Why Does My Old Dog Smell So Bad?

Why Does My Old Dog Smell So Bad

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It is found that your old dog smells so bad when you are sure enough that you bathed him properly. Dogs over the age of 7 are known as elder or senior dogs. At this age, dogs tend to suffer from various diseases and incapability, which make them fragile and stinky. The reason behind these stinks might be many. They include skin infections, anal gland stimulation, dental issues, imbalanced diet, underlying diseases, etc.

Why is My Aged Dog Smelling So Bad?

Old dogs usually stink for various reasons. That’s not because your bathing session was improper. There must be complications for which older dogs still stink after a thorough bath. Some major causes for which your old dog might stink despite good bathing include the following:

  • Sensitive or irritant skin: Skin irritations are more or less common in most dogs. The dog’s skin might get irritated due to external or internal agents, like allergies, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or an irregular diet. Redness, itchiness, and inflammation are also observed as the cause of smelliness in old dogs. Due to these mentioned factors, the glands secrete oils that are highly stinky. However, vets provide proper medicine for relieving sensitive skin as well as odor.
  • Anal gland stimulation: There are two small sacs on either side of your dog’s rectum, known as anal glands. This anal gland produces smelly substances, which are mainly aimed at making a territory and communicating other dogs. A blocked and swollen anal gland makes a terrible odor.
  • Underlying diseases: Some metabolic disorders like diabetes and kidney or liver diseases also cause odor in dogs. It mainly refers to an underlying disease that doesn’t show significant symptoms.
  • Improper diet: A poor diet refers to unhealthy food for your dog. A poor dog diet leads to the formation of allergies and fungal infections. Again, sometimes a harmful diet might have an impact on existing kidney or liver disease or any other underlying disease. Thus, it might ultimately lead to smelliness.
  • Dental problems: The senior dogs often form dental issues, like plaque and tartar formation. This plaque and tartar are quite common in dogs, but if left untreated, they cause a bad odor.

Old Dog Smells Bad Even After Bath

Only baths can’t be responsible for the bad odor in dogs. There might be other reasons liable for your senior dog’s stink. For example, anal gland stimulation might occur at any time and has nothing to do with bathing. Again, in cases of infections or allergies, contact with water is strictly prohibited for a few days. And thus, your dog might still stink after thorough bathing. The internal or external health conditions can not be resolved with bathing. Moreover, ear infections and further problems become severe with growing age.

How To Make Your Old Dog Smell Better?

There might be numerous strategies through which you can keep your senior dog smelling good always. A few of those amazing tricks are mentioned as follows:

  • Give your dog grooming properly. Though you own a senior dog, it’s not necessary for you to stop self-grooming. You should groom your old dog properly at regular intervals to prevent bad odor. If proper grooming isn’t done, dirt and debris might gather underneath and cause a bad odor.
  • Cleaning your dog’s ear regularly is also very important to prevent yeast development in the interior part of the ear. This yeast development later converts into dog ear infections as a cause of smelliness in your old dog in spite of bathing.
  • Deliver your old canine with a fresh, healthy, and proportional diet. Junk food or unhealthy food might increase his body’s risk of parasite and bacterial infestation. You can either feed him high-quality dog food or dog-friendly fruits and vegetables.
  • Properly take your dog to the vet for regular checkups. If there are any underlying internal diseases, your vet might diagnose it as a cause of the smell.
  • You should brush your teeth regularly with the safest dog toothpaste containing refreshing agents. If you can prevent the plaque and tartar formation on his teeth, you can also prevent that bad odor.

Why Has My Old Dog Started To Smell?

You always need to remember to use the best deodorizing shampoos and conditioners if your dog loves playing in the mud. Again, you can use deodorizers or dry shampoos to keep your dog smelling nice. There might be some other liable causes for dog’s intense smell, which might not have been figured out yet. Some of them include the following:

  • Kidney or lung defects: Kidney and lung defects are identified as dangerous and severe diseases in old dogs, causing bad smells. They need to be cured and diagnosed immediately. A kidney problem might contribute to incontinence or loose motion, which will become a major cause of your dog’s stink.
  • Dog Gases: Gas is often observed in dogs if the diet isn’t proper or if it contains excessive junk food. That’s why you must be cautious of his gas and should provide him with the necessary medicines properly.
  • Infections: Infection can be formed from any kind of parasite, bacteria, or external agent. Your old dog’s body doesn’t have a strong immune system to resist them. An ear infection is a common phenomenon that appears due to yeast development. That’s why; this parasitic attack often leads to infection, which again stinks.
Wrapping It Up

You might find your old dog smelling so bad. But that always isn’t the fault of your bathing session. In the twilight years of a dog’s life, the immune system faces breakdowns. As a result, various infections, irritations, and disabilities show up at this age. They become liable for causing bacterial deposition to cause smelliness in your dog. Infection, kidney and liver disease, diabetes, gas, dental problems, stimulation from anal glands, and sensitive skin are the most common reasons behind it.