Your Stinky Bullmastiff

Dogs sometimes are perfectly content and fairly smell neutral only to go outside and return in a most odiferous fashion! What happened?

 Even as it is hard to always trace the smells of your canine back to their natural origins, there are some common denominators that factor in a sudden smelliness. First of all, just like people, each dog has a natural smell. Yet much more strongly than people, this smell is quickly amplified when a bath is not given every two weeks or so, since the smell is the primary method of recognition between canines. This normal, bodily scent is spread to the body with the help of scent glands that are located in various regions of the animals body, most notably behind ears, underneath the chin, and of course in the anal region. Dogs that like to play in areas with sandy soils will most likely roll around in the soil. It is uncertain what the attraction is, but by and large this is normal behavior and given half a chance, you will see your pooch roll around in the dirt and look more content than ever! Of course, if you have cats that use the soil as a litter box then the dog is sure to adopt that scent rather quickly. In the same vein, those dogs which take on the smell of their surroundings will do so sometimes by rubbing against the ground in an effort to spread their natural scent around as well. In so doing, they may pick up some scent of other animals, including dogs, which might have done the same. There are dogs that have a naturally oily skin which makes it easy for dirt to get trapped against the skin. This creates an environment perfect for bacteria to multiply and before long the smell you notice is that of bacterial infections and also simply the trapped dirt mixed with oil and scent from the glands. A good bath will soon set this back to rights, but remember that oily skin is an entirely normal occurrence and there is nothing wrong with your dog! Sometimes a stinky dog is a sign that it is time for a vet visit. When the smells appear to emanate from the ears, there is the possibility that ear mites are present. These are itchy pests that make your dog very unhappy and will not go away by themselves, even if you try to keep its ears clean. Take your dog to the vet who will prescribe some ear drops, and then clip the hair around the ears to help keep them dry and clean.  

The other end of the dog is of course the source of a lot of scent, yet there are times when the anal glands are acting up and cause a lot of the smell. In some dogs, these scent glands – which should be expressed each time the animal defecates – become clogged and as the liquid scent builds up the dog, who is might try to make things better by scooting its behind on the floor, may actually spread the scent to anything its rear comes in contact with. Expressing these glands is usually the best course of action at that time.