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Does your dog have River Stink?

26 Jul 2017

If your dog goes in the waters around Calgary, you may have noticed that he or she is a tad bit malodorous at times!  There is a distinctive stink to some dogs who play in our waters (and it seems to be specific to waters or ponds that come from Rocky Mountain streams or rivers... because water-loving dogs in Colorado have the same stink, but water-dogs on the east coast don’t have the same smell at all.)

Anyhoo... looking for a solution to the issue?  Here are some tips I found online and some from clients:

1. Create a 50/50 solution of apple cider vinegar and water.  combine it into a big spray bottle.  Then the next time your dog goes for a swim, spray it on and rub it in before your dog dries... be sure to hit the underbelly, ’armpits’ and ’groin’.  It helps to reduce the skin’s pH.
2. A dog groomer recommended, ‘try rubbing baking soda or cornstarch into his coat when it’s still slightly damp, and then brushing it out’. 
3. One vet suggested a lanolin-based deodorant spray or an oatmeal-based non-soap cleanser (you can find them both at pet stores)... but they’ll just mask the smell.
4. For yeasty smells (quite common with Labradors and Golden Retrievers who spend time in the water) you can also give your dog digestive enzymes and probiotics for a yeast infection which helps balance the pH in the gut. You can offer plain yogurt with live cultures; just make sure there is no sugar or sweetener in it.
5. Another suggestion was to bathe your dog using a good degreasing shampoo (MalAcetic Shampoo) and/or an enzymatic shampoo.
6. And if you look through the skin and find open sores, a rash, or pimples, it might be an infection requiring veterinary attention and medication.

Hopefully that will reduce the stinky-ness of your summer, and allows you and your dog to enjoy a little more water time together!