Dog Odor? Look for hot spots, fleas, genital licking and skin flaking during the summer

Does your dog have an odor? During the summer you need to be your pet's best detective and look for hidden problems. If you have a hairy dog or a dog that has a thick coat such as a husky or golden retriever, many skin issues could be lurking below. An odor is the first sign that something is off. The best way to check out your dog is to pet him gently and see if you can get your pet to rollover on his back. Then, inspect in the inner thighs, tummy and under the armpits and neck. Inspect your dog's paws to see if there are lumps or areas of fur missing.

Even though your dog's coat might look nice on the back, you might find hair loss, hot spots, fleas and skin flaking. Hot spots are oozing areas that can develop in areas where your dog might not even be able to lick. The skin gets "hot" and moist oozing with infection and the hair falls out. It is really important to get your dog treated right away. Your veterinarian can give you some medicated antibacterial shampoos which help a lot. Also, be sure to check for fleas too. They are hard to detect so using a flea comb will help.

Many times summertime dog odors are due to a cumulative effect of food allergies combined with environmental allergies. Be sure your dog is eating a hypoallergenic, low carbohydrate diet. Carbohydrates such as potatoes and grains can give dogs a lot of yeast! If your dog is licking at his genitals or groin area, chances are your dog has a yeast infection. You can use K9 Yeast Defense to quickly give your dog relief from groin licking, genital licking, chewing on paws and scratching in the armpits. Yeast thrives in moist areas so this is why using a product such as K9 Yeast Defense can be so helpful. Also, using Power Probiotic can be so important too. It is very important when looking for a dog probiotic that you use a multi-strain formula that is hardy and will hold up in the stomach acid. Probiotics help to restore your pet's immune defenses improving skin, coat and digestion. Finally, products such as Amazing Omegas and AllerEase help control allergic itching as many dogs can have environmental allergies, allergies to flea bites and this results in a lot of inflammation in the skin. Odors in the skin, especially after giving a bath can be a sign of yeast or bacterial infection, so be sure to bathe your dog, check in with your veterinarian and use the necessary supplements for yeast and overall good health for your dog to keep dog odors at bay!

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