Bitches smell...

Zulu

Well now I have your attention...

Our 2 year old lab bitch has (just today) developed a certain smell. Without meaning to put too fine a point on it, it's a smell that's unique to, ehh, ladies lady-parts.

Now she's been spayed, and appears in perfect health/form, but this smell is not good. Any ideas what might be causing it? How to prevent it??

Help would be appreciated - I don't want to kick her out of the house, but the smell isn't good.

jimf

i would get her to vet asap even spayed bitches can still develop a serious condition called stump pyometra its unusual but can happen and is very serious usually they will be very off form and drinking/peeing a lot but just for peace of mind give your vet a call and seek his/her advise and check for any signs of vaginal discharge dont ignore whatever you do

and dont put her out of house as you would possibly be masking a serious condition

ISDW

It could also be her anal glands, the smell is unreal, so defo a trip to the vets to get her checked out

jimf

ISDW wrote: »

It could also be her anal glands, the smell is unreal, so defo a trip to the vets to get her checked out

forgot about that very good point so right you are smell is unreal to say the least

Millem

Zulu wrote: »

Well now I have your attention...

Our 2 year old lab bitch has (just today) developed a certain smell. Without meaning to put too fine a point on it, it's a smell that's unique to, ehh, ladies lady-parts.

Now she's been spayed, and appears in perfect health/form, but this smell is not good. Any ideas what might be causing it? How to prevent it??

Help would be appreciated - I don't want to kick her out of the house, but the smell isn't good.

I bet it is anal glands also. It is very fishy? Does she drag her bum? Or chew/bite/lick her bum?

Zulu

no arse dragging or chew/biting.

Licking is the norm, so it's hard to tell.

It's really fishy. It's mank. I reckon you are right re the anal glands folks. I'll take her to the vet tomorrow. I take it there's little I can do to help this problem? (Don't worry, I'm not trying to sort the problem on the cheap - she's going to the vet, but if there's something I can do to help her...)

DBB

If it turns out to be anal glands, and I support the above posters that the smell from anal glands is revolting... the sort of smell that stops your breath in its tracks and makes your eyes water:(, then raw, meaty bones tend to be super to keep the problem at bay.
Stump pyometra does need to be ruled out too, and bitches can be in fine form with pyo for a long time before going downhill.
Let us know how it goes with the vet, won't you?

ISDW

If you don't want to go down the whole raw diet route, a raw chicken wing once a week or fortnight is great for keeping the anal glands cleaned out

Tranceypoo

ISDW wrote: »

If you don't want to go down the whole raw diet route, a raw chicken wing once a week or fortnight is great for keeping the anal glands cleaned out

Since I'm completely uneducated in the raw diet field, would that include the bone(s)? And ok to feed once a week and carry on with usual diet of dry food/sardines once a week/raw egg/raw veg etc the rest of the time?

My oldest dog gets that smell occassionally, his groomer normally has a squeeze, the smell is gak!

Zulu

so I wake up this morning and there's no smell. She's grand. So I dunno about the vets - we'll see at 2pm how she is.

On the "raw diet", she gets a big, BIG raw bone every forthnight or so.

tk123

Zulu wrote: »

so I wake up this morning and there's no smell. She's grand. So I dunno about the vets - we'll see at 2pm how she is.

On the "raw diet", she gets a big, BIG raw bone every forthnight or so.

The glands might have been leaking and then emptied when you got the smell so could be cleared out now and job done. You'll smell soon enough if there's a problem!

Zulu

tk123 wrote: »

The glands might have been leaking and then emptied when you got the smell so could be cleared out now and job done. You'll smell soon enough if there's a problem!

Yeah thats pretty much what it was. Brought her into the vets anyways. She emptied the glands - christ on a bike the smell! :eek:

Anyways, €23 for peace of mind, and a lesson on how to do it myself in future if I'm feeling brave!

ISDW

Zulu wrote: »

Yeah thats pretty much what it was. Brought her into the vets anyways. She emptied the glands - christ on a bike the smell! :eek:

Anyways, €23 for peace of mind, and a lesson on how to do it myself in future if I'm feeling brave!

You just can't describe the smell, it has to be experienced. :eek:

I've never been brave enough to try it myself, but I find the chicken wings work, none of mine have been done for a few years.

falabo

the smell is UNREAL
I experienced that too just like the OP and didnt have a clue what is what, got my advice form here, took her to the vet (€10) who showed me how to do it and now I do it myself but have to be careful not too squeeze too mush but still apply pressure. it's a bit tricky but when you get the nag of it then it's grand and the dogs are relieved . . .

falabo

ISDW wrote: »

You just can't describe the smell, it has to be experienced. :eek:

I've never been brave enough to try it myself, but I find the chicken wings work, none of mine have been done for a few years.

speakingof the raw diet and raw chicken wings, I'd love to try that but would be nervous of giving them raw meat on their bed etc for bacterias samolenna etc .... plus are they really safe ? i always heard not to give chicken bones EVER

Antoher thing, i would have to supervise them cos they could fight for something like that (but not for biscuits etc lol)

fatmammycat

falabo wrote: »

speakingof the raw diet and raw chicken wings, I'd love to try that but would be nervous of giving them raw meat on their bed etc for bacterias samolenna etc .... plus are they really safe ? i always heard not to give chicken bones EVER

Antoher thing, i would have to supervise them cos they could fight for something like that (but not for biscuits etc lol)

I feed my dog chicken drumsticks and oyster legs every day ( I don't bother with wings too small for my dog, it would be inhaled), and never had any problem. You don't need to give them to them into their beds, just out on the patio/lawn. No biggie with them if they have one each, they don't last long! (although I guess that depends on size of your dogs.

Oh and chicken bones-uncooked- are very safe, soft, easy to digest/break down.

Odelay

Do NOT give them COOKED chicken bones. Not sure about uncooked but best practice is don't fed your dogs cooked chicken bones. DO NOT DO THAT.

The bones can splinter and damage the gastro-intestinal tract. The dog can also choke. they love them but what they love is not always good for them.

What is the story with uncooked bones?

fatmammycat

Odelay wrote: »

Do NOT give them COOKED chicken bones. Not sure about uncooked but best practice is don't fed your dogs cooked chicken bones. DO NOT DO THAT.

The bones can splinter and damage the gastro-intestinal tract. The dog can also choke. they love them but what they love is not always good for them.

What is the story with uncooked bones?

Uncooked chicken bones are rather soft and break down easily. Rather like fish bones, and my guy demolishes rabbit bones easily too - all raw.

DBB

My understanding is that cooked bones become mineralised and brittle during the cooking process, and they're much harder for the stomach acids to dissolve. The bits of bone sit in the stomach in a lumpy sludge (that's the scientific term for it ) and because they don't break down enough, can cause blockages.
Raw bones are dissolved in no time in the dog's incredibly acidic stomach. There is a risk of choking with ANY item the dog eats, including raw bones, but the risk is very small indeed. It's a funny thing, how tales persist! A raw chicken bone, appropriately sized to the dog, is of no more risk to a dog than, say, a rawhide chew, a pig's ear, a bit of rubber toy or tennis ball, or any of the other bits 'n'n pieces our dogs decide to consume
Indeed, anecdotally though this is, I know quite a few dogs that have required emergency surgery after eating socks, rawhide bones, underwear, tennis balls, cooked bones etc, but personally have never come across one involving a raw bone. I know there are exceptions, because eating brings about a risk of choking, but it seems to be very rare.

tk123

Zulu wrote: »

Yeah thats pretty much what it was. Brought her into the vets anyways. She emptied the glands - christ on a bike the smell! :eek:

Anyways, €23 for peace of mind, and a lesson on how to do it myself in future if I'm feeling brave!

We got it done once at the vets when Bailey was a puppy...his eye was a bit sore so brought him over and mentioned to the vets about the smell and he emptied them...the smell was bad enough but he showed me what came out!!! :eek: Off we went with the smell still lingering and bright green 'snot' (the orange dye they use to check the surface of the eye comes out their nose bright green) running out of his nose to confused looks from everyone lol!

keaves

Sorry to go off topic but I have to ask where your vets are?? I pay 45 a visit :-( :-( :-( Im in Dublin but would travel for prices like 23 and 10!!

Zulu

That was at NOAH in baldoyle. Normally I use a different Vet, but with weather/timing/traffic I used them (they are around the corner).