4 answers
★ Best answer
If your dog smells like fish, that's almost always a sign something's wrong. Most often it's the anal glands - they get clogged and inflamed - but there are a couple of other unpleasant possibilities: bacterial or fungal infection, dental and gum problems, sometimes even urinary tract infections.
Here's what's important: a lot of owners think just washing the dog or brushing her more often will fix it. But honestly, that won't solve the problem if there's inflammation or infection involved. Hygiene won't help here - you'll just be wasting time. You really need to see a vet to figure out what's actually going on, otherwise the smell will come back or things will get worse.
Pay attention to how often this happens and whether your dog has any other symptoms: itching, licking her genitals or rear end, blood in her urine, appetite problems. All that will help the vet figure it out faster. Basically, don't put it off - this usually responds well to treatment, but only if you deal with it promptly.
A fishy smell from a dog usually indicates a problem with the anal glands or an infection, not something normal. It's better to take your pet to a vet so they can figure out what's causing it.
How often do you notice this smell, or did it happen just once?
Fish smell from a dog is tricky because there can be several causes. Yeah, anal glands are the most common reason, but not the only one. Sometimes it happens with skin problems, ear issues, or mouth infections if bacteria are developing there. Even diet can play a role - if the food has a lot of fish in it, the smell can get stronger.
But here's the important thing: if it happened once and hasn't come back, you can just keep an eye on it. But if the smell is constant or showed up suddenly along with other changes (licking, red skin, discharge) - that's a reason not to put off a vet visit 😊 It's hard to diagnose on your own, and infections sometimes develop fast. Better to be safe.
I've dealt with this - my friend's dog had that fishy smell specifically from anal glands, but I noticed that sometimes it can also come from just plain poor hygiene, especially if the coat is long and wet. Either way, it's better to show the dog to a vet to rule out an infection or inflammation.
Your answer
Log into answer.