Shiba Smell ????
So I currently have two shibas. My newest puppy (mochi) is about 4 months old and since we've had her she has had this musky, sort of smell. I've never had this with my other shiba (yuri). The vet says she looks like a perfectly healthy puppy. But she is stinky. She doesn't smell as much as other dogs, but she does have a distinct smell. Does anyone know what could be wrong?, is it her diet?, is it her undercoat?, is it normal for shiba's to smell? is this smell going to go away?
Comments
Ingredients
Chicken Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Flour, Rice Bran, Ground Rice, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Ground Whole Wheat, Chicken, Natural Flavors, Fish Oil (source of DHA, preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Salt, Sodium Bicarbonate, Potassium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Yeast Culture, Lecithin, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Dried Kelp, Iron Oxide, Garlic Flavor, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Biotin, Copper Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin (source of Vitamin B2), Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Folic Acid.
Try looking for a food that is either grain free or corn free (fills with rice instead). Some foods that are easier to find are Canidae All Life Stages - they make grain free versions, one is fish based (both your dogs can eat it), Naturapet Innova Puppy Dry Puppy Food, Merrick Puppy Plate, Solid Gold Hundchen Flocken Puppy (lamb), Wellness Just For Puppy...
(more info here: www.dogfoodanalysis.com)
Just an FYI, Nutro Pet Foods (owned by MARS) is currently under FDA investigation for pet illness and deaths related to consumption of their foods.
http://www.doggedhealth.com/component/content/article/915-health y-dog-in-depth/1420-fda-investigates-nutro-pet-foods-april-20-2009.html
the people at the pet store will tell you anything, especially if they are trying to sell you a dog or a big bag of food
I asked if my pup was doing okay eating that stuff and they said "ya he has been doing great and its what he is used to"...he was eating it for less than a week, how would they know
but he didn't smell. he really doesn't smell at all unless he gets wet
How long have you had her, and where did you get her from(breeder, pet store, rescue)?
I have had her for about a month, and i rehomed her from a couple who bought her from i'm guessing a backyard breeder, they didn't want to give me their breeders info so i didn't push it.
Her original owners started her on nutro and to my knowledge she has never had diarrhea. She also has no other signs of allergies (i.e. itching, licking her paws, sneezing) but her top coat seems to be a little thin by her neck but i dont know if her parents look like that.
Yah nutro doesn't sound good to me anymore. I'll try to transition her off it to see if it helps her smell.
Yuri-Try stopping by any nearby pet stores you'd buy dogfood from, and make a list of what they sell. This really helps in researching what options are available to you if you don't plan on having the food shipped.
Yuri - You can also go to most of the company websites and use their dealer locater to find those stores close by that carry the different brands to try.
The paws smelling like Fritos is a sign of either licking too much with an underlying yeasty bacterial growth or stepping in pee in some cases if they are not house trained yet. Changing the food and or getting the body in balance should change some of the smells.
PS: Oh I forgot to mention when puppies teeth they tend to be a little more stinky. A wet washcloth twisted and frozen is good to give for teething under supervision. Brushing is good too so you can get them started early. Generally at a young age you can get cooperation because pups like to chew on the tooth brush when you brush their teeth with tasty toothpaste.
Snf
Since then i swore to never feed to Nutro to any of my dogs again...
so just be careful
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=14&cat=all
As Nutro is under investigation now, it seems unclear whether its only a select few formulas or the entire company. More than likely, there is an issue with an ingredient or their processing that is making dogs ill, which may turn out to affect all of their food manufactured at the same location. If the food works for you though, then it is your call!
Just keep your eyes peeled on updates to the FDA investigation:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/04/nutro_foia.html
Shiba Girl- Corn chips how funny.
Update: I temporarily took her off nutro and she smells a little better.
Any advice?
Link: http://www.dogster.com/forums/Food_and_Nutrition/thread/522883
For homecooking, there are tons of websites and online info and other forums. There are books, like "The Healthy Dog Cookbook" or Dr. Pitcairn's book has a lot of nutritional wellness tidbits.