I was wondering if anyone has a solution to salty stinky dog feet. I have a 2yr old schnauzer with very smelly feet. I have asked the vet if there was an infection or some other cause in his toes, but they laughed and told me he is just a stinky dog after examining them.
If he's on the sofa for just a minute, it smells, his kennel stinks even right after a bath and bedding change. My friends always comment that it smells fresh and clean in my house, I don't know how they don't smell the feet too. Any time I have a moment to sit and relax, he jumps on my lap, and he's such a sweetie, but the smell is sometimes overwhelming and I don't want him on me. I scrubbed his feet with deodorant soap and a nail brush yesterday, and within 20 minutes they stank again. I should mention I brushed his teeth and it took about that long for the bad breath to come back too.
I started giving him chlorophil, but not long enough to see results. I'm about to buy a can of spray deodorant! (the pet sprays DO NOT work) Does anyone know what else I can do?
It could be his food that is making him stink. I was giving my dog that benefical dog food and she stank bad, very very bad. No one wanted to be around her at all. The vet told me to change her and it worked. It took a few days for the other food to move out of her system but once it was all gone she smells just fine. I put her on dog chow
I definitely recommend keep the hair between the pads of his feet short..but also, what about soaking them in a vinegar/water solution? I have a Bassett Hound that gets terribly nasty stinky ears and that's what I clean his ears out with.
I would go to another vet for a second opinion. One thing you can try in the meantime is "dry shampooing"...put some baby powder on your dogs feet and scrub it in for a few minutes, then brush leftovers off. I know, it sounds weird, but I have an aussie mix, and that's what I do with him (esp. in winter months!) so he won't stink.
Good Luck, and be sure to keep us posted!!
Schnauzers as a breed are prone to allergies, which often manifest in the dog's skin.
If he has a lot of hair between his foot pads, keep it clipped. Moisture and dirt can collect there, and promote the growth of fungi - basically athlete's foot.
Sometimes when groomers clip the hair between the pads, the clippers can cause clipper burn - similar to razor burn. The skin is irritated, and because of its location on the dog's body and constant contact with dirty and/or damp surfaces, you're right back with athlete's foot.
DON'T use athlete's foor spray or deodorant made for humans on him. They aren't pH balanced for dog skin. Not only will they make his skin itchy (which will result in his licking his feet, and exacerbate the problem), they may actually be poisonous if he does lick them off his feet.
See another vet for a second opinion.
Sometimes allergies can cause dogs to have bad odors on their feet, in their mouth, their skin/fur, and in their ears. This isn't normal! You may want to see if there's a holistic vet close to your area who has experience with allergies and nutrition. You may also just want to go to another regular vet for a second opinion. There are any number of possible reasons for a bad odor, including skin conditions or another internal health problem.
Has he had his anal gland checked? While it's more common for small/toy breeds to have problems there, it's not unheard of for other dogs to have anal gland infections or to need to have them expressed occasionally. They make the dog smell TERRIBLE if they are full or infected, and no amount of bathing makes the smell go away because the problem is internal. If that's the problem, a change in his diet may help prevent it from happening again.
It may also be something simpler, like walking in or eating his "business" after he goes potty. If he goes out unsupervised, you may want to go out with him to see.
If he's not a picky eater, you may try giving him raw carrot pieces for his breath. My dogs love them and it makes their breath smell a lot better. They also sell minty dog treats that doa great job. At two, he shouldn't have build up that would cause bad breath.
Is this your first Schnauzer? I'm not very familiar with the breed, but is it possible that this is a breed characteristic? If this is your first one, you may want to contact a good breeder to see what health problems the breed is prone to.
In short, I'd try another vet who will check things besides his stinky feet. There are too many possible causes for bad odor, and none of them are untreatable.
Good luck, and give your fur kid a scratch for me.
T.
schnauzers can be really furry, so maybe try trimming the hair between his toes? baking soda?
Be careful with the anal gland once it is expressed it has to be expressed on a regular basis or problems will occur. Just so you know dogs do perspire through their paws. Here is a question for you. You say that smell salty. Would you say they smell like corn chips or fritos? The reason I ask is if that is what you are smelling you are just smelling sweat paws and it is normal.
You can also check his food and see if maybe it is allergies like it has already been suggested.
I also strongly agree about not using people deodorant on him.
I was watching Oprah awhile back and Dr. Oz was on. A woman complained that her feet were stinky all the time and Dr. Oz told her to start soaking them in tea. She said it worked. Not sure if it would work for a dog, but may be worth a shot. Just put tea bags in a shallow tub of water and have him stand in it for awhile. Becareful though...tea stains. I don't know if it works after the first try or if you have to continue it from time to time. Good luck!
look up (google) yeast infections in dogs... dogs can get skin problems and ear problems caused by their food and it is actually a yeast infection causing this. easy to cure, change their diets. good luck
