Do Cocker Spaniels Smell Bad?
It seems weird when a cute dog, like a spaniel, smells a bit stinky. Well, this is a common problem faced by many spaniel owners. It’s not like they’re naturally stinky dogs, but sometimes, for various reasons, they can get a little funky. Mostly, your furry friend can give odour due to a physical problem or often a grooming issue.
Common causes which lead your spaniel to smell bad
There are various problems that can cause your dog to smell bad, but these issues can often be resolved with simple methods and proper attention. To identify the source of the bad odour, you should check the following common causes to stop your spaniel from smelling stinky:
Mouth:
One of the reasons for bad smells can be the mouth. Cocker Spaniels mostly clean their mouths themselves, but some food and moisture can become trapped around their mouths and lips, causing a small amount of odour.
How To Help:
Fixing the mouth problem of your spaniel is very simple, and you can do it yourself. All you need to do is regularly check the mouth area, and if you find any food or dirt, simply wipe it off.
If the food is stuck hard in the teeth, use a damp cloth to soften it so it can be removed easily. Regular brushing, dental chews, and a healthy diet can also help keep your spaniel’s mouth fresh and clean.
Recommended Dental Chews:
- Look for the VOHC Seal: Choose chews approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council.
- Chew Texture: Pick a chew that’s a bit rough to the touch. That way, it’ll help get rid of plaque and tartar as your dog chews on it.
- Size and Chew Time: You should give your Cocker Spaniel chews that are the right size for them. This will stop them from choking and getting hurt.
Now the question is how often you should check and clean your Cocker Spaniel’s mouth to prevent odours. For most Cocker Spaniels, a daily check and a weekly cleaning of their mouth is a good way to prevent odours.
Ears:
Another reason for the bad smell in your Cocker Spaniel can be its ears. If not cleaned properly, Cocker Spaniel’s ears can become infected. While most infections aren’t dangerous, they can cause discomfort and bad odours. Earwax buildup and creates a strong, sour smell that can be irritating.
Signs of ear infections:
- Head movements: If your spaniel frequently shakes or tilts their head to one side, it might be because their ears are bothering them or they’re in pain.
- Ear scratching or pawing: When your spaniel can’t stop scratching or pawing at their ears, it usually means something’s bugging them, like an infection.
- Redness and swelling: Redness, swelling, or inflammation around the ear of your spaniel can be the reason for infection.
- Discharge: Dark brown or yellow discharge from the ears of a spaniel can be a symptom of an infection.
- Stinky ears: If your ears are smelling funky, it’s a sign that something is wrong.
- Balance and hearing problems: In serious cases, ear infections can make you lose your dog’s balance or even his hearing.
How To Help:
It is important to clean your spaniel’s ears every 1-2 weeks. This will prevent ear infections and bad odours. There are some methods you can try at home to clean your spaniel’s ears, or you can make an appointment with a veterinarian.
To clean your spaniel’s ears, use cotton buds specially designed for dogs to gently clean inside and around the ears. If food or dust is stuck, soak your cocker spaniel’s ears with water to soften the buildup, then remove it.
Tip: Additionally, use a tall, narrow feeding bowl so their ears hang down the sides and stay cleaner during meals.
Regular cleaning of ears and routine vet checkups can help keep your cocker spaniel ears fresh, healthy, and free from foul smells.
Skin:
If you think your spaniel’s mouth and ears are not producing the smell, then you should check your spaniel’s skin. Various skin infections can cause a bad odor. Be sure to check the crevices of your dog, such as between the legs and stomach.
Since cocker spaniels have long hair, it can be difficult to see infections on the skin, and most people notice them when it’s too late. Look for signs like dander, red skin, or scabs. Many Spaniels also have fungal infections on their feet, so don’t forget to check there as well. The signs on the feet will be:
Skin and Paw Changes:
- Redness and Swelling: The area between the toes and paw pads may become red, swollen, and might feel warm when you touch it.
- Itchy and Uncomfortable: Your dog might go wild with the licking, chewing, or biting of their paws because the infection is making itchy and uncomfortable.
- Hair Loss and Scabs: The affected area may have bare patches and itchy crusty bits due to all the scratching and irritation.
- Fur/Skin Colour Change: Sometimes, the fungus can make the fur or skin on your spaniel’s paws turn a brownish or yellowish color.
Behavioural Changes:
- Limping and Not Feeling Like Walking: Your pup might not want to walk or might limp because the infection hurts
How To Help:
Contact a veterinarian who can prescribe antibiotics or other medications for the infection. Another thing you can do is feed your dog low-carbohydrate, protein-rich food and avoid giving processed dog food to prevent skin inflammation, leading to excess oil production and bad smell.
Specific types of low-carbohydrate, protein-rich food for Spaniels:
- Grain-Free Kibble: These usually have fewer carbs than average kibble. Look for brands that list top-notch protein sources, like chicken or fish, as the first few ingredients. And make sure the guaranteed analysis shows a lower carb percentage, like around 25% or less.
- If your dog is always on the go, you might want to consider high-protein kibble. These foods are packed with protein (usually 30% or more) and light on carbs.
- For some spaniels, raw meat diets or homemade meals can be good, but you have to be careful and talk to a vet or a nutritionist who knows about dogs.
Giving a bath every 6-7 weeks to a spaniel will be the best. It allows their natural oils to replenish and keep their skin and coat healthy.
Stomach Issue:
Cocker spaniels also have gas issues. This is mostly caused by the intolerance of food. It would help if you made a diet plan for your spaniel to overcome this problem.
It would be best if you went with grain-free and fish-based diets that can help you reduce spaniel flatulence because Grain-free fish-based diets have fewer ingredients compared to traditional kibble.
If your spaniel is still releasing more gas after changing the diet as well, it can be a serious medical issue, and you should visit the doctor as soon as possible.
How To Help:
Sometimes, an upset stomach can also lead to a stinky smell of gas in cocker spaniels. Changing your spaniel’s food may help you to solve the issue if it is caused by allergies.
Occasional gas is usually concerning, but if it continues for several days, it will be good for your spaniel to have a checkup from a doctor.
Kidney Disease:
Is your dog’s mouth having a fishy odour? This is mostly caused by Kidney disease.
This health issue is seriously big-time and we can’t just brush it off. Keep your eyes on following signs:
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Increased water consumption and urination
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
If your Cocker Spaniel starts acting weird and you catch a whiff of pee or fish, you better rush to the vet.
Kidney problems can be really serious and even deadly for pets. It’s important to get the right medicine and treatment plan from a vet who knows what they’re doing.
How To Help:
This problem should not be treated at home; you must concern the vet.
How to keep your Spaniels kidney healthy:
- Feed your spaniel a diet that’s got a good balance of protein and freshwater, so they don’t get dehydrated.
- Regular checkups with the vet, complete with blood tests and urine tests, can help catch any kidney problems early.
- Keeping them at a healthy weight by feeding them well and exercising will also help.
- Keep them away from harmful substances and take care of their teeth to prevent infections.
Impacted Anal Glands:
All spaniels have anal glands. These glands can get clogged up and cause problems, like anal sac disease, which can be painful for dogs and should be treated.
If your Cocker Spaniel has anal gland issues, you’ll notice some strange signs, like:
- Redness and Swelling: The area around the anus will appear red, inflamed, or swollen because of the impaction.
- Discharge: You will notice a foul-smelling discharge from the anal area; sometimes, it will be brownish or bloody in colour.
- Pain: Your dog might whine if you touch the affected area due to the pain which is caused by the impaction.
How To Help:
Your vet can solve this problem. They will manually take out the liquid from the sack and remove any solid material in it. It would help if you used the antibiotics prescribed by the doctor for your spaniel regularly to overcome this problem soon.
Cocker spaniel can snap you while this procedure of applying antibiotic so go with safety measurements.
To avoid anal gland infection in spaniels:
The presence of anal gland issues is a well-known phenomenon. There are many measures that you can follow so your cocker spaniel does not have anal gland issues.
- Provide your spaniel with a fiber-rich diet.
- Regular physical activity such as running.
- Maintaining a healthy weight.
- Regular checkups from a pet doctor.
- Grooming properly.
Medication:
Some meds can mess with the bacteria in your spaniel’s mouth and tummy and can make their breath a little stinky. Usually, it’s not too bad, but you can notice it. The good news is the smell can go away once you stop giving meds to your pup.
How To Help:
If your Cocker Spaniel pup’s breath or poop smells bad while they’re on antibiotics or corticosteroids, don’t worry, it’s usually normal. The smell will probably go away once they stop taking the meds.
But if you’re worried that there might be something else going on, or if the smell is really bad, it’s always a good idea to take your pup to the vet just to be safe.
Rolling In Stinky Stuff:
So, you know how all dogs love to get dirty and roll around in the mud? It’s like it’s in their DNA or something. But sometimes, they take it a step too far and roll in something that smells, well, not so great.
And let me tell you, it’s not a good experience for their owners. Oh, and get this: dogs eat their own poop! I know, right? It’s a thing!
Cocker Spaniels mostly don’t make a habit of sitting on their poop, and I’ve never seen such cute Spaniels doing it either. In most cases, adult Cocker Spaniels do their business once or twice daily and sometimes might just leave it there, blending into their fur.
How To Help:
There are different ways to stop your Spaniel from rolling in the stinky stuff, but the most suitable is that your Spaniel knows your commands. This can be the right way. Whenever your pup tries to roll in such stuff, your one command is far away. Sometimes your spaniel might not listen to your command and will do whatever it wants.
If you still think Why does my Cocker Spaniel smell? A regular bath can be the solution.
Conclusion:
Cocker Spaniels can sometimes get a little stinky. It’s not their fault several reasons make your Spaniel smell stinky. Bad breath, dirty ears, skin problems, and funky anal glands are common culprits. Dental hygiene, ear cleaning, and regular grooming are a must if you want your Spaniel to smell good.
What they eat also matters, so a good diet and regular exercise can also benefit your pup. Sometimes, health issues like infections, gas, and kidney disease can also make your Spaniel smelly. If you think your pup’s smell is more than just a little doggy odor, it’s best to take them to the vet.
By keeping up with grooming, feeding your Spaniel a healthy diet, and taking care of any health problems, you can help ensure that your furry friend stays fresh and clean.