Why Does My Dog Stink After a Bath?
It's completely reasonable to expect your dog to stink less after a bath, but that's not always how it works out.
Sebum - an oily substance designed to protect dog (and human) skin, is the main reason your dog still stinks after a bath, but there are other things you need to know.
Sebum Necessary for Healthy Skin
You might be asking if you can't just wash all the sebum off your dog's skin when you bathe them, but the truth is, sebum is necessary to keep your dog's skin healthy and prevent dryness; your dog needs a little bit of oil.
Too much sebum is a bad thing for pets and people, but we all need a little oil on our skin to keep it moisturized and protected.
This is one of the reasons why most veterinarians don't recommend bathing your dog more often than about once every two weeks.
Bacteria and Yeast On the Skin
Aside from sebum, one of the big reasons they smell bad after they're wet or even after a bath is that their skin also has bacteria and yeast that live on the skin and their hair.
These living organisms can produce a variety of compounds, and when your dog is wet or when you scrub them in the bathtub, those compounds can get released into the air, and that's why wet dogs tend to smell bad.
This is one of the reasons why it's so important to choose the right dog shampoo and other products. While sebum is necessary on your dog's skin, bacteria and yeast can cause problems, including unpleasant odors, and you want to keep them under control.
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You don't have to live with a smelly dog if you don't want to! A good shampoo formulated for dogs, regular baths, and regular checkups at the veterinarian should keep most bad smells away. But if your dog still has the odd smelly day, a doggie deodorant is a safe way to make them smell a little sweeter.
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How to Bath Your Dog Properly
Bathing your dog properly is a huge step in the process of keeping stinky smells at bay.
When you bathe your dog, make sure you wet their skin thoroughly and use enough shampoo that is formulated for dogs. Using a sponge to rub their fur and skin is a good way to loosen any dirt, bacteria, and yeast. Protect your dog's ears from the water while you're bathing them. Any water that does get in their ears can lead to an infection.
Make sure you rinse all the soap off properly and consider using a conditioner to replace some of the moisture you've taken out with shampoo. Dry skin can actually cause sebum overproduction, so you want to make sure you're not stripping too much moisture out of their skin.
Other Reasons Dogs Smell After They've Had a Bath
There are several reasons your dog might smell even after they've had a bath, and some of them might require intervention from your veterinarian. These include:
- Bad teeth - dogs can get dental issues just like people, and if they're left long enough, they can start to smell bad
- Infections - if your dog has an infection that has not been treated, there could be an unpleasant smell - this includes severe ear infections, which you might not always pot because it's usually hidden inside their ears.
- Blocked anal glands - some dogs develop this issue from time to time, and it usually requires intervention by your veterinarian or sometimes a dog groomer.
- They rolled in something stinky - unfortunately, lots of dogs do try to find the first smelly thing they can after they've had a bath, and if they roll in something, they'll definitely smell even shortly after a bath.
- Skin allergies and other skin conditions - when your dog has skin problems, they tend to scratch, lick, and bite the area, and that can cause an infection, which could create an unpleasant smell
If you are concerned that there might be a medical reason for your dog stinking even after they've had a bath, the best thing you can do is pay your vet a visit.
Any health conditions or infections that are bad enough to cause a nasty odor will almost certainly require medical intervention to resolve.