How to Reduce Odor in Dogs

The smell of dogs can make many people uncomfortable. In fact, the smell of a dog can make you hesitant to adopt or bring your dog into the house or car. Dogs can suffer from bad breath in many different ways, such as bad breath, bad breath due to bloating, bad hair due to lack of care, or bad breath from contact with feces. No matter how cute the dog is, the smell will eventually prevent you from spending a lot of time with the dog. Therefore, you should know how to improve bad breath in dogs.

Table of Contents

Bathing the dog

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Buy dog shampoo. For dogs that have just rolled in a foul environment, haven’t been bathed for a long time, or look dirty, bathing is the first and most effective first step to improve odor. You should buy a shampoo that eliminates specific odors instead of using shampoos with artificial fragrances. ^{[1] X Research Source}

You can use more conditioner, depending on your dog’s coat type. ^{[2] X Research Source}
If your dog has a skin problem, such as thrush, you should consult with your veterinarian to find an appropriate medicated shampoo for your dog.

Rinse the dog’s body with water. You can start pouring warm (not too hot) water from the dog’s head down to the dog’s tail. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Dogs need to be thoroughly wet before applying shampoo.

Bathing the dog. Put some shampoo on your hands. Start applying shampoo from the neck to the tip of the tail.

Apply shampoo outside of ears, legs, chest, all hair and the rest of the body.
Be careful not to get the shampoo in your dog’s eyes and ears.

Rinse off the shampoo. Use warm water to rinse the shampoo off the dog’s coat. You should also avoid getting water into your dog’s eyes, ears, or nose.

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If you’re using a dog conditioner, you can repeat the process as you would with shampoo.

Let the dog shake off the water. You should step back and let the dog drain as much water on its own as possible.

Dry the dog as soon as possible. Use a towel to dry the dog as much as possible. Some dogs will let you dry them with a hair dryer on low heat.

The bad smell from wet dogs that many people complain about is mainly caused by bacteria that feed on the natural oils on the dog’s skin. Like so many other bacteria, these bacteria prefer to live in warm, moist environments.
The best way to control wet dog odors is to bathe regularly and dry your dog’s coat early after each bath.
It should be noted because bathing too often will reduce the amount of natural oils on the skin and affect the dog’s health. You should ask your veterinarian about how often to bathe your dog, based on the weather, coat length, and many other factors. ^{[4] X Research Sources}
Do not let the dog roll over before it is completely dry because wet hair is easy to absorb the smell.

Brush the dog’s hair

Clean dog ears. Dirty ears are the main source of odors in dogs. You should clean the ears when you see the dog dirty inside the ears. However, cleaning the ears too often can cause irritation. ^{[5] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}

Buy wipes, mineral oil, or ear cleaners available at the pet store. ^{[6] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}
Wipe in areas of earwax (usually dark brown) and along the grooves inside the ear. The cause of a dog’s ear odor is not only earwax but also an ear infection, so you need to take your dog to the vet clinic for treatment.
Ear infections are common in dogs and are often accompanied by skin problems elsewhere on the dog’s body. If your dog’s ears show signs of infection such as a foul odor, redness, swelling, or discharge, ^{[7] X Source of research} you should find out if your dog has any skin problems.
Both skin infections and ear infections are usually caused by an allergic reaction to a food or an environmental agent such as pollen.
Gently spray the ear cleaner into the ears and rub the dog’s ears in a circular motion. Or better yet, you can use your thumb and index finger to gently press the ear canal just below the ear canal. Then, open and close your fingers to break up debris and promote the action of the earwash. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
Dogs will love to have their ears massaged and breathe with satisfaction.
Finally, use a cotton ball to gently wipe away any water from the ear canal.
During ear cleaning, you should not insert anything into the ear canal. ^{[9] X Research Source} Q-tips should not be used. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Brush the dog’s coat daily. Brushing helps remove dirt and debris that accumulate and cause odors in dogs. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Brush your dog’s teeth. Dirty teeth can cause bad breath. If you want to improve health and reduce odors, you should take care of your dog’s teeth every day and regularly.

Find the right toothbrush for your dog’s mouth size. You can buy a toothbrush at a pet store or from your veterinarian. You should also look for a toothpaste that is suitable for dogs (don’t use human toothpaste). ^{[12] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to the source} Dog toothpaste often tastes as good as beef or poultry.
Put a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush.
Gently push the dog’s lips up to see the dog’s teeth.
Brush all the teeth inside the mouth for one minute. You should make sure to brush both sides of each tooth. ^{[13] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}
Many dogs do not like to be brushed with a toothbrush right away and need training and instruction in the gradual brushing process. You need to brush your teeth with your hands first, then switch to using a gauze pad. When your dog is comfortable, you can switch to using a toothbrush to let the dog slowly get used to it. ^{[14] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}
Don’t forget to reward your dog so he can be more patient with the brushing process.

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Do not spray perfume on dogs. You should avoid spraying perfumes, deodorants, or scented household products on dogs. ^{[15] X Research Source}

These products can temporarily cover up odors, but they cannot completely remove or address the cause of the odor. In addition, products with scents that are not specifically for dogs can be unsafe, make dogs smell worse, or even injure them.

Reduce flatulence for dogs

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Consider your dog’s diet. Unhealthy and unnatural foods can cause bad odors in dogs. You should pay attention to the food your dog is eating and check the ingredients on the food packaging.

Some commercially available foods may contain many cheap and gas-inducing ingredients such as grains or soy.
Dogs can even have digestive problems even with a healthy diet. Dogs are often allergic to foods that cause bloating. Besides, some snacks can also cause problems with the dog’s digestive system.

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Change your dog’s food. You should give up cheap, poor nutrition and switch to high-quality natural food for your dog. A lot of cheap foods contain fillers that are indigestible and cause bad odor, dull coat, bloating, and bad breath in dogs. ^{[16] X Research Source}

High-quality natural food brands are often available at reputable pet stores or sold online. You can also prepare your own dog food at home. It is advisable to consult your veterinarian about a high-quality dog food formula.
Switch foods slowly. You should start by adding a bit of the new food to the old food, then gradually increase the amount of the new food until your dog has completely given up on the old food. ^{[17] X Research Source}
If your dog’s bloating gets worse after a food change, it could be because you changed it too quickly. You should slowly make changes over a period of time to allow your gut bacteria to adapt to the new food. The period of change and tapering of the stale food is ideally usually in the range of 3-7 days.
Almost all dogs are lactose intolerant. If you add foods containing lactose to the diet, your dog is most likely to experience bloating. Flatulence in dogs may improve after you eliminate lactose. ^{[18] X Research Source} On the other hand, fat-free white yogurt containing live probiotics is also very good for the dog’s digestive system. ^{[19] X Source of Research} You should seek advice from your veterinarian before giving your dog fat-free white yogurt.
You can boost your dog’s digestive system with whole grains like cooked brown rice. ^{[20] X Research Source} Dogs will have less bad breath and bloating when their digestive system is working properly.
Avoid giving your dog food scraps on the table. Food scraps and junk on the table are often not good for dogs, contributing to bad breath, bloating and nutritional imbalance in dogs. ^{[21] X Research Source}

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Do not feed your dog food in the trash. You should find a way to prevent your dog from rummaging through the trash as there is a risk that your dog will ingest unsuitable or spoiled food and get foul-smelling substances on it.

Exercise your dog regularly. Walking, running and playing are ideal ways to stimulate bowel movements and reduce bloating. ^{[22] X Research Source}

Treatment of perianal glands

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Take the dog for a checkup. If you think your dog’s unpleasant odor is coming from the perianal glands, you should take your dog to a veterinarian. Your veterinarian can determine if your dog’s anal glands are overloaded or infected. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

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Find a way to clean the gland around the anus. If your veterinarian identifies a problem with your dog’s perianal glands, you should let your groomer or veterinarian clean your dog’s anal glands properly and safely. ^{[24] X Research Source}

You can read the article on how to clean the anal canal for dogs.

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Beware of psychological problems dogs may have. If your dog excretes when he’s nervous, excited, or scared, he may have some kind of psychological problem and need your attention.

Talk to your veterinarian or animal behaviorist because excretory behavior is what causes bad breath in dogs. You can improve this by helping your dog calm down every day. ^{[25] X Research Sources}

Cleaning the dog’s sleeping area

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Wash bed linen in washing machine. Washing the bedding clean and removing fleas and dirt will help improve the dog’s odor. You should put all bedding, crib mattress pads, and crib curtains in the washing machine. Wash according to the instructions on the product label. For accessories that have been washed many times (such as old towels), you should wash them at the highest possible temperature. ^{[26] X Research Sources}

If possible, use fragrance-free or non-detergent laundry detergent when washing your dog’s bedding. Dogs are usually more sensitive than humans. Odors we consider mild can be extremely fragrant to dogs.
- We recommend washing with hot water or baking soda to remove odors and not add scent to the bedding.
- Vinegar and hot water can also remove odors very well.
- You can also choose unscented or low-odor laundry soaps.
Avoid using fabric softener as it is usually very fragrant and can irritate your dog’s skin.

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Dry the bedding. You can put the accessories in the dryer (low setting) or dry in the sun. ^{[27] X Research Source}

Advice

Spray dry shampoo on your dog’s coat and rub it in immediately after spraying. This won’t help hide the odor, but it can clean the dog’s coat and skin. However, the dog’s odor will improve and the dog will become cleaner after a while (1-3 weeks).
If you can’t remove the dog bed curtain, you can drop a few lavender buds between the curtain and the bed to make the bed cleaner and fresher. This also works to calm the dog.
There are many medical products that can help dogs reduce bloating. You should talk to your veterinarian if dietary changes don’t help your dog’s bloating.
In some places, you can take your dog to a dermatologist if he has skin problems. This eliminates odors associated with the dog’s skin or coat.
You should make sure that the products you use on your dog’s coat don’t add odors to your dog’s natural scent. For example, scented products often do more harm than good.
Dogs will love it if you have cool and delicious snacks like Greenies – a toothbrush-like treat. You can reward your dog with Greenies. Eating Greenies helps your dog prevent bad breath as well as make his teeth whiter and healthier. Although for dogs Greenies is just a snack, this is actually a very good snack.
Clean brush. Rinse the brush with hot water and let it dry before reuse.

Warning

Human toothpaste contains fluoride, so it can be toxic to dogs if swallowed. Do not use human toothpaste to brush your dog’s teeth.
Do not give your dog chocolate, onions, grapes, tomatoes, avocados, macadamia nuts, and foods containing caffeine or xylitol. These foods are extremely toxic to dogs.
Some dogs are born fouler than others. You should learn to adapt to this fact, especially when the dog is old, has long hair and is large in size.
The process of cleaning the perianal glands for dogs for the first time requires professional help. Any mistake can lead to serious infection.
Frequent dog odors may be due to a serious illness. If the above methods do not help your dog to smell less, you need to take your dog to the vet. You should be especially careful if your dog has severe flatulence, ^{[29] X Research Sources} emitting foul odors over a long period of time, ^{[30] X Research Sources} of severe foul odor associated with yellow eyes and gums, and abdominal distension or vomiting, ^{[31] X Source of study} or obvious tooth or gum problems.

Steps