Dogs get itchy bottoms at times, and they don’t have too many options when it comes to scratching that itch. They can bite or lick at their bottom, or they can scoot it along the ground.

Let’s look at the most common reasons why your dog’s bottom might itch.

1.       Worms, in particular tapeworms, can cause itching around his anus. You may have noticed the small white worm segments that look like rice grains in his stools or around his bottom. They are very itchy indeed and are a common cause of scooting.

2.       Your dog’s rear end is a popular spot for fleas to gather, and they too will make him itchy around his rump. Some dogs are actually allergic to flea saliva and one bite from a flea will make their skin red and inflamed. To add insult to injury, fleas spread tapeworm so if your dog is itchy from fleas, he’ll soon be itchy from tapeworm too.

3.       Dogs have two little scent glands just inside their anus which contain a very smelly liquid.  These glands can become blocked, swollen and infected, and your dog will drag his bottom along the ground to try and relieve the discomfort.

4.       Some breeds of dogs are prone to severe infection and ulceration around the anus. German Shepherds are known to develop these perianal fistulas. They can be quite painful, and very difficult to treat. This is less common than the other causes of scooting we’ve mentioned.

Stop That Scoot!

It’s embarrassing when your dog scoots in public, and it’s not so pleasant when he does it at home either, particularly if he scoots on your carpet. What can you do to stop him?

Make sure you worm him with an effective broad spectrum worming tablet. This will get rid of any tapeworms lurking in his intestines.

Have a look under his tail. If his scooting has resulted in any redness or irritation, bathe the area with Comfy Dog shampoo with colloidal oatmeal. It will relieve the inflammation and soothe his itch.

Use Flea the Scene regularly to keep these blood sucking parasites at bay. It contains natural insect repellents, and antiseptics to soothe any itchy bites. It has no side effects and is safe enough to use every day.

If you’re concerned about your dog’s anal glands, take him to your veterinarian for an examination.  She will empty his glands, and check for any infection. If infection is present, he may need a course of antibiotics to clear it up. Some dogs are prone to anal gland issues like my 5 year old Westie. I have to take her in about once a month or so.  Some people tell me that I can do it myself. But sticking my finger up my dog’s bum doesn’t sound appealing to either of us! Now that we know what the problem is we can bypass the vet altogether and just see the vet tech. Each visit is only $15.  Well worth it I say!

Cleaning Up Afterwards

Sometimes scooting can result in a little soiling of the hair around your dog’s bottom. You’ll want to clean that up before he jumps into your car, or climbs onto your couch.

Pre-moistened Eyepads are very convenient for cleaning up any soiling or discoloration around your dog’s bottom while you’re out and about. Just grab a pad, wipe, and throw it in the trash. When you’re at home, keep Dry Dog Instant Clean handy for when he needs a quick freshen up under his tail. Spray it on his skin and wipe it off with a cloth.

If you can figure out what’s causing your dog to scoot, and remedy the situation, you won’t be embarrassed by him when you’re out walking together!

 

 

 

 

 

Owning a long haired dog is a pleasure - there’s the softness of his fur as you hug him, the beauty as he runs with the wind blowing through his coat, and the compliments from passers by as you go walking together.

 

There is one part of living with a long haired dog that is less than pleasant, and that is “poopy butt”. This occurs when your dog’s poop gets caught in his hair and doesn’t fall to the ground properly when he defecates. The result is that you have a daily clean up job that you’d definitely rather do without.

 

How can you manage poopy butt?

 

The most important part of preventing poop sticking to your dog’s hair is to keep the hair around his bottom trimmed short. Poop is much less likely to get caught in short hair. You can use scissors to do this; alternatively invest in an inexpensive pair of clippers to cut away the long hair.

 

It may take your dog a little while to get used to the sound and feel of the clippers. Take your time, use lots of rewards and make it a positive experience (for both you and your dog. Treat yourself to a glass of wine after. The operative word being AFTER. Trimming and drinking don’t mix) You’ll need to clip his hair on a regular basis, so make sure he’s not stressed by the experience.

 

You can also take steps to make sure his poops are firm. Soft feces are much more likely to get caught up in the hair around his bottom.

 

If his feces are a bit loose, add some fiber to his diet and that may help firm them up. Alternatively, feed him a highly digestible, low residue diet, and that usually results in smaller, firmer poops. There are several commercial kibbles that will help reduce the amount of feces he will produce.

 

Make sure you keep up to date with his worming medication, as intestinal worms can also contribute to soft feces.

 

If you do have to deal with the dreaded poopy butt, don’t despair. Keep a packet of pre-moistened pads handy, and your clean up job is much easier. These  pads will remove any discoloration on your dog’s hair, while its all natural herbal extracts and colloidal silver help prevent the growth of bacteria on his coat. For the best results, rub the pad well into his fur, both with and against his hair.

 

Life is busy, and there isn’t always the time to bathe your dog to clean up a poopy butt. Dry Dog Instant Clean is the solution to this problem. This all natural waterless shampoo cleans without water, and will remove poop that is stuck to your dog’s coat.

 

The other advantage of Dry Dog Instant Clean is that it doesn’t just mask odors, it eradicates them completely. It contains Ordenone, a water soluble material which actually traps odor molecules. So, you won’t have to put up with eau de poop fragrance, but instead you’ll enjoy Dry Dog Instant Clean’s fresh kiwifruit melon fragrance.

 

You already spend a lot of time grooming your long haired dog to prevent knots and tangles and keep his coat looking good. It doesn’t take much longer to trim the hair around his bottom, and then you won’t have to deal with any more poopy butt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s nothing more likely to ruin a pleasant walk with your dog than stepping in dog poop. Even dog lovers don’t appreciate having to scrub poop from the soles of their shoes.

Picking up after your dog in parks and other public places prevents others stepping in their droppings, but more importantly, it can reduce the spread of parasites and bacterial infections to other dogs and to people.

And just think of all of the poop to be stepped in. One study said that 3.6 billion pounds of dog waste per year is produced in the United States equaling 800 football fields one foot high! And the city of Los Angeles reported that "walking dogs without picking up the poop droppings in L.A. at more than 82,000 times EACH MONTH.”  YUCK!!!!

Pick Up That Poop

There are several health risks associated with leaving dog poop in public places.

1. Dogs can pass the eggs of intestinal worms in their feces. These can infect other dogs and if they have a large enough worm burden, they can become quite ill. People can also be infected with roundworm and hookworm eggs which may cause blindness and neurological problems.

2. Dogs can be infected with giardia and may not show any symptoms. However, if a human becomes infected with this little parasite, they may develop stomach cramps, gas and diarrhea. Giardia may survive in the environment and remain infective for quite some time.

3. Salmonella is a bacterial infection that can be spread from dogs to humans. It can be found in feces passed by infected dogs, and can infect people if they accidentally touch these feces and don’t wash their hands afterwards. It too causes diarrhea, but some people will develop further complications including arthritis.

Dog feces attract flies, and they help the spread of these diseases.

If dog poop is not picked up, it can also contaminate ground water, and be washed into lakes and streams. Poop contains nutrients which can promote the growth of algae. It can also use up oxygen as it decays, and the result is a less than perfect environment for the resident fish.

There have been studies done which show that some lakes and creeks contain high levels of fecal E coli bacteria, and it’s likely that dog poop is a major source of these bacteria.

Keeping It Clean

Picking up dog poop may not be the most savory job, but as you’ve seen, it’s very necessary. There are some ways of making it easier and more environmentally friendly.

If you use a plastic bag for picking up poop, consider using a biodegradable one. Regular plastic bags can take many hundreds of years to break down in landfill.

You can put your bag of dog poop in the trash can, but when you consider the number of dogs in a city,that’s a lot of trash. You can flush the poop down the toilet, and it will be treated at the sewage treatment plant.

Many people use dog poop in their compost bin, or in their worm farm. Compost containing dog poop is best used on flowers and trees, rather than on food producing plants. If you’re going to put dog poop in a worm farm, make sure you don’t do it straight after you give your dog a worming tablet. Most worming products don’t mind which type of worm they kill.

After you’ve picked up your dog’s poop, have a quick look under his tail to make sure he is clean. If he needs a spruce up, Dry Dog Instant Clean is the product you need. This all-natural spray cleanses his fur without needing water or rinsing, and its active ingredient, Ordenone removes all trace of bad smell.

Illegal Poop!

Another reason to pick up your dogs poop is that it’s illegal in many cities not to!  If you decide to let your dog poop in public in London without proper removal, you could get a hefty $750 ticket!

If everyone picked up their dog poop when they went walking, just imagine how much cleaner our environment would be!

Dogs are renowned for having really bad smelling flatulence, and sometimes their breath isn’t a whole lot better. In spite of that, they never seem embarrassed, and still make lots of friends at the dog park.

We may laugh but if your dog has either of these problems, it’s not that funny. They’re a lot less pleasant to cuddle up to. Even worse, if your dog is flatulent, you may be blamed for the smell!

Causes

By far the most common cause of bad breath in dogs is dental disease. Plaque accumulates on the teeth; this is a soft sticky build up of bacteria which can be found predominantly on those big upper molars at the back of the mouth. This leads to inflammation of the gum, calculus formation, and loose teeth. Not only is this painful, but it smells.

Some foods can also cause bad breath. A well known example in people is garlic - if you’ve eaten it as part of your meal, you’ll often have no friends for a little while.

Let’s look at the other end. All dogs produce gas in their gastro-intestinal tract, as part of the normal digestion of food. Most of the gas that passes from the intestines doesn’t smell at all. Any bad smell is caused by hydrogen sulfide, better known as rotten egg gas.

Some dogs swallow large amounts of air while eating, especially if they gulp their food. This has to go somewhere, and while dogs will burp, a lot of it often comes out the other end. This isn’t usually offensive, but can be quite loud.

The foul smelling flatulence is usually due to poor digestion of certain nutrients, such as protein or fiber. When partially digested food reaches the large intestine, it ferments and releases excess gas. Some dogs also like to eat rotten food or other unsavory items, and this too adds an unpleasant odor to their wind.

Cures

If your dog is excessively smelly at either end, it’s important that he’s checked by your vet. There are some less common medical causes of flatulence , such as intestinal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease that need medical treatment. Similarly, dental plaque needs to be removed - it doesn’t just cause bad breath, but can lead to more serious conditions such as heart valve damage, and kidney disease. This is usually done under general anesthetic - most dogs won’t voluntarily lie back and open wide.

Although you’re not likely to stop his flatulence altogether, you can reduce the smell.

1. Feed your dog several smaller meals a day, rather than one large meal. This will help to increase the digestion of nutrients, and reduce the amount of partially digested food reaching the large intestine. Less fermentation means less gas production.

2. Encourage your dog to eat slowly by putting an appropriate sized clean rock in his dinner bowl. He’ll have to dig around the rock for his kibble, and he won’t be able to quickly gulp his food. This will reduce the amount of air he swallows.

3. Change his diet to a highly digestible, low residue prescription diet. Your vet can recommend a suitable food for your dog. This too results in less nutrients reaching the large intestine, and reduced fermentation and gas production.

4. Digestive enzymes can help. These can increase the breakdown of nutrients in the diet and help improve digestion and absorption. The result is again less fermentation.

Dog Smog Remedy attacks your dog’s bad smell from both ends. It can be sprayed in your dog’s mouth, just like a breath freshener,and the peppermint and fennel will stop bad breath in its tracks. It also contains digestive enzymes which help break down food, and reduce the amount of noxious gas your dog produces.

Try these steps to wipe out your dog’s smell, and you’ll be cuddling on the couch again in no time. Better still, your friends and family won’t avoid you any more.

Let’s face it. Dogs don’t always smell good. Whether the smell is from their front end, their back end, or just their whole body, the result is the same. Sometimes they’re not all that pleasant to be around.

Here are five quick steps you can take to eliminate that funky dog smell, and avoid being knocked out when your dog wants to sit close to you.

1. Dental disease is a common cause of bad odor around your dog’s head. Have a look inside his mouth, and check for reddening of the gum line, and any build up of calculus on his teeth, particularly those at the back of his mouth. A study has shown that 85% of dogs over 3 years of age have some degree of gum disease, so even if his teeth and gums don’t look so bad, they may still the source of the stench.

Have your vet check your dog’s teeth, as he may need a professional clean and polish. Otherwise, consider changing his diet to see if it improves his breath, and give him a regular spray of Dog Smog Remedy . Its peppermint and fennel botanical extracts will freshen his breath in no time. And then be sure to make brushing your dog’s teeth at least a weekly activity to avoid tooth decay.

2. If your dog has that strong doggy smell and is itchy, he may have skin infection and inflammation. This can be secondary to allergies, hormonal disorders or nutritional deficiencies. The end result is the same - an overgrowth of bacteria and fungi on the skin.

Treatment is straightforward - your vet will help you diagnose and correct the underlying problem and will prescribe antibiotics to kill the secondary infection. In the meantime, you can minimize the smell by washing him in Comfy Dog Shampoo . It will gently cleanse his skin and coat, and its colloidal oatmeal will ease the inflammation and relieve his itching. For days that you don’t wash your dog by Fido is smelly funky, use a dry shampoo like Dry Dog Instant Clean . It’s ingredients capture and eliminate foul smells so you can breathe!

3. Now to a less pleasant topic. Dogs have two little anal glands at each side of their anus, and they contain a foul smelling fluid. Every time your dog ummm poops, a little of this fluid is expressed to leave a little of your dog’s scent behind. Similarly, when two dogs meet and sniff under each others tail, they’re smelling each others unique perfume. Don’t you wish they’d just shake hands?

In most cases, dogs don’t have too many problems with these glands. However, they can become blocked and infected, and in extreme cases, they may abscess. As you can imagine, this doesn’t smell very good at all. If this happens, your dog may need veterinary treatment to resolve the problem, but you can avoid it happening again. Feeding your dog a high fiber diet can make his feces bulkier, which will put pressure on the glands, and keep them drained. To learn more about this problem, click here.

4. We’re all familiar with the unpleasant odor of dog flatulence. There are many causes, but most cases of foul smelling flatulence are associated with poor digestion of food. Changing your dog’s diet to a highly digestible, low residue food can help. Whatever diet you choose to feed him, it’s a good idea to add digestive enzymes to his food to improve digestibility. Again, Dog Smog Remedy will come to the rescue. It is simply sprayed in the mouth, and contains digestive enzymes to help break down his food and reduce the bad odor at the other end.

5. Dogs love rolling in smelly things. In fact, the smellier the better. It can be hard to stop him doing this, particularly if you like to take your dog for a walk and let him run free. All you can do to get rid of the smell is to give him a bath. The problem is, if you’re going to bath your dog frequently, you do need to be careful in your choice of shampoo. Many shampoos will dry his coat, and this can lead to scratching.

If you’re going to bath your dog often, then Bubbles’n Beads is the product to use. It’s a gentle, all natural shampoo but more importantly, it contains micro beads full of conditioning vitamins, which break open at skin level and deliver their conditioners right to the root of the hair. The result is a soft luxurious healthy coat, no matter how often you bath him.

If after all this, you still find your dog a bit too fragrant a quick spray of his cost with Fur Breeze will have him smelling delightful in no time!

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