Hi - I'm new to the Forum and this is my first post. I have two wonderful 5 month old female Lab puppies from the same litter, a yellow and a chocolate. I have had labs in the past so am not new to the breed. I know that Labs smell, and Ellie the yellow lab is fine, but Charlie smells like a cross between fish and urine. She also seems to have slightly more itchy skin and she scratches more than Ellie. They are both fed on 'Taste of the Wild' puppy, as recommended with a salmon oil supplement as recommended by the breeder. Bathing doesn't seem to help. I spoke to the vet at their final vacination (about the itching - not the smell, because at that time I just thought she had rolled in something) and he didn't want to do anything at the time because she was still young. Has anyone had this problem before and if so, were you able to fix it, and how? Regards Christine
Hi there and welcome to the forum! It IS probably worth discussing this with your vet. Probably the commonest cause of a fishy smell is going to be anal gland problems - if the anal glands don't secrete their contents with each poop, there can be a build up in the gland and this can get infected and cause discomfort and an unpleasant odour. Dogs with anal gland problems might be fond of "scooting" their bums on the ground to itch or scratch them. Sometimes it can happen if your dog poop is on the soft side. The passage of a harder/firm stool helps the anal glands to empty each poop. Adding fibre can sometimes help. But.....do ask your vet! We aren't vets on the forum, and just dog owners like you! I'm sure there are other causes too but this is most common. jac
Yup fishy smell is often anal glands. Not only can they not express but they can also get infected so please do contact your vet
A skin issue from allergies is also possible (allergies can be things like pollen in the air, not just food). If your dog is itchy and has smelly skin or fur the best thing is to see a veterinary dermatologist about it. They are specialists and are the fastest route to a solution where skin is concerned
Of what? My Labs don't/didn't smell. Well not bad; after a run through snow they'd be quite fresh. They smell like hay after being in a field of grasses and flowers. EVen if they rolled in horse poop they smelled good, horse poop smells good. LOL. Seriously, what do you mean when you say you know Labs smell?
Another possibility could be a smell from chewing the skin - saliva left behind can become smelly, well, in my experience with my itchy dog. Does your pup chew himself when itchy? Agree, vet dermatologist to get to the bottom of it.
Harley smells of dog. It is something you notice as a cat person and a cat owner. I thought it would really bother me, because to be honest I used to shy away from touching other people's dogs because of the smell and because they would jump all over me. But I don't care one bit with Harley. It is Harley's smell and I love it. If she has been outside and in the rain and comes in all wet and silly, then she needs to go play till she is not a wet smelly thing. And no getting on the bed and rolling around when wet. So I do have limits.
Hi and welcome. I ditto the advice above about speaking to your vet about the fishy smell. If she is itching a lot it would be worth looking at her diet. One food doesn't suit all dogs and can cause itchiness, but again your vet should be able to advise you.
Molly can smell something dreadful sometimes. Its usually when she's been in too close contact with foxy output though
Some dogs make your hands stink when you stroke them. That's "dog smell" to me. Thankfully Snowie doesn't leave any smell on your hands - usually. If he does, it's because he wasn't dried properly or he's been over-itchy. I put his non-dog smell down to diet. But who knows? Maybe I just can't smell my own dog!!
where is the "fishy" smell coming from? his mouth? or fur? if its from his mouth/breath... his puppy teeth may be beginning to fall off. Sparky would have a fishy smell around 5-6 months. Then it would go away for a couple of days and then come back. It was his puppy teeth coming off. For a while I thought it was his anal gland, but he doesn't even come close to licking the area.
