Do Cocker Spaniels Smell? 5 Reasons Why Your Dog Smells Bad

Why do cocker spaniels smell? How can such sweet little fur babies manage to stink?

Doggie odor is a common complaint that veterinarians and groomers get from dog owners.

While not all dogs have a bad smell, some breeds have been known to smell known, such as Basset Hounds, Cocker Spaniels, and Labrador Retrievers. Fortunately, simple solutions such as giving your dog a thorough bath can solve the problem.

Do Cocker Spaniels smell?

All dogs smell — there’s no escaping that. Dogs have that typical “dog smell” that pet owners eventually get used to. But what if your dog has a particularly strong and unpleasant odor? What if the smell is so bad, it’s starting to keep other dogs away from your pet at the dog park?

Common causes of Cocker Spaniel odor

To stop your smelly dog from smelling even worse, we’re going to look at some of the most common factors that cause a cocker spaniel to smell bad. Here are a few places on your cocker spaniel’s body that you should check once you notice a foul smell coming from him:

Mouth

Cocker Mouth occurs when food builds up on the teeth. Tartar accumulates in the mouth, which produces a strong smell. While cocker spaniels can clean their mouths naturally, certain types of food, water, and moisture can build up inside the mouth, and around the fur and folds around the lips.

If this happens, wipe away the food and dirt from your cocker spaniel’s mouth area. If the food has hardened or encrusted, you will have to soften the area first by wetting it slightly with a damp cloth.

Ears

Another cause as to why cocker spaniels smell is earwax. Wax can build up inside their ears, causing a strong and often sour smell. Using cotton buds designed for dogs, carefully clean inside and around your dog’s ears. If you still notice the odor after that, make an appointment with a good Cocker Spaniel veterinarian to make sure whether the pup might have an ear infection.

Food can also get stuck at the bottom of your cocker spaniel’s ears. If it isn’t wiped off immediately, the food can get encrusted, producing an unpleasant odor. Their ears can also pick up dirt when they drag across the floor as they’re sniffing or eating.

The solution is to soak your cocker spaniel’s ears with water and dog shampoo. This softens the crusty dirt on his ears. You should also make sure that you have the right feeding bowl for your dog. Dogs with long ears, like cocker spaniels, need to use bowls that are tall and narrow so that their ears naturally drop along the sides of the bowl.

Bottom

Why do cocker spaniels smell like fish sometimes? A smelly cocker spaniel might have a problem with their bottom or its anal glands. The easiest way to determine if they have blocked anal glands is by the pungent, rotten smell coming out of their bottoms.

Cocker spaniels need their anal glands expressed or emptied. It’s not a pleasant job and if you’re squeamish, you might want to leave this job to the veterinarian. Basically, to express your dog’s glands, you have to squeeze your cocker spaniel’s anal sacs (which means you have to go in there) to release a thick, brown, oily, foul-smelling substance.

Skin

The most common cause of smelly dog odor is the skin. Dogs can suffer from bacterial and yeast skin infections caused by allergies. Certain foods can cause inflammation on your dog’s skin, which leads to the production of excess oil from the glands. The oil transfers to the fur, producing a foul smell.

The best way to prevent this is by giving your dog a low-carbohydrate diet. Stay away from processed dog food and go for protein-rich foods instead.

Gas

Dogs fart too! Flatulence is a common problem among cocker spaniels, and it is caused by food intolerance. Work with your veterinarian to plan a diet that can resolve the problem. Typically, diets that are grain-free and fish-based will help reduce flatulence. However, excessive gas can signal a more serious medical issue, so if the air around your pet is still smelly after changing their diet, schedule a trip to your veterinarian.

Meet your cocker spaniel at Cuttin Blue Farms

Just like any other dog, cocker spaniels will smell sometimes, but that doesn’t make them any less cute. By making diet changes, consulting your veterinarian, and keeping your dog’s fur clean, it won’t be long before you love how your cocker spaniel smells.

At Cuttin Blue Farms, we have a passion for American cocker spaniels. From training them in obedience to finding them the perfect forever home, we seek to improve the overall health and temperament of cocker spaniels for service and for families.

Visit our website today to find your next furry friend.