Smelly dog, maybe her ears???

didee · 11-02-2009, 07:35 PM

My 15 week old puppy has a weird unpleasant odor. She just had a bath (from the groomer so it was high quality) last week. She has some overstimulation issues and the behaviorist advised me not to bathe her right now (which is why the groomer did it). But she stinks again, and I can't figure out why she's so smelly. I was looking at her ears from a distance with a flashlight and saw some brown, and tried to get it before she got overstimulated and tried to go for my hands (long story, but for now I am not supposed to handle her when she's over excited). I am trying to sniff around her the best I can without getting her worked up, and I think the smell might be coming from her ears. She has these big, stand-up sherpherd ears, which until recently went every which way. I specifically had the groomer clean her ears last week.

I have never had a dog whose ears smelled before. Has anyone had a dog with a strange odor, especially if it's coming from the ears? She was just at the vet last week for her DHPP, rabies and puppy checkup, and no notice was made of any health issue.

I checked her crate to see if maybe she is peeing in it and it's soaking into her fur and making her smell, but can find no evidence of potty in there. And her fur doesn't seem to smell icky. I just can't pin it down. But it can be quite pungent. It's not anal glands or emanating from the butt though, nor is it her breath. She's supposedly a lab/shepherd mix, but looks like a white german shepherd.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

agility collie mom · 11-02-2009, 07:43 PM

Could be she released her anal glands. The liquid they produce has a very strong fishy odor. Many dogs will release them when they become excited, frightened, etc. Ear infections are also a possibility they smell kind of yeasty.

didee · 11-02-2009, 07:55 PM

I definitely know the anal gland smell, it's not that. I asked the groomer if she noticed anything and she said some dogs just smell more than others. I was just trying to sniff her some more, maybe it's her feet? I can't find the source! Nor can I describe this odor. It's driving me crazy. I wish I had asked the vet if she noticed it when I was there.

agility collie mom · 11-02-2009, 09:26 PM

Have a co-worker who's dog's diet made his feet smell like corn chips. She asked a couple other people who's dogs were on the same diet and they said "yeah come to think of it my dog's feet smell like corn chips too!" Could be diet related.