, especially if the dog’s odour has sweet undertones in it.
Both of these issues are due to a wrong diet. If you are feeding your dog wrong dog food (such as brands full of carbohydrates, grains and additives), your cavapoo may very well develop digestive issues, which immediately reflect in the state of its skin (along with other body systems). In this case, try changing the dog’s diet to eliminate the odour problem.
Dogs are carnivores and thrive on meat. Try to choose kibble with meat as a main ingredient, and no or minimal other ingredients and additives. Many people say they have been able to get rid of bad odour from their dog by feeding them raw diet. I would definitely recommend that, as raw meat-based diet is very natural for dogs. Read more about the best food for your cavapoo in this article.
If your dog has a yeast infection, it can sometimes be seen on the surface of its body, for example, inside their ears, or on their belly and under the arms and legs. Take your dog to the vet immediately if you notice something wrong with its skin.
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Yet another issue that can cause bad odour in dogs is parasites, such as mites, fleas or ticks. Give your dog a thorough inspection, especially if you notice it scratching itself often or expressing any other signs of discomfort. Of course, the best thing you can do is take your cavapoo to the vet and run a panel of tests.
Another sensitive area that can develop a nasty smell is your cavapoo’s ears. In a healthy dog, there is constant production of sebum and earwax in the ears both of which serve certain functions in your dog’s health. However, if the secretion of these substances is increased for any reason, a build-up may occur, which in time can lead to some unpleasant smell.
Your dog may also have a yeast infection on the inner surface of their ears. To avoid ear issues, clean your cavapoo’s ears regularly, and take them to the vet if you see anything unusual in their ears.
Your cavapoo’s mouth can be yet another “smelly zone”, both due to digestive issues and teeth issues (which really is the same issue). If you never let your cavapoo “kiss” you because you can’t stand the smell of their breath – this may be your problem. Your cavapoo may develop multiple digestive issues where the food isn’t digested properly and sits in your cavapoo stomach longer than it should, in which case your pup may develop bad breath.
Another reason for bad breath is your dog’s teeth. Your cavapoo teeth may develop a large amount of build-up and tartar, especially if your dog’s diet is full of carbohydrates and additives that aren’t natural for dogs. Excess tartar may cause bacterial infestations which in turn will produce a powerful odour from your pup’s mouth.
Yet another reason, just like with humans, could be tooth decay in your cavapoo, which is also directly connected to the dog’s diet and lack of minerals in it to maintain your cavapoo’s teeth in optimal healthy state. You can brush their teeth every day, but if their diet is wrong, it won’t help against tooth decay. Cleaning your puppy’s teeth professionally to get rid of tartar and build-up may help temporarily, but not in the long term. Unless you change your cavapoo’s diet, they will continue having stomach and teeth issues.
Now that’s a stinky subject! Yet another reason for bad odour coming from your cavapoo can be anal glands that need squeezing. Every dog has anal glands located – you guessed it – right near your dog’s bum. Anal glands secrete various smelly substances that serve several functions in the dog’s body. In a healthy dog, anal glands get squeezed every time the dog defecates so there is never an issue. However dogs often experience issues with plugged anal glands, when the act of defecation does not empty the glands.
If you have ever seen your dog dragging its bottom on the carpet – they are trying to empty their anal glands. Overfilled anal glands can cause a dog discomfort and pain. It can also make your pup stink! To help the matter, you can empty your dog’s anal glands yourself (there are plenty of videos on youtube on how to do it), or take them to the groomer or vet.
If you often found yourself in a cloud of bad odour every time you are near your cavapoo – perhaps they are just flatulent? Flatulence occurs in dogs just like it does in people. And, as with people, a little bit of it is normal and healthy. But too much gas is indicative of digestive issues. This takes us back to your cavapoo diet. If you are feeding them high-carbohydrate foods, that can cause proliferation of bacteria in their intestines (bacteria feed on sugar!). That bacteria, in their turn, produce a lot of gas as one of the products of their life cycle.
If your pup is constantly farting, it may be funny, but it’s also a sign that you should look at your cavapoo’s diet and come up with a healthier, more natural alternative to the kibble you may be using now. Your dog will thank you by becoming healthier, stronger, happier and less smelly!
Although changing their diet may help your cavapoo health and the odour in your home, you should still take them to a vet if you notice unpleasant smells or other health-related issues. A dog’s health is complex and nipping issues in the bud is often easier than trying to fix a full-blown disease. Since smells are often a sign of disease, don’t wait to ask for professional help.