My Dog Stinks!

Updated on October 19, 2008
A.B. asks from Olathe, KS
40 answers

My dog rolled in something in my parents backyard. They don't have dogs, so I know it wasn't dog poop. I'm pretty sure it wasn't cat poop either. We have washed him twice and the smell won't come out. It's not as strong, but he still stinks. It smells like cow poop, but I highly doubt a cow jumped my parents fence in the city and pooped in their backyard:) The only thing I can think of is that he rolled in skunk poop and that's why the smell won't wash out completely. My husband guessed possumn. Bubba, our dog, is a spoiled member of the family so making him sleep outdoors is out of the question. Anyway, has anyone else experienced this and/or how did you make your dog smell better? Thanks for your help!

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V.F.

answers from Topeka on

You might try what they say works good for getting rid of skunk odor which is a bath in Tomato Juice.

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S.M.

answers from Kansas City on

Wash the doggie in Tomato juice,just as you do if sprayed by a skunk and see if that helpss you'll need a few cans so go to Aldi and get 3-4 cans and wash him down. Good Luck

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S.M.

answers from Kansas City on

You might want to try tomato juice. I've heard about it but don't know if it works.

S.

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M.S.

answers from Kansas City on

One of the things you might want to do before you give the dog too many more baths is make sure it really is his coat that smells. One of my dogs rolled in something nasty, I bathed her, she smelt better and then she stunk again. Washed her again, same thing. Whatever she had rolled in got on her collar and that's what we kept smelling. Washed it and volia, smells were gone. Just a thought cause leather and suede especially will hold on to some pretty nasty smells.

If it's not the collar, then I'd get a good anti-bacterial shampoo combined with an apple cider vinegar rinse. Rinse the vinegar and then follow with a second wave of shampoo.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from Kansas City on

If they have done any recent planting they may have used a potting soil that has manuer in it. I just bought some from grass pad that smells like horse or cow puckey! You might try giving your dog a bath in Tomato Juice it's supposed to work for skunk smell---- Good Luck-----J. C

S.L.

answers from Kansas City on

Well not exactly. My dog has a condition with his ears that makes him stink rapidly between grooming visits. We wash him at home but he still doesn't smell as good as our groomer makes him smell or for as long. Our groomer only charges 20-30 dollars depending on the size of dog. She's in Claycomo on 69 highway between the Ford plant and 35 highway.

If they way tomato juice works for skunks, maybe it would work for your dog?

Suzi

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T.T.

answers from St. Louis on

Try bathing him in tomato juice-lot of it and rinse well-tomato juice neutralizes skunk.

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M.G.

answers from Kansas City on

I work as a veterinary technician- so I have smelled my share of stinky dogs! Go to Petsmart and look for shampoo called "The Stuff". It really does work- it even gets skunk out if you are ever horrified enough to have your dog skunked! Good luck with the bathing- I'd just be sure to lather your dog up really well and let the shampoo sit for 5-10 minutes (it'll seem like a lifetime with a wet dog)before rinsing. Good luck!
--M.

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T.O.

answers from Kansas City on

I know this has already been suggested but tomato juice bath is the way to go. Our dog was sprayed by a skunk and the tomato bath made an enormous difference.

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C.L.

answers from Kansas City on

Try tomato juice. It works to get skunk smell out, I'm sure it would work to get other stinky poo smells out! If all else fails, talk to your vet, or take him to a groomer, or even ask a groomer what they use!

D.H.

answers from Kansas City on

We too have a son that has four legs and smells sometimes. Take him to PetSmart or PetCo and have him bathed there. They have the right stuff to get the smell out that won't harm him in the long run. It doesn't cost that much either and is really worth it. Good luck and God Bless.

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G.M.

answers from St. Louis on

if it was a skunk, washing in tomato juice does the trick

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K.K.

answers from Kansas City on

We have dealt with the same thing - from my parents' backyard also and surmised that it was deer poop. Anyhow, bath after bath after bath is about the only way to make a dog come clean. Try a bath in your own tub scrubbing him with brushes, hands, whatever, then try taking him to a U-Wash-Puppy place where you can use all of their accoutrements as well as their dryer. I've noticed that wet dogs never really are rid of the smell. A dry dog that's clean and perhaps has a top coat spray (Petco, Petsmart, etc.) might help. Good luck,
K.

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K.S.

answers from St. Louis on

You might want to try tomato juice. I saw on Curious George, When he got skunked, they gave him a bath in tomato juice. It's worth a try.

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P.T.

answers from St. Louis on

Tomato juice bath! It really will work!
P.

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K.D.

answers from Kansas City on

Try tomato juice. Rub it all over him but don't get it in his eyes. Let it sit for a couple minutes them bathe him. This cuts skunk spray so it might work for this. Hope this helps!

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S.D.

answers from Topeka on

When someone get sprayed by a skunk, they soak in tomato juice. You could try that on the dog. Just keep washing him every couple of days; I'm sure eventually it will all come out. God bless.

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S.H.

answers from Kansas City on

I've heard tomato juice works. I don't know how big Bubba is, so that might or might not be doable. Good luck! We had our dog roll in the carcass of an animal, and it took FOREVER for that smell to come off of her, so I feel your pain :-)

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M.S.

answers from Topeka on

Try washing him in tomato juice or maybe add a little vinegar to his shampoo. Hopefully that helps. Good luck!

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P.H.

answers from Wichita on

I heard somewhere that Hydrogen Peroxide actually works better than tomato juice on skunked dogs so it may work ok for other smells too! The absolute most horrible reek that my dog got into was a dead turtle at the river once. Ackckckckchhhh....it was just bad. Tomato juice didn't even touch it, he rode home in the trunk of my Dad's car and even then we could smell him. Unfortunately, even though he was an indoor dog, he spent time out on a chain for that one.
Anyhow, try the Hydrogen Peroxide.
http://home.earthlink.net/~skunkremedy/home/sk00001.htm

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R.G.

answers from Kansas City on

Well, I know how to get out the smell of a dog sprayed by a skunk. I can not think of any thing worse than that! So I would try tomatoe juice. Which is also what you would use if you have a dead mouse/animal in your house that you can't find. Use it like shampoo:) Have fun

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K.L.

answers from St. Louis on

First make sure the is coming from the dogs hair and not simply coincidence that he rolled in something and developed a gland, breath, or ear odor at the same time. Once dogs like cocker spaniels get to a certain age, anal glands need to be treated by a vet or groomer and they often develop smelly ear infections. If it is an ear odor, dipping a q-tip in vodka and cleaning the ear is how we took care of that. We simply finishes each bath with the ear cleaning to keep our dog odor-free.

There are some plants and bugs that can produce quite an enduring stentch. Skunks aren't the only stinkers out there. I don't know if tomato juice will work on those odors as well as on skunk odor. If you have tried the tomato juice and it hasn't helped, I would call one of the major pet stores. I know they sell things like Odo-Ban to get pet smells out of carpets. I assume they have something to get other smells out of pets.

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J.L.

answers from Kansas City on

I've heard tomato juice works for getting skunk smell out of a dog. I have two dogs that love to roll in swimming pool water and believe me that stinks! The kids had to bathe them twice after that with whatever kind of shampoo they use on them.

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B.G.

answers from Kansas City on

For dogs who get sprayed by skunks you clean them with tomato juice. This could also work to get the smell off of your dog.

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N.F.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi A.,

Having grown up on a farm, we regularly bathed my big brother and the dog with tomotoe juice to releive the rest of us from having to smell skunk!

N.

A.S.

answers from Kansas City on

You've already gotten quite a few responses, I haven't read all of them, so I'm sorry if I repeat what someone else has already said.

Try Dawn dishwashing soap. Work up a good lather and try to let it set for 5 minutes. Then rinse. It's perfectly safe and shouldn't aggravate his skin. You could also try sprinkling in a little baking soda in his bath, that should help neutralize any odors and do it gently.

I'd be careful with vinegar or lemon juice. It's really acidic and might burn his skin..

Editing to add: Dawn was recommended to us by our trusted dog groomer and vet. It's perfectly safe for dogs. It didn't hurt our dog's skin, and she has really sensitive skin, nor did it ruin her coat, or leave any perfumey smell. You don't need to use a lot, a little goes a long way. Ask your groomer or vet, they might have some ideas.

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S.T.

answers from St. Louis on

I would try vinegar and water or baking soda and water. My dog does this on occasion. He rolls on dead worms in the yard or if god forbid he finds a dead rodent or baby bird. He loves rolling on carcasses! It smells so bad! He also will roll on any other animal feces. Cow, cat, bird, you name it. Maybe after his bath rub a little baby powder into his coat to help with the smell. Good luck!

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J.R.

answers from Lafayette on

could something have died in their yard? dogs ...gross...love to roll in "dead" and that smell wouldnt wash away like poop would.

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S.H.

answers from St. Louis on

we have the stinky-est dog in the world! Here are some of the things we address regularly: since he's a labradoodle, his ears have to be cleaned with a solution. We also have to pull the hair out of his ears. Or they smell!

He has food allergies, so it took a lot to find a dogfood which didn't make him stink even more!

We use an antibacterial shampoo with conditioners (for his fluffy coat)....which keeps him smelling good for 2 days, ok for another 2 or 3 days, & then bearable for up to 10 days. After that he stinks sooo much, that he can take your breath away. & it's "his" smell, not his anal glands.

& the vet/groomer does have to release those anal glands on a regular basis. In fact, CoCoa has had 2 severe infections in the anal glands just this year alone.

Even through all of this, which really sounds a whole lot worse than the actual dealing with these issues, this is the BEST dog we've ever owned. We've simply adjusted our perception of dog care to include CoCoa's extra grooming.

Sooo, could one of these issues be the culprit? Good luck!

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L.S.

answers from Wichita on

Dog love to roll on dead carcasses. It might have been a dead mouse or snake ect. Isn't that a lovely thought. I don't have any advice except keep giving him bathes. I was so desparate one time that I sprayed my dog with Frebreeze. It did work. I also got a bottle of spray at Walmart for in between bathes that works pretty well. It lavendar colored. My dog doesn't like it but I do.

J.G.

answers from St. Louis on

You do know that the smell of skunk poop has nothing to do with the fact that they can spray don't you? Skunk poop has no magical sticking properties. Having said that the only thing that would smell like cow poop in an urban back yard is compost that is not turned properly. If your parents don't compost then cut grass that was not properly raked up will have the same properties. Having said that the smell on my hands when I turn my compost can only be removed by scrubbing them with a soap with pumice in it. Not an option for a dog. I would try a pet shop.

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A.M.

answers from Wichita on

I live rural and we have skunks come around periodically and my dogs like to try to play with them. For skunk smell TOMATO JUICE DOES NOT WORK! Here is what I use and it works in 1-2 washes.
16oz peroxide
1/4c baking soda
1 TBSP dish soap
Mix and lather. Let sit for 10-15 min. Rinse. Works in 1-2 washes.

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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

If your dog continues to smell like feces, it may be caused by a parasite. I had a similar situation with my cat. He already had an appointment with the vet on another matter, but as soon as the vet smelled him he told me what the deal was. He had picked up some sort of earmites. I had to use some relatively inexpensive eardrops on him and it cleared up within the week.

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J.W.

answers from Kansas City on

tomato juice. something in it neutralizes stinky stuff - it works for skunks. maybe do an online search too. good luck!

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H.H.

answers from Kansas City on

We have a dog that likes to roll in poop and what we do is mix a gallon or so (depends on the size of the dog and length of hair) of warm water with oxi-clean dissolved in it. Oxi-clean is great for getting yucky smells out of stuff. So I wet the dog, bathe him in the oxiclean mixture and then usually with regular dog shampoo. Works every time.

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T.C.

answers from St. Louis on

Try soaking him in lemon juice for a bit then wash him, you can use vinegar too!

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L.B.

answers from St. Joseph on

Kudos to Marla on the dog collar. I had a similar problem with my chocolate lab...we have 2 collars to swap out at bath time so while one is drying we can put the dry one on him.

I would SERIOUSLY NOT use Dawn or Oxyclean on your dog... your dog has oils in his coat that are essential to him...stripping those could make him lose his hair...so NOT cool. The one time I thought my dog had gotten into something rank I used 2 cans of tomato juice on him (put him in the tub and stop it up so you don't loose all the juice down the drain before you get him coated...you might want to make sure it's room temp or a little warmer if he's spoiled like my pooch...diluting with water a little won't hurt it either if you want to make it more like a bath.) Then wash with DOG shampoo...if you can find one with Emu oil it will make his coat really soft and glossy.

If THAT doesn't work, I would certainly call your local vet or Petco/Petsmart store...their groomers will probably have some product they would recommend that won't damage his coat and skin. Remember, there is a reason why there is specific dog and cat shampoos out there...they are specially formulated for these critters...if you use human shampoos on them, it will strip the oils from their coats...AND, they are also sensitive to the smells...put something "frilly" smelling on them and GUARANTEED they will go out and roll in something...my childhood dog always did!

Oh, and my first born son is a lovely 85 lb Chocolate Lab so I'm right there with you sister! LOL.

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L.B.

answers from Columbia on

Get a can of tomato juice and let it sit on there as long as possible and then rinse that out and shampoo. The smell should go away.

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M.N.

answers from Kansas City on

Tomatoe Juice is supose to be good for skunk stink you might give it a try or vinigar neither should be harmful to your dog. Good Luck!!!

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K.C.

answers from La Crosse on

Even though I saw the same answer in a couple of earlier posts, Tomato juice works wonders. Put in on him, rub it in and then rinse it off.

I grew up on the farm and our dogs tangled with skunks more than once. Usually we just let it be and most of the smell went away within a week, although it would pop up when they got wet. However, one of the dogs was my show dog. The day of a show, he got sprayed. It was horrible!!!!!! I remember being in tears because I didn't think I would be able to show him. My mom got out the tomato juice and we cleaned him up. Not only did it get rid of the smell, he was really silky soft, too!!! I remember the judge commenting on it and asked how I got his coat so soft and I told her about the tomato bath. Made for a funny story. He did quite well in the show.

Good Luck!

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