My dog smells like a stink bug. What's the cause and solution?

There are various causes for the bad smell and they will need to be investigated by a veterinarian. 1) your dog (I am assuming it is a dog, you do not say anywhere what type of animal he is) may have a particularly stinky type of bacteria in his anal sacs. This could be remedied by emptying them and flushing them with an antibitic that kills off all bacteria and then hopefully a new type of bacteria will take up residence. 2) Your dog may have particularly smelly bacteria in his skin that emit a bad smell. Certain antibacterial shampoos can alleviate that 3) your dog may have a mite infection. Sarcoptes mite infections have a typical sweet smell. Sarcoptes mites can be killed with avermectins or a Bravecto chew. 4) He could have a fungal infection (treatable with fungicidal shampoo and/or tablets) 5) If you have other dogs in your house he may have a particular pack smell. 6) He may have a skin condition such as seborrhea which invites certain bacteria who can cause a bad smell. I suggest yu make an appointment with your vet who should then examine your dog and check for the various causes and treat accordingly. Don't forget to do flea control.

Dogs usually smell bad when they have infections of the ears, skin or mouth (usually the gums). Usually this can be solved by locating the source of infection, then treating it effectively. For this, I reccomend taking Brownie to the veterinarian. The vet will easily be able to tell where the smell is coming from and prescribe the best treatment. For now, you can try washing her with a medicated shampoo (can find this at the pet store). You can also flush the ears with a product from the pet store. There are some videos on YouTube that give good tutorials how to do this right. I hope that helps and the smell issue gets taken care of soon.

This sign, if the smell is generalized and coming from the skin, could be caused by skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and eventually antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling with your dachshunds’ odor. Do they have any underlying skin, dental, or anal gland issues? Any of these could contribute to what you are smelling. I would recommend they have a thorough physical with a veterinarian to determine if there is an underlying issue contributing to the odor, and get any suggestions on a shampoo that may help. Good luck!

Hi there. Dogs don't sweat through their skin, only their paw pads - so if Mollie has a persistent odor, this is likely due to some other problem such as a bacterial or fungal skin infection, impacted anal glands, an ear infection, or some other issue. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam to determine what is causing the odor. He/she should be able to prescribe a medicated shampoo or other treatment for the underlying problem, depending on what is found.

If the smell comes and goes, then it is most likely from the anal glands. Dogs have scent glands on either side of the anus that release a stinky liquid that commonly smells fishy. If she is scooting or licking excessively, then I would have your veterinarian check her anal glands to make sure that they are not overly full. However if the smell is coming from her urine, then I would be worried that she has a urinary tract infection and would recommend having your veterinarian examine a urine sample. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

A foul smell could still be related to a tooth infection or other oral disease even though her mouth looks normal. Sometimes stomach upset can cause foul breath or a skin infection or anal gland infection or inflammation could be another source. You may want to have Molly examined by your veterinarian - they could check her anal glands or potentially perform a more complete oral exam. If everything seems okay they might recommend trying a probiotic or changing her diet.