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Why does dog smell like swamp water

Posted By Susan (Las Vegas, NV) on 08/28/2014

I'm boarding a 9-month old female West Highland Terrier in my home for a month or two. Her owner had her on a diet of commercial kibble, which of course was high in corn, by-products and other bad ingredients. A lot of various leftovers would be added to her kibble at dinnertime but I can't say what exactly she was getting beyond the constant diet of that kibble. Her skin was very itchy and driving her (and us) crazy.

I also learned that she'd been on Prednisone for her itchy skin but don't know for how long or what the dose was.

Within a few days after she'd arrived (about 17 days ago) the kibble was gone so I started feeding her organic plain yogurt and fresh ground turkey meat, fresh vegetables and other healthy foods. I don't expect to see immediate results from the change in diet (except that she now eats her meals with gusto! )

She needed a bath when she arrived so I used some dog shampoo on her. Even after a good scrub I could smell this swamp water smell emanating from her skin, especially after she goes out in the sun.

Two days later I gave her another bath with an "odor control" shampoo the owner gave me. Same results.

She is/was developing a hot spot on her back and I put some organic coconut oil on it. She licked it off and her back still itched.

Last night I put her in the tub, first soaping her up with the odor control shampoo. I rinsed her off completely then filled the tub again, adding colloidal oatmeal. She soaked in that mix for 10-15 mins then I rinsed it off. Finally, I rinsed her off with a 50/50 mix of organic ACV/purified water and dried her off.

I also added some ACV to her water. She likes it.

After the bath last night she smelled a little like a salad, but there wasn't that swampy water smell. Her constant itching has been reduced by at least 80% and I have sprayed the hot spot with the ACV/water mix and it seems to help with the itching.

However, today I took her outside for a few minutes and of course, being in Las Vegas the sun is shining. When I went to remove her halter there was that swamp water smell again, and it was very strong! It has been a couple hours since I brought her inside and I just smelled her fur/skin and now the smell is very, very faint, almost imperceptible.

I've never had a dog with skin problems before and really have no clue as to what this is all about. Can someone please clue me in?

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Replied by Theresa

Donate

(Mpls., Mn) on 08/29/2014

Theresa

The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.

About Theresa

Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.

Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.

Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.

-----------------------------

How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation

If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.

http://www.piperslegacy.org/

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http://ted.earthclinic.com

Hey Susan!

It is entirely possible the swamp smell is the result of your westie detoxing from the kibble now that he is on upgraded groceries.

If this were my dog I would bath daily if needed in Ted's Anti-Fungal/Anti-Staph remedy.

You will need epsom salts, borax, Milk of Magnesia and hydrogen peroxide. You can get all these over the counter at the drug store. The hydrogen peroxide is very probably a 3% solution, so you will need to dilute it. So take 1 bottle of the hydrogen peroxide and add 2 bottles of plain water to it; you now have 48 ounces of a 1% solution of hydrogen peroxide. Now add 6 table spoons each of the Milk of Magnesia, epsom salts and borax. I mix it up in an empty white vinegar jug and then I fill the bath tub with warm water, and then sit the jug in the tub while I bathe my dog - this let's the solution get nice and warm. Bathe your dog and use your hands to squeeze out any water in his coat. I rinse any suds out of the tub and then put in the plug. I then pour the solution over the dog and use a plastic cup to scoop up the solution from the bottom of the tub and pour it over the dog again and again. Do this for 10 minutes, and then put the dog in an empty crate - do not towel dry, and no bedding. Let him sit and air dry for the next half an hour. The wet solution will continue to work until it is dry. This is effective for 24 hours and you can use it daily.

Additionally, I would consider alkalizing her water with baking soda; a crisis dose is 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into 1 liter of water and have this as her only drinking water. After 5 days you can reduce to a maintenance dose of 1/4 teaspoon into 1 liter of water.

Replied by Susan (Las Vegas, NV) on 08/30/2014

Hey Theresa! Thank you for the remedy recipe. I am glad to know the remedy can be used daily. I will pick up the ingredients as soon as possible and try it out.

Earlier this evening while doing some chores I put her behind a puppy gate in the bedroom. She has some separation anxiety issues (we are working on eliminating them) and she went through her high-pitched squealing for quite awhile (stress).

Later when went into the room and picked her up that swampy smell was back again and it was strong enough to fill the bedroom.

She didn't have the smell before I put her behind the gate.

Her skin is still itchy but not like before when she was scratching herself 20 hours/day so I know that the food is starting to help her system.

When she was at her owner's house she was running and playing with another dog for days and before I started caring for her I'd noticed that smell. In fact it was so pungent I gave her a bath the same night she arrived.

Could that smell be caused by stress/anxiety and/or physical activity (playing with her dog buddy)?

Thank you!

Replied by Theresa

Donate

(Mpls., Mn) on 08/30/2014

Theresa

The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.

About Theresa

Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.

Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.

Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.

-----------------------------

How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation

If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.

http://www.piperslegacy.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Bobo-home/1409993732632080?sk=timeline&ref=page_internal

http://ted.earthclinic.com

Hey Susan!

The things that come to mind with a stinky dog are seborrhea and yeast. Seborrhea usually presents as a waxy, oily coat; yeast is chronic and super itchy. Stress may feed both of these conditions so you are spot on to note it.

At this point you are doing all the right things to treat both conditions. So give it some time - a week? - and report back!

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