Doggie Odor

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wild4flowers
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Doggie Odor

Post by wild4flowers »

My boxer, age 4, has started to get the doggie smell after sleeping. I notice it in the morning after he gets up. It is like he sweats at night and then the odor is there. This just started about 3 months ago, up until then I never noticed it.

Any thoughts on this. I wipe him down in the morning with a wet doggie wipe, which he hates. And I keep his bedding washed. Is there anything I can do to minimize the odor?

Thanks, CHAR
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LucyGoose
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Post by LucyGoose »

:hmm: I have no idea, Char.....I know me, I'd be calling the vets and talking to the girls there....They know me, and it's not unusual for me to call them asking questions....maybe is something....

Good Luck!!! Hope someone knows..... :D
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Old earth dog
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Post by Old earth dog »

Char, does the wipe down get rid of the odor, and can you smell it on the cloth you clean him with? There are many things that can cause odor. Ear problems, teeth/mouth/throat problems, anal glands need draining, and others. As you probably know :D boxers are natorious for "gas" :oops: . It would be easy with a shotr coated do to see some sort of absess but I thought I'd suggest that anyway. As Lucy said, If you have a good raport with your vet, give him/her a call. If you cant see an obvious reason, it might be time for a vet visit. :wink:
Kas
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Post by Kas »

Char, let us know what you find out. Our boxer, Liberty, started smelling like a dog too. She will be 5 April 1st. She used to just smell like warm hay. Maybe when they get older their oil glands finally mature. Lord knows THEY never do! :lol: :lol: She is such a goose.

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wild4flowers
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Post by wild4flowers »

Yup, such a lovable idiot dog. People always say he is so hyper, but he really has improved a lot after age 2. It is just the first initial excitement at seeing other people. Corky thinks everyone comes to see him. He thinks everyone is his best friend and came to play. He is quite a jumper, and I haven't been able to keep him down, short of holding him all the time.

He sounds fierce with his bark, but he is really saying, "Come on in ".

CHAR
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Tundra_Queen
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Post by Tundra_Queen »

Char, what is a dog wipe? Is there really such a thing that u can buy? I know Gary brushes Tegan every morning and sprays some after shave or cologne on a towel then wipes her with it.

Seeing Eye told Gary to "gently" tap on the back paws of Glenna when she jumped up on people. She would try to hug everyone when he first got her and giving her a little tap on her back paws would get her down. She was very hyper GS.

Debbie


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Tundra_Queen
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Post by Tundra_Queen »

ops I forgot to mention that our dogs get what I call "spring stink" but it goes away after a while. It is when they go outside when the snow is melting and it is getting warmer out and they smell.

Debbie


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wild4flowers
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Post by wild4flowers »

This odor he gets seems to be there after sleeping. Like he sweats and then smells like an unwashed dog. And like Kas said, he used to smell like 'warm hay'. Now his bed is smelly and it makes the house smell 'like a dog lives here'.

There are packages of moistened thick disposable towelettes that are easy to use and then get rid of. They do help for awhile.

Gently tapping on his feel when he jumps doesn't seem to be an option since he jumps up and down so fast and so many times, by the time I get ready to 'tap' and reprimand with the key word, he is past that point. He just gets so excited that he can't pay attention to what I am saying.

I did finally got him to stop barking at the wheels of the lawnmower, wheelbarrow, snowblower, broom, snowshovel, but only if I reinforce my technique repeatedly. My husband doesn't get the reinforcement theory. And he will yell at Corky to 'stop barking'. So I have to rush out and reinforce in my own way. CHAR
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janet
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Post by janet »

Don't have anything to add on the odor problem other than skin conditions can sometime smell, but they would be pretty obvious in a Boxer I would think. Can you narrow down what part of him is the problem? Should be able to eliminate teeth, ears or anal glands by looking (or sniffing :oops:) in those areas. Have you changed his diet lately? Sometimes what they eat (like garlic) can ooze through their pores. And too high a concentration of grain products can be the cause of bloat and flatulence.
Last edited by janet on Feb 05, 2005 6:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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wild4flowers
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Post by wild4flowers »

I think boxers are flatulant all the time anyway. Diet the same, large kibbles so he can pick them up with his floppy lips. The odor seems to be in the chest/head area. And no obvious teeth problems, anal glands or abcesses. It doesn't smell like an infection/abcess. It just smells doggy. He has something going on with his ears in the summer, some type of infection. Rubbins his ears/head on objects, shaking his head, and they were red on the inside with darkish oozing. The vet put him on antibiotic gtts. and he had a shot, which cleared up. His ears are dry and clean now. But I do notice a small odor there, but it doesn't smell like his body odor.
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lazygardner
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Post by lazygardner »

I'm not a doggie person, but, if you can do it safely, you might try changing his diet just to see if that changes the odor condition.
Before criticizing someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them you will be a mile away and have their shoes!
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Post by putnamgardens »

Hi Char: I use a waterless shampoo every week for Abby's bath. The company is Virtual Vet who made my product but when I did a search, other company's are making it too. I ask Abby to go into the dry shower. I put a mound of the mouse consistancy product in the palm of my hand. I start at her neck and work down to her tail. I rub it in good and towel dry her. She smells like Orange Mango but there are other flavors. It's GREAT stuff. I first was turned onto it when we adapted a warehouse kitty that was dirty. I bought the product from the vet. I use it for the dog cuz she visits the nursing home weekly and it keeps the dander down for those who are allergic and she should NEVER get dry if I gave her a conventional bath. WISH us luck...Abby is being tested today @ noon to be a Animal Assisted Therapy Dog with Therapy Dog International status. Her biggest test is walking past the food and if she "goes" for it.....I have to call her off it by comand. All the other tests are NO problem. She's 4 years old and has been coming to work with me since she was 10 weeks old. Later, Love, Lisa
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Old earth dog
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Post by Old earth dog »

Lisa made me remember about the dry shampoo. My DD#1's DH was terribly allergic to dogs but loved their Rotty. Seems he smelled better also. The dry stuff was geat for keeping down the dander.
Lisa, HOOOOORA! for therapy dogs. :wink:
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Tundra_Queen
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Post by Tundra_Queen »

Thanks for letting us know Lisa. I have never seen dry shampoo for dogs, I know Gary used it on his first dog, but we couldn't find it when we looked for it. I will ask at Walmart and see if they carry it.

Debbie :-)


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lazygardner
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Post by lazygardner »

Abby, you go girl! (but not for the food)
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Ginger
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Post by Ginger »

Just saw this thread and as the owner of 3 boxers now and 2 who have passed on from old age, let me just say that boxers do have an odor, and it starts occuring as they get older. Mine have it and I have not found anything that gets rid of it except outside. It seems they do not have the odor so bad in the spring,summer and fall when they spend more time outside, because that is where I am. Winter is worse, they are in the house most of the time. I have learned to love the smell, becuase it is my dog. I can even tell the difference between my dogs beacuse of their smell. Copper is the smelliest, then Doc, then Temper. The first Temper we had was really smelly. None of them are bad bad, don't get me wrong, its just there when you snuggle with them, or they get close.

I wanted to mention on the feed, Wildforflowers said she feeds large chunk food, which I don't think has anything to do with the odor, but it may the gas. I feed small chunk because Boxers do not chew their food, and are prone to bloat thus gas. My guys pass gas,but not as often as some boxers do, so I really think it helps.

Good luck on the smelly dog!!

Ginger
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