# smelly boy



## Dee72

They say Vizsla's don't smell but I can tell mine does, tried just washing with warm water and it didn't do much.

They needs soap! What can I use or do to keep the smell down?


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## pippylongstocking

All dogs smell to a certain extent, even a vizsla! . Can I ask, is this your first dog? Has your dog rolled in anything at all? Or are there any signs of skin infections/allergies i.e. flakiness, soreness, weeping etc? If the smell is pungent, I suggest you speak to your vet for further advice. There are various preparations you can purchase from your vet or pet supermarkets, but I don't tend to use anything on my dog, other than the odd drop of dog shampoo in a bucket of water to wash her muddy feet! I am sure you will get lots of advice from the forum. You might also want to search the forum. I am sure there is lots of info re soaps and shampoos etc. Hope you solve the problem!


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## mswhipple

The Vizsla is not typically a very smelly dog. It's possible that your dog is having some anal gland problems. See the "Search" box on the right-hand side of your screen, just above the advertisements? Type in "anal glands" and press "Search". You will find a number of different threads discussing anal gland issues. It might require a trip to the Vet to determine whether or not this is actually the cause of the odor. Normally, Vizslas don't have much of an odor at all, and have even been described as the "smell good" dog. Hope this helps.


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## Hbomb

I agree with mswhipple- Hercules had to have his anal glands seen to a couple of times when he was a puppy- and often the only sign was he smelled a bit funny.

Also check his mouth to make sure his teeth are ok- I can imagine if he's got dental probs that may smell a bit- although that's less likely if he's a puppy.


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## texasred

If I remember right yours is young, and you just adopted him. I would give him a bath with a detergent free hypoallergenic dog shampoo. He may have had to spend many hours crated alone before you acquired him, and that maybe the reason for the smell.
Be sure to wash all of his bedding when you wash him. I always rinsed the bedding twice, to make sure all detergent is out. Puppies seem to get a little smelly at times, but it gets much better as they get older. Its been a long time since I've washed mine, other than to get the mud off.
If this doesn't work the culprit with most vizslas is either rear or ears.


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## Dee72

Thanks for the advice, I gave him a good bath today with soap and it has gone down, he is 5mths but I'm wondering if I should clean his teeth? Also he is still occasionally weeing in the house (generally when one of us comes home) so I'm guessing that might have something to do with it as well.

Also I took him to the forest and he came home head to toe in mud, you can't soap a Vizsla everyweek so how do you clean them?


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## texasred

Most of the time I just rinse them off with water.
Detergent free dog shampoo is not as drying on their skin, as regular dog shampoos.


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## mswhipple

I agree! It is so easy to think of them as human, but their skin is not like human skin at all. Overbathing can cause problems. Willie gets two baths a year... one in the spring and one in the fall. He never smells bad, he's never itchy, and his coat is silky and glossy. I do brush him about once a week during the hot weather months, which he seems to enjoy. ;D ;D ;D


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## Ksana

There are only a handful of reasons for a Vizsla not to smell nice: 1) when their inflamed anal glands, 2) when they gave a mite or yeast ear infection, 3) when they are wet for a short period of time they have "doggy odor", or 4) when they are stressed out. I think last time we bathed our boy was sometime in summer, after his water retrieve from a smelly pond.


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## Darcy1311

Darcy has issues with her anal glands, but a trip to the vet and £12 later,all is well...as for her ears, I find a quick dust with THORNIT...does the trick..I believe it's all about being a good owner and looking out for these things before they start causing to much of a problem.....your Vizsla will thank you in the long term..


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## mlg1900

Just to add about teeth....

I remember Ginger having a strange odor to her breath when she was teething. I want to say it was almost a old bloody smell.


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## tknafox2

What do you feed the dog??
When we fed our weimaraner Lamb, I could not stand the way she smelled. The odor that emitted from her skin and oil glands to was awful. We stopped feeding her Lamb and "no more problem."
My Vizsla was allergic to chicken, and all we could feed her was lamb. But with her, I never noticed an odor. she just smelled like Love. Warm sweet LOVE.
Foxy did get an obnoxious dead fish smell every once in awhile, I believe it to be the anal glands, but I never had to vet her. And most of the time when I smelled her stinking, it was a stressful situation.
Fergy has no Odor at all, unless he has rolled in a dead Raccoon...OMG!!!


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## texasred

Dee72 said:


> Thanks for the advice, I gave him a good bath today with soap and it has gone down, he is 5mths but I'm wondering if I should clean his teeth? *Also he is still occasionally weeing in the house (generally when one of us comes home) so I'm guessing that might have something to do with it as well.
> *
> Also I took him to the forest and he came home head to toe in mud, you can't soap a Vizsla everyweek so how do you clean them?


He maybe doing the same thing in his crate when excited. If laying on the pad later, he would get smelly over time. You might consider just using towels in his crate, and change them out daily.
Use the search function for Submissive peeing.


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## CatK

Let him get good and filthy, then throw a stick in a river 

When you get home, really good towel dry, then either another towel down or a brush when dry.

I love that 'she smelt of LOVE' - SO TRUE 

I'm getting a bit obsessed with burying my face in Morris's fur, the poor boy can barely move without me attacking him.


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## MilesMom

I think we are the odd balls in the bathing category. 

We wash our boys weekly, but we do battle with allergies and keeping them clean and pollen free helps. 

Sunday is "spa day." They get a bath with mild oatmeal/ aloe shampoo (sitting in suds for 10 minutes to avoid drying skin out), then nails, ears cleaned, and a light brush. If I have energy/ time after this they also get their paw pads coated with bag balm and their teeth brushed. The day care expresses their glands as needed, we usually do it about every 3 months. 

After a beach session or particularly messy hike, they get sprayed off mid week. 

Works for us, no stinky boys in our bed and no problems with dry skin.


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## texasred

The last time I bathed the dogs was after they played with a skunk. Before that I think it was when June played in a pond full of amebas. She stunk and had to go to the vets. Poor girls stomach was so upset.


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## lilyloo

We bathe Ruby every couple months. She doesn't really get stinky, but she gets more "dog" smell... mainly her paws and ears. She sleeps with me UNDER the covers so I prefer her to smell good. Hah.


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## Ksana

Interestingly, I don't like popcorn smell; this is why I don't like going out to movies. But the V's popcorn-like smell is one of the best smells in the World. I wonder why is that? Our boy sleeps in our bed, in the middle and under covers, it could be either his head or his tail that is on the pillow; he smells good regardless which way he is facing me


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## CatK

Ksana said:


> it could be either his head or his tail that is on the pillow; he smells good regardless which way he is facing me


I adore Morris's smell, but for me this statement would be one step too far. It's not the rump that smells per see, it's the risk of him doing the stretch-and-fart manoeuvre he's becoming infamous for, I'd be worried for my eyebrows...


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## Darcy1311

Oh the wonderful fragrance of fox poo on Darcy, you just cant buy that....LOL..


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## Bronson

CatK said:


> it's the risk of him doing the stretch-and-fart manoeuvre he's becoming infamous for, I'd be worried for my eyebrows...


Glad I'm not the only one subjected to these flagrant calisthenics sessions ;D

We use J&J baby shampoo on Bronson whenever he crosses the intolerable smell threshold (once a month max)... Works better with sensitive skin than any dog shampoo we've tried!


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## Ksana

CatK said:


> It's not the rump that smells per see, it's the risk of him doing the stretch-and-fart manoeuvre he's becoming infamous for..


We have adjusted our boy's diet, so there is no gas issues...


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