loulouB Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) hi all, my lab and golden retriever really smell at the moment! they have been like this for a couple of weeks now. They swim at the beach and then have a fresh water rinse off every single day. i dont shampoo them much (because they usually dont need it!), but will do so today. its a really yucky dog smell (not just damp smell). And its weird that it is both of them? Any ideas?? Thanks Edited February 23, 2012 by loulouB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 hi all, my lab and golden retriever really smell at the moment! they have been like this for a couple of weeks now. They swim at the beach and then have a fresh water rinse off every single day. i dont shampoo them much (because they usually dont need it!), but will do so today. its a really yucky dog smell (not just damp smell). And its weird that it is both of them? Any ideas?? Thanks Time for a good shampoo. My guess would be that the fresh water rinse may have seen some bacteria build up in the skin. You'll probably need a shampoo to remove it. Do you towel dry them after rinsing? IF you don't I'd recommend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loulouB Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 ok, thanks. I do towel dry them, and then they usually stay outside in the sun until they are mostly dry. I have alloveen shampoo, but have just been reading about Malaseb - maybe i should go get some of that and give it a try? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 ok, thanks. I do towel dry them, and then they usually stay outside in the sun until they are mostly dry. I have alloveen shampoo, but have just been reading about Malaseb - maybe i should go get some of that and give it a try? I think Malaseb would be ideal for this purpose. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loulouB Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 hmm... just thinking.. Do you think the freshwater rinses after swimming is bad then? If i cant shampoo them at the time, am i better off leaving them salty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisovar Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) If they are getting wet everyday their coats are probably not drying out completely, bacteria flourishes in the moist warm environment and that leads to smelly dogs. The problem areas are usually around the ruff. I use a high velocity blower on my dogs and dry them off during the hot months when this can be a problem, the Lab more so. Edited February 22, 2012 by Crisovar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loulouB Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 If they are getting wet everyday their coats are probably not drying out completely, bacteria flourishes in the moist warm environment and that leads to smelly dogs. The problem areas are usually around the ruff. Yep - The labrador is black and she always dries off really fast, but the GR stays damp for ages - around the ruff like you said. I was wondering that seeing as she swims so much, it might be better for her coat to be clipped short? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 My lab smells at the moment too I wash him once a week in QV due to his allergies but it's not getting rid ofit for more than a day. Mine swims in his clam shell pool so is wet often Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) My two Border Collies swim daily in our salt water/chlorine pool. They are often out there for up to 1.5 hrs at a time, getting out & resting then jumping in & swimming when it suits them. This is usually in the morning as it takes the rest of the day to dry off...I don't bother rinsing them off. Reading this post made me think....hey...they don't smell after they have been in the pool & maybe that is because the salt water/chlorine kills off the bacteria on their skin. If they get wet from the rain, though....then they stink after. So maybe it might be best to leave the salt on your two labs...don't rinse it off with the fresh water. Try it & see :) because until you posted, I hadn't even given it a thought. Edited February 22, 2012 by sheena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 hmm... just thinking.. Do you think the freshwater rinses after swimming is bad then? If i cant shampoo them at the time, am i better off leaving them salty? In my view? No. Salt water has bacteria too and I think it would dry their coats out too much. Don't clip them. You'll remove the water proofing that their coats have, and potentially compound the problem, in addition to making them prone to sunburn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I would recommend bathing them in Malaseb and then applying a conditioner like aloveen or PAW which are both soothing and smell nice. Malaseb is quite drying but if the underlying problem is bacterial or yeast then it should help. My labrador swims every day in salt water and does not smell (well she smells a bit salty sometimes but not a typical doggy smell). I don't bath her at all (she is allergic and most shampoos irritate her anyway). I don't think regular bathing is good for retrievers as it strips their coat of natural oils that would be essential for a healthy coat for water work. Clipping may help, if its just that they have a "wet dog" smell but I have met labs and GRs that are clipped and still smelly- although its more of a "yeasty" smell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loulouB Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Ok, thanks everyone. will get some malaseb, and also give their bedding a good wash. Hopefully that will resolve the problem! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 hmm... just thinking.. Do you think the freshwater rinses after swimming is bad then? If i cant shampoo them at the time, am i better off leaving them salty? In my view? No. Salt water has bacteria too and I think it would dry their coats out too much. Don't clip them. You'll remove the water proofing that their coats have, and potentially compound the problem, in addition to making them prone to sunburn. Maybe it is different with my dogs, then, as the saltwater in the pool is passed through a chlorinator to produce chlorine, which kills the bacteria. I just give them a tablespoon of virgin coconut oil each day with their food & that keeps their coats nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loulouB Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 update - got some malaseb from vet. turns out they probably picked up some bacteria when they went for a swim in the swan river a couple of weeks ago. Vet says the river is notorious for making dogs get stinky, especially at this time of year. Makes sense, because that was around the time they started smelling! Yay, im glad its not just from their beach swimming. they love their daily swim! i did think it was weird that after swimming at the beach every single day for their whole life to date, that all of a sudden it would be causing a stink problem. yuck - i feel sorry for the aquatic life that has to actually live in the river. Ew.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Funny I'm also in Perth so maybe there is something in the water making them stink, I have tried Malaseb, it's done nothing to stop the smell btw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Fresh water, drought conditions and low flow equal very high bacterial load. Add swans and voila!! BIG bacterial loads. I've had my dogs break out in bacteria caused rashes the ONE time I didn't wash them after swimming them in our lake during the drought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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