Does My Dog Smell Bad?

A few months ago I met with a nice couple to help them with their dog. A few minutes into the conversation the wife asked me, "Does my dog smell bad?"

I was amazed that she asked me that question. When I walked into the house I noticed that the dog not only had a bad odor but looked awful. The dog was a golden mix of some kind and looked to be about 10 years old.

His coat was a mess, he had black gunk pouring out of his eyes and was grey all around his muzzle. I felt really bad for the old guy.

Come to find out he was only about four years old. They called me because they were having a house training problem. My first question was simple. In fact, I knew the answer before they even told me.

I asked them this simple question:

"What are feeding your dog?"

I knew that they were probably feeding a combination of some cheap brand of dry food mixed with some kind of canned food. My prediction was correct, they spent about $12.00 for a 40LBS bag of food made by a large retail chain. The canned food was what ever was on sale.

I told them that the reason they were having house training problems, the reason that their dog smelled and the reason that he looked like he was over the hill was a direct result of the food that they were feeding.

They both looked at me like I was talking Swahili. They went on to say that there was no way that the food that they were feeding was why their dog smelled and looked old. They both thought that it was just the way he was. They added that their vet said that the food they were feeding was fine.

I shared with them the story of my sheltie Sammi. I told them that Sam had some awful allergies, that her fur was falling out, that she was constantly getting fleas. In short she was a mess. I tried everything, cortisone shots, cold tar shampoos, steroids - nothing helped.

It was awful watching her in pain, scratching, chewing, rolling on the ground trying to get some relief.

I asked my vet if maybe what she was eating was effecting her. He laughed at me and said it had nothing to do with it. I ignored him and started to research everything I could on nutrition for dogs. In short, I change her diet, and within just a few short weeks she was a different dog.

Some of the books that I read and people that I studied were Dr. Pitcairn, Dr. Ian Billinghurst, and Wendy Vollard. Now my Sammi is well over 16 years old, very healthy, beautiful skin and coat, clear eyes, and still full of energy.

Your dog's diet does have a direct result on your dog's behavior, skin and coat, and general well being. If you spend just a little while learning about proper nutrition for dogs you'll be amazed at how much healthier your dog will be (and how much smaller your vet bills will be).

As always I look forward to your comments.

All the best,

Eric