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Smelly Pets

We all have pets so we can be close to them and enjoy their company. When they smell, it isn't much fun.

The first step to solve this problem is to work out where the unpleasant odour is coming from.  

In cats the areas to check are:

•      The mouth - oral & dental problems generally cause a bad breath. These problems generally need to be addressed by your Vet.

•      The ears  - look for any material or liquid coming from the ears and smell them. Once again if suspect an ear problem, it is advised to check with your Vet before commencing any remedies.

•      The skin - is there hair loss, itching, scaling or scabby areas on the skin. As the skin covers such a large surface area it can emit quite a bit of odour if it is not healthy. Diseases of the skin are very complex. You can try washing (if your cat allows it !) in a soap free mild shampoo eg Aloveen, but if the problem persists a trip to the Vet will be required.

•      Abscess & Wounds - cat bite wounds can get quite infected and cause a nasty odour - you'll often smell an open abscess long before you see it, especially in ling coated cats. Veterinary attention is required to treat an abscess.

•      Anal Glands - see the section on anal glands here

 In dogs:

•      The coat  - some dogs just need a bath as they have been in the creek or rolled in something smelly (of course they would think they smell beautiful). Read about shampooing your dog here.
  

•      Mouth - If your dog has just eaten something offensive their breath will often smell. The other concern in the mouth is infections, dental problems or even oral tumours. I there is a persistent bad breath the your Vet should examine the mouth and throat of your pet. Any time your dog has a cough, they may also develop bad breath from the infection. 
  See some products to help with dental odours here
  

•      Flatulence  - the best way to control this is with diet. The right type of foods will be digested better without the fermentation in the large bowel which leads to gas production. Good quality foods which will help to reduce flatulence include Eukanuba and Pedigree Advance. In home made recipes, rice is the preferable carbohydrate source instead of wheat (including pasta), soy and other grains. There may also be some benefit in giving a probiotic to improve the type of micro-organisms living in the bowel
  

•      Anal Glands - these are often to blame if you notice the smell occur after they have become excited
  

•      Ears - look for discharge - more about ears here

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