Dogs

Why Do Pugs Stink?

Pugs are an amazing joy of life to be around. They are in constant motion, they love to play around. It melts your heart seeing them so happy. But having said that we all know with all the good goodies pugs pack with them. There can be some bad stuff that they pack around too. Many cannot get around the fact that pugs can have an atrocious smell. But, we love our pugs so much so we get around the fact and love our pugs regardless. The problem intensifies when pugs can have an underlying issue that can have caused the smell. Due to their multiple skin folds, there is a chance that a lot of sweat is trapped in their wrinkly skin. Or it can also mean that they have an underlying health problem like infections, especially in paws. Let’s know about these issues more:

Photo Credit: Pexels

Are Pugs Naturally Stinky?

Pugs can be naturally stinky and they do have a body odour. But, to get around the bad smell we should take good care of our pugs. You need to know the exact reasons that aggravate this stinkiness. The skink can go off from a particular body part or can even be an act. Let’s discuss it more.

Pointers on some common types of body odour of pugs:

Wrinkles
Anal glands
Breath
Ears
Paws
Heat odour

Wrinkles

Skin folds are extremely cute on a pug. It makes them look like cute folded dogs. But it can also be the reason for their stinkiness. The wrinkles especially on their neck and face can accumulate a lot of dirt. This can lead to a foul smell after some time. There is a chance that dirt, food and grime can get caught in their skinfolds. So washing them properly is a necessity. Skin folds can be breeding grounds for bacteria and yeast. If it’s not cleaned properly, it can also have health problems associated with odour problems. Too much scratching by your pug can make the situation worse.

Bad Breath

Pugs can have really bad breath. Like humans, pugs also need some dental regime to follow every day. Dental health is important to look after. If your pug is not brushing his/her teeth more often it will have a bad breath. A pug can also suffer from a rare disease called halitosis which causes tooth decay and even can damage kidneys. This disease is deadly as it can lead to the development of bacteria in your pug’s mouth. In case of a serious issue that might irritate your pug, it is advised to take them to a nearby vet clinic.

Ears

Your pug can have a serious ear infection if you see them constantly reaching out for their ears to scratch them. It is usually caused due to yeast overgrowth in the cervix of your ears. It generally happens when the cervix has not dried out or is very damp. To fix this problem one can use ear wash that will help in the elimination of yeast. Many gels that are in the market can help too. Just remember to go to the vet directly if you find your pug is too disturbed or is trying to scratch the internal part of their ears.

Anal Glands

Pugs can have more oils secreting in their glands and that can make them stink more. The idea however is to see if the scent persists because of a health problem. If pugs are excreting, some part of it might get stuck on their body hair and that can cause infection. As dirty as it sounds, you have to get that faeces out wiggling in its tail. Also, you can look if your pug is letting off the loose stool, that scenario can also indicate a health problem.

Pug’s Paws

If there has to be any danger zone for a bad pug smell, this is it. Do not take the paws lightly. Paws can trap a lot of bacteria, grime, etc and this can lead to a bad odour. The intense activity of rolling in floors that pugs do can often get mixed with sweat and that can cause a bad odour. You will see signs of any paw infection when the legs of a pug are red and swollen. Its paw skins can also look flaky. If your pug is constantly licking the infected skin, it can be a cause of infection.

Bad Heat Odour

Heat odour is specifically for females. Pugs while letting off this odour smell pungent and distinctive. They have to be constantly sprayed with water to cool them down. As in her bodily process, she is already producing a lot of blood, endometrial tissue. The constant production of hormones makes her more prone to having a bad smell. It’s advised not to take a pug out during summers especially when she is smelling already. It is advised to keep her in a safe cool place.

Do Pugs Fart Stink?

Yes, gas can be an important marker of a pug being smelly. But, regardless, the main reason can be your pug’s fast eating. Eating fast can make your pug fart a lot. It can also be stomach distress that has been caused due to food allergies. You need to keep a check on a pug’s diet. They should not be eating human foods. Plan their diet accordingly, do not give them processed food and beef. Instead, opt for lean meats like chicken. And pugs have their food, it’s better if you stick with them.

A pug who is a gobbler should be given a slow feeding bowl, this will create a hindrance in their gobbling of food. Their stomachs will be in a better state.

How to Make Pugs Smell Better?

So here’s the million-dollar question that we ask after going through all the problems step by step. Yes, pugs can smell well, but we need to do the planning to curb their notorious scent. The best idea is to care about our pug’s hygiene. Let us tabulate reasons how to do so?

Dental Hygiene

It is just a bad breath, it’s not a big problem. But for starters, you can start offering celery to your pug as it acts as a natural breath freshener. All of us need to prevent a pug from getting halitosis, the best idea is to brush your pug’s teeth 2-3 times a week. It will work wonders if you can call for brushing it 5-6 times a day.

Some products that can help your pug have healthier teeth:

Toothpaste and Tooth Gels: Always have a clear look on your pug’s mouth and face. Always be wary about their dental health. It’s recommended to use standard gels and standard toothpaste to clean your pug’s teeth.
Dental Chew Toy: A dental chew toy will help your pug to have a good playtime and won’t make it necessary for it to put unnecessary risky stuff on its mouth
Dog treats: Many dental dog treats have come out in the market that protects a pug’s teeth. It helps tartar get off from teeth and makes pug’s teeth healthier.

Bath Time for Your Pug

What to do when your pug stinks bad. We do the easiest thing when a pug smells bad and that is let them take a bath. While bathing your pug, always remember to concentrate on the oils your pug releases. Washing them off should be your priority. Rinsing with hot water should be a priority and one should use doggy shampoo for the betterment of the skin. It is advised to use a bathing regimen where you can leave the shampoo for a while in your pug’s skin so that it smoothens the skin. You can also use a conditioner.

Clean Those Cute Wrinkles

One other major step one can follow while cleaning their pug is cleaning the wrinkly skin. There is a chance that there can be bacteria, dirt trapped in the wrinkly skin. You can simply order some antimicrobial wipes to clean your dog’s wrinkles.Use of canine brush is recommended for any kind of cleaning of a pug. It acts as a natural massaging agent and also helps in blood circulation in a pug’s body.

Clean Your Pug’s Ears

The other step lay in using ear straps to clean ear wax off your pug’s ears. A pug needs to be clean in all of its body. A pug should have clean ear interiors so that it won’t produce any natty smell we often complain about. You can use a cotton ball along with peroxide to wash off the ears.

Wash Their Paws

It is advisable to wash your pug’s paws every day, if not days then every two times a week. The best way out is to take care of their nails as well as paws. Pugs can catch a lot of debris in their nails. One has to clean all the dirt and debris trapped in their nails. It is also advised to use ointments after washing their paws. It is seen that pugs can develop red swelling and infection in their paws.

An Itchy Tail Pocket

Pug owners should take special care of a pug’s tail pocket. As, like any other tail pocket, pugs do tend to have an allergy in that area. They can develop a rash especially since while excreting, their bowel matter can stick on their tail pocket. The best way out of this problem is to have pug wipes. Pug wipes will ensure cleanliness and safety from such problems.

Good Food Keeps Away Stink

Any pug needs to have good and nutritional food. It is advised to pug owners that food affects your pug’s body scent. The food they eat has adverse impacts on their body odour. So, it is advised to serve them good nutritional food. Do not feed them foods that can cause bloating.

How to Groom Your Pug to Curb Smell?

Pugs have to be bathed 3-4 times a week. Along with that, you should think of ways to keep their surroundings clean as well, or else they can catch more diseases. Some extra things to do to keep your pug clean:

Wash your pug’s bed: Sometimes there can be a scenario where your pug despite taking a bath is constantly having a pungent smell. This can be because the bedding where your pug sleeps is unclean. Start cleaning your pug’s bed, its stuffed toys, blankets, bedsheets, etc so that all the harmful dirt and bacteria gets removed.
Using a good no-rinse shampoo: It is also important to remember that your pug wants to smell good and hence your baby needs a good smell on its hair. You can use non rinse bathless shampoo which will serve your purpose. These bathless and waterless shampoos do not only mask a bad odour they clean a pug’s skin as well. It maintains a good coating of hair on your pug.
Feed your pug good nutritious food: It is to be remembered that feeding low-quality food can increase flatulence in your pug. It’s advised to feed nutritious and healthy food to your pug.

Does Your Dog Still Stink?

In case you have done enough and there is no way out, there are other things that you can look at which might lead to this stinking issue. Check the following pointers to find out the reason why?

Have you checked your shampoo conditioner? Does it smell good, if not then putting it on for a longer period can be a problem.
Get a good brush through which you can clean a pug’s body deeply. A good brush will not only keep your pug clean but will also help in blood circulation.
It is advised to use a canine brush which facilitates blood circulation. You can even give your pug relaxing massages through it.
Don’t let your pug go outside until they are fully dry as they like to roll in the ground. It can lead them to trap dirt in their washed hairs which might lead to a bad odour later.
If nothing works then it’s time to go to the vet. There can be a situation where you might be trying a lot of ways to get your pug to smell good but the problem is somewhere. Your pug can smell also due to a disease or a severe allergic reaction.

Do Pugs Have a Fishy Smell?

A pug can have a fishy smell for a variety of reasons. Mostly the smell occurs due to the drying of bodily exits. You can look for its wrinkly skin, tail pockets and see if they have any excreta on it. If not then you are good to go. Because remnants of food or bodily excrement left out to dry can have a dry fishy smell. You should also take them to a vet in case the fishy smell has occurred due to an infection or disease. Clean the drying excrement as they can also lead to infectious diseases. Especially the tail pocket and hairs around that area.

FAQs on Why Do Pugs Stink?

Are pugs smellier than other dogs?

There is no scientific evidence to back that claim. But, there is more responsibility attached to a pug owner to keep them clean and healthy. If a pug is bathing regularly, being washed nicely including the deep skin parts with a canine brush, they won’t have a smell. But some dog owners do consider them smellier than other dogs.

Do pugs smell like corn chips?

It is a common query that people have as they find their pug smelling like corn chips but they don’t know the reason. The corn chip scent can only occur if there is any bacterial intervention happening in a pug’s footpad. So, it’s important to clean their paws regularly in this case and antiseptics can be used to ward off bacterial problems.

Why do pugs breaths smell so much?

Pugs can have bad breath because of the bad dental regime that they adhere to. We need to care for the pug’s teeth. As their teeth are not brushed it wards off a bad smell. If not brushed a pug can have an issue called halitosis which can be severe in terms of their dental well being and also other body parts. It’s important to keep your pug protected from a bad infection.

Are there any special dog breeds that do not smell?

All dog breeds can smell, if they are not taken care of. But there are some breeds like Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese, Shih Tzu which has a little less smell comparatively.

Final Thoughts

All come boiling down to the extra attention that you need to provide to your pug. Always take good care of your dog’s hygiene. Be cautious about your dog’s dental, skin hygiene. Make sure their stomachs are doing well. Always check for any bacteria and yeast infections happening in any part of your pug’s body. If there is an issue that looks a bit uncontrollable and can prop up in the form of the disease it’s best to take your pug to a vet. The trick is to be aware and take good care of your baby pug. If they are cared for nicely there won’t be much of a problem.