That “doggie” smell is neither normal nor natural. No amount of bathing or perfume will cover it up either. True health issues like infection (bladder, dental, or intestinal) need to be ruled out first before embarking on the next step. Once your veterinarian gives your dog a so-called clean bill of health, let’s talk about the unrecognized reason for your dog’s odor.
The smell comes from the inside of your dog; 80% of the time, it stems from what you have been feeding – a condition called leaky gut or dysbiosis. Sticking to the 80/20 rule- you can fix 80% of your dog’s smell by changing to real food – balanced food based on meat – either raw or cooked.
Now, I realize for most of us, it takes time and work to prepare this food so there are things you can do to make your life easier. You can purchase a prepackaged raw diet or you can make your own. I have some clients who make large batches and freeze a month’s worth of food, some use the crockpot, some share their balanced, healthy meals. Regardless, the first step to decreasing that smell is to upgrade your food.
After a month, the smell should be 80% better. The other 20% may take probiotics, it make require digestive enzymes, or it may need some specific herbal remedies to treat the rest of the intestinal infection. If you make the switch to real food, you will quickly find your dog sheds less and should smell less doggie and have less greasy feeling in his/her coat. Enjoy your dogs; this means not being bothered by a doggie smell.