Smelly old dog

[LBJ10]

Our dog is 12 years old. She’s an old dog and she has some problems that come with age, but the vet said she was otherwise healthy. We have been having some issues with her smelling bad. We give her a bath, but that only helps for a day or two. I think the smell is coming from her mouth. We brush her teeth and the vet said that they look fine for a dog her age. The vest suggested maybe she had excessive stomach acid and said we could try giving her antacid tablets. Has anyone had problems with an older dog being smelly? I’m sitting here right now and I can smell her. Yuck! Does anyone have any other suggestions besides dog breath mints (I think those upset her stomach)?

[Deleted User]

You could look into a diet change. If you don’t want to go raw, there are kibbles available now that have a high proportion of botanicals added and I am a fan of those for my dogs. These also come in grain–free which might help with gastric issues. In Canada there is the Orijen kibble, but Canidae came out with four grain-free formulas as well that are available in the States.

[LBJ10]

The food she has now is Blue Buffalo. Her particular formula has grain in it, but not corn. I think corn causes a lot of gastric problems. So you think something like what you suggested would help? There’s a holistic dog food store here in town, maybe I should check out their food selection.

[Sonn]

My old dog before he passed had a horrible smell coming from his mouth it was like he ate something rotten. It was due to his stomach I put him on a raw diet for awhile and it was amazing no more stinky dog but it turned out to be too rich for him so I went to Orijen kibble it had the same effect without upsetting his stomach it is a little pricey but it worked for him. Can’t say it will work for your dog since my younger dogs couldn’t eat it since every dog handles food differently.

I actually buy 4 different brands of food for all 4 of my dogs lol.

[LBJ10]

Sonn – Did your dog make slurping and swallowing sounds all the time? Our dog does this and that is why the vet thinks it’s acid reflux. Do you know where they sell Orijen? They don’t carry it at Petsmart/Petco. I am going to check with the holistic dog food store to see what their selection is, maybe they have it there.

[Sonn]

He did make slurping sounds and swallowed a lot but his was due to a narrow esophagus not from his stomach. I had to order mine online since there are no pet stores near me that I don’t have to drive an hour. I did eventually find a food store (a farm feed store) that would special order it for me.

[LBJ10]

Okay, so I went to the holistic dog food store. They had the Orijen brand there, so I picked up a small bag of the senior formula for her to try. The lady there also sent me home with some doggie pro-biotics. She was horrified when she heard we were giving the dog antacid tablets per the vet’s instructions. She said to try the pro-biotics and if it didn’t help after a couple weeks to bring the jar back for a refund. Well, I guess it doesn’t hurt. Funny thing is, there’s a picture of a rabbit (along with a dog and a cat) on the jar. I guess they think it’s okay to give this stuff to rabbits, although I don’t know how you would! Anyway, the lady also sent me home with the business card of a doggie chiropractor. Oh dear!

[peppypoo]

I don’t know anything about dogs at all, but be sure to check in with your vet if you’re going to add to/limit any treatments that you had previously discussed

[Sonn]

I agree I talk to my vet about everything I change. I don’t listen much on diet since they mainly push Science Diet or something like that at me. I have given pro-biotics to all sorts of animals for stomach issues but I wouldn’t take the word of a store owner/clerk/whatever over my vet when it comes to treatment.

[LBJ10]

I will check with the vet to make sure, but I’m sure it will be fine. Our dog has taken so many people medications over the years, all under vet supervision. So I don’t think they will have a problem with probiotics that are meant for dogs. They may not help, but I doubt they would hurt. It’s probably better than giving her antacid tablets, anyway.

This morning I mixed some of the new food in with her old food and she seemed to like it. My first clue was that she was picking those pieces out to eat first.

[allegrabunny]

One of my dogs took OTC acid reflux meds meant for humans. The vet reccomended it.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Bad smell is genetically a sign of sickness (its preferable to give off a bad smell when sick so you do not spend resources procreating when ill)-usually kidney liver….have you done a senior blood panel?

I would do that asap and go from there. And then route out if it’s breath (internal or teeth), bum/farting (gi), skin (bacterial) or …. that is causing the smell.

I think it’s good you are asking-and you should find the route of the problem and not let it rest. Keep us posted!!

[Author]

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