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Dog stinks: causes and tips against the bad smell

As many dog owners know from experience, it is not uncommon for dogs to smell. Unpleasant odours can have many causes and in some cases also indicate health problems.


Find out below what causes your dog to smell and what you can do about it.

What part does your dog smell?

In order to be able to do something about the bad smell, you need to find out where it actually comes from. The bad odour cannot only originate from the fur of the four-legged friend, but also from the dog's mouth, ears and digestive tract, for example.


Depending on which part of your dog's body smells bad, there are very different causes and countermeasures to be considered.

Dog smells from the mouth

Dog sneezes

If a dog has bad breath, it is extremely unpleasant, at least when you come into closer contact with the four-legged friend.

Bad breath can be due to food residues between the teeth, problems with the teeth or inflammation of the gums, amongst others.

Therefore, if your dog has bad breath, take a look in his mouth first. The cause may be immediately visible so you can contact a veterinarian if necessary.

In addition to dental problems, bad breath can have various other causes, such as gastritis, diabetes or kidney failure.

In the case of other symptoms you should therefore visit a veterinarian as soon as possible and have your four-legged friend examined.

What helps for bad breath?

Just like for humans, regular dental care is very important for dogs. By keeping your four-legged friend's teeth clean, you not only avoid dental diseases, but you also ensure that your dog's breath is less unpleasant.

You can find our dental powder and our dental sticks in the Bellfor range, two effective, natural products that you can use for the daily cleaning of your four-legged friend's teeth.

Why wet dogs smell

Dogs don't always smell out of their mouths. It is also very common for dogs to smell unpleasant when their fur gets wet. This is because the moisture stimulates the skin's sebum production.

Sebum serves as an important protection for the skin against environmental influences. To prevent your dog from smelling after bathing or walking in the rain, you should dry it off as well as possible.

Bad smell because of dirt in the dog's fur

In addition to the normal production of sebum, your dog's fur could smell because it is soiled. After all, there is hardly a four-legged friend who does not wallow on the floor from time to time. It may well be that he has rolled in malodorous substances, such as the excrement of other animals or manure in a field.

Dogs do this because even if the stench is hard to bear for you, it can sometimes be extremely attractive for your dog. If you could not prevent it from happening, the only thing left to do in this case is to wash your dog at home.

Skin-friendly coat cleaning with dog shampoo

As you probably know, dogs shouldn't be bathed too often. If it cannot be avoided due to strong and smelly impurities in the fur, you should make sure to use a dog shampoo that is as gentle on the skin as possible.

For this purpose, you will find a selection of chemical-free products in the Bellfor range, which you can use to gently care for your four-legged friend's fur.

Our dog shampoo is available for a variety of skin and coat types so you can choose the shampoo that works best for your smelly dog's needs.

Dog smells due to flatulence

Sometimes a dog may have wind. When it escapes, it is often associated with an almost unbearable stench. In general, occasional flatulence is perfectly normal.

However, if excessive gas builds up in your dog's intestines, it can be painful. Possible causes of flatulence in dogs are, for example, feeding dog food that the four-legged friend cannot tolerate, as well as a lack of exercise.

That being said, flatulence can sometimes indicate digestive tract disorders. If it occurs very often and your dog also suffers from other complaints, a visit to the vet is a good idea.

Our tip for a functioning dog's digestion


To aid digestion and to prevent your dog from smelling due to gas, a change of food can be helpful. For example, try our insect-based, grain-free dog food, which is exceptionally easy to digest and is also very well tolerated by nutritionally sensitive and allergic dogs.

In addition, a dietary supplement such as Shiimun Gastro can help to aid the digestion of your four-legged friend in a natural way.

Why dogs smell from their ears

It is not uncommon for dogs to smell from their ears. Breeds with long lop ears are particularly at risk. This is because parasites such as ear mites can nestle in dog's ears. Apart from that, they also provide an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and fungi.

This, along with excessive wax build-up, can quickly make your dog's ears smell bad. Irrespective of this, ear infections can easily occur due to parasites and the likes. For this reason, it is important that you do not ignore any abnormalities regarding your four-legged friend's ears.

Gentle ear cleaning with Bellfor ear care drops

In order to counteract problems with the ears and the associated odour, it is advisable to adequately care for your dog's ears and to clean them if necessary.

Bellfor ear care drops are ideal for this purpose. Thanks to their carefully balanced formula, our ear care drops are perfect for cleaning sensitive dog ears gently.

Dog smells - our conclusion


As you can see, there can be many causes for your dog to smell. The bad odour can originate from the mouth or ears for example, but it can also come from soiled fur or digestive problems.

In most cases, the causes of the odour can be eliminated or avoided quite easily. In some situations, however, a visit to the vet can be advisable because the four-legged friend urgently needs treatment.

Especially in the case of chronic diseases such as diabetes or an infestation with parasites, the fact that your dog smells is the smallest problem, as far more serious symptoms can occur without prompt countermeasures.
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