We love everything about our canine friends, their personality, their companionship, their wagging tails when they’re excited. All that aside, there’s no mistaking that the scent of our four-legged friends can sometimes be on the stinky side. Some dog breeds like the Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute or Maltese don’t smell much at all, but most other dog breeds will smell from time to time.

If your fur baby is persistently smelly and it’s not caused by something obvious, or if the smell wasn’t there before, there may be something wrong with your pup.

Here are 5 more possible reasons why your dog smells bad.

1) Ear infections

Healthy dog ears usually have good defenses to fight off bacteria. Allergies and hormonal imbalances may cause yeast and bacteria to increase dramatically, causing a foul stench in your dog’s ears. If your dog’s ears smell like yeast, she may have a yeast infection. Even with regular bathing, some dogs, especially ones with long, droopy ears such as the Basset Hounds are more susceptible to these smelly infections. Not only are these infections unpleasant to the nose, it’s also painful to your pup and might lead to hearing issues or loss if left untreated. To avoid these infections, make sure to routinely clean out your dog’s ears with apple cider vinegar or dog ear rinse while wiping the outer parts of the ear down with a wet cotton ball. And at first sign of infection, take your pooch to the vet.

2) Dental problems

Another source of foul odour may also be from your dog’s choppers. Just like humans, plaque and tartar build-up is common amongst dogs, and proper dental care is an equally important (yet sadly often overlooked) part of a dog’s body. Generally, if your dog is experiencing serious bad breath, the issue probably stems from poor dental health, heavy tartar build-up, dental infections and periodontal diseases. However, in certain cases, it can also be a sign of something very wrong inside your dog’s body. Persistent bad breath can be caused by an abnormality in their respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract or internal organs. A dog’s breathe that smells like urine might be experiencing kidney failure while a diabetic dog’s breath might have a fruity, sweet scent. If your dog is experiencing any abnormalities in her breath, take her to the vet immediately.

3) Skin issues

Canine Seborrhea, a condition that, when not controlled, results in a distinct musty, sort of rotting fruit smell due to a buildup of sebum and yeast on the skin, is one of the most common causes of odour in dogs. You’ll notice the odour to be more pronounced around the ankles, elbows, armpits and ears – places where oil and sebum is most likely to buildup. Canine seborrhea is not the only skin issue that is likely to cause an odour. Dogs with overlapping folds in skin like the Shar Pei, Pekingese or Bulldog are also prone to skin fold conditions such as skin fold dermatitis, which is science for “smelly skin condition”. These folds can retain too much moisture and microorganisms resulting in a buildup of bacteria. Dogs with skin folds in particular require consistent cleaning to keep them dry and odour free. If your dog is emitting a foul odor from the skin despite constant cleaning, seek a vet’s advice immediately.

4) Anal sacs

Also commonly referred to as anal glands, are small secretory glands on both sides of the dog’s anus. The glands fill up with nasty-smelling substance, some of which are released every time your dog poops. For some dogs however, anal sacs which are infected may result in that nasty smelling substance subtly leaking, resulting in extreme discomfort for your dogs. A common symptom for infected anal glands is when your dog does the butt scoot on the floor, particularly on carpets and constant licking of the area, along with a not-so-pleasant musky scent. If your dog is experiencing any of these symptoms, take her to the vet immediately to have her anal sacs manually expressed. Failing to address impacted anal sacs may lead to abscesses and ruptures. The best prevention for anal sac infection however is lots of exercise and a healthy diet.

5) Urine smells and urinary tract infections

If your pup has an increased need to urinate more frequently than usual, urinating in the house (even when she is already potty-trained), increasingly needing to “go outside” or if she’s constantly emitting a dog urine smell, she may have a urinary tract infection. UTI’s are painful infections that give dogs an urgent and frequent need to urinate, and when doing so, will result in straining, discomfort or sometimes pain during urination. Increased urination and inappropriate urination may also be indicative of other diseases that may commonly affect older dogs, including kidney failure, diabetes and Cushing’s disease. If your dog is experiencing these symptoms, seek professional help immediately so your dog can be treated appropriately.

Despite us sometimes pinching our noses at our smelling pooches, we still love them to bits. Thankfully, there are enzyme-based products on the market that neutralize and deodorize pet-related stains, smells and odours like dog urine smells. Britex Urine Remover features a unique ‘no touch, no scrub’ formula, meaning that you don’t have to blot or touch urine stains. Instead just spray the area, cover it with a cloth and wait. Enzymes in Britex Urine Remover are specially designed to draw moisture and stains from carpet, upholstery and hard surfaces, breaking up the uric acid crystals and destroying any underlying bacteria surrounding the urine. Britex Urine Remover is also an effective deodorizer to tackle pet-related odour like dog urine smells in the household. Britex Urine Remover is pet and family friendly, so you can rest assured your loved ones are not exposed to harsh nasties and chemicals in the household.

All Britex products are available at the Britex hire stand in Bunnings Warehouse, Woolworths, selected Coles, IGA, Mitre 10 and Home Hardware stores. Britex Urine Remover is also available online here and at participating Bunnings Warehouse, Woolworths and Coles stores.

Find your nearest store