Content
- Problems with food
- parvovirus
- Worms and parasites
- Absorption problems
- fast transit
- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
Dog feces can provide us a lot of information about your health. On a daily basis, it is recommended to monitor its appearance, consistency and also its smell, which is the point that we will develop in more detail below.
In general, a particularly unpleasant and unusual odor indicates a digestive problem that could be due to several causes. Providing the dog with quality food, deworming, vaccinations, and regular veterinary check-ups help to avoid many problems related to foul-smelling feces. If you've noticed an unusual smell, what about the causes for an strong smell in dog feces, in this PeritoAnimal article we explain the most common reasons.
Problems with food
Regardless of the chosen diet, the key is that it meets the quality and adapts to the life stage and characteristics of each dog. In this way, we not only cover your nutritional needs, but we also facilitate the use of ingredients and good digestion. So, in addition to a healthy dog, with a shiny coat, we will notice the quality in his feces. With good food, they will be smaller, more consistent and have a less pronounced odor. Therefore, we can point to diet as a very common cause of a strong smell in dog feces. Some tutors even point out the smell of carrion in some situations.
A poor diet produces bulky stools, of softer consistency and which are usually removed more often.For this reason, sometimes the problem can be solved with a simple change in their diet or, if this diet is good, with the suppression of human food foods that some caregivers give that may not be recommended for dogs.
And if you have questions about the best food for your dog, contact a veterinarian. In addition to the quality of the food, there are other issues to consider in our dog's diet:
- At sudden changes they may be behind a rapid digestive transit that affects the stool. That is why it is always advisable that any modification be introduced gradually and over several transition days, precisely to avoid digestive disturbances.
- One food intolerance meat, fish, eggs, cereals, etc., it also triggers rapid transit. A food that very commonly affects intestinal transit is milk. Puppies that are no longer puppies lack the enzyme needed to digest lactose and this is precisely what can cause digestive upset.
- Sometimes the stool has a rancid or foul odor that can be associated with problems with digestion and fermentation processes. Poorly digestible ingredients that require a greater effort from the digestive system and spend more time in it, can lead to bad digestion with fermentation, noise, flatulence and foul-smelling feces.
- In addition, it may occur bacterial overgrowth. In these cases, in addition to having to modify the diet in terms of quality and pattern of administration, it is also possible that you may need pharmacological treatment prescribed by the veterinarian.
Regarding the bad smell in the puppies' feces, it is also important to note that the smell of food or sour milk can be explained by the overfeeding. In these cases, the stool is also abundant and shapeless. This should be resolved simply by adjusting the rations to the manufacturer's recommendations and you can avoid the strong smell in your dog's feces.
parvovirus
If our dog is a puppy, especially in its first few months of life, when it is most vulnerable, any changes in its feces should be communicated to the veterinarian. Specifically, there is a disease that causes feces with an unmistakable smell: it is canine parvovirus, a pathology of viral origin, very contagious and serious.
in addition to strong smell in dog feces, they will be diarrheal and often hemorrhagic. It is an emergency that must be attended to immediately by the veterinarian. There is no specific treatment against the virus, but supportive treatment is prescribed, which usually consists of fluid therapy, antibiotics and other medications to control clinical signs. Given the severity, it is best to prevent it by vaccinating the puppy according to the veterinarian's instructions.
Other infections can also occur. Diagnosis can only be determined by the veterinarian.
Worms and parasites
Some infestations caused by intestinal parasites, such as hookworms, can also cause diarrhea with blood that has a different odor than usual. In addition, giardia and coccidiosis are other pathogens that are associated with more frequent stools, mucous and with an unpleasant smell. The parasites are more frequent in puppies or in debilitated adults, but they can affect all types of dogs. Hence the importance of regular deworming and that, if clinical signs appear, the veterinarian will parasite it for specific treatment for a problem that can go far beyond the strong smell in the dog's feces.
Absorption problems
Sometimes our furry friends are consuming a quality diet, but we still notice the strong smell in the dog's feces. They often have that sour milk or food odor that we've already mentioned and that could be related to absorption problems, usually originated in the small intestine or pancreas. Animals with this condition are usually thin and malnourished, although they show an increased appetite, as if they were always hungry, and the stools, in addition to smelling bad, are thick and greasy, sometimes staining the fur around the anus.
In these cases, the dog cannot absorb the nutrients that arrive with the food. Is malabsorption syndrome which should be diagnosed and treated by the veterinarian. Intestinal biopsies are usually required in addition to fecal analysis. Treatment depends on finding the cause.
fast transit
Any change in the digestive system can cause a strong smell in the dog's feces. And this situation is not uncommon in canines, as they tend to ingest any minimally edible substance they find, such as household or street garbage, any leftover food even if it is in the process of decomposition, plastics, grass or even dead animals. Although your stomach is well prepared to digest these types of materials, irritations may occur that end up causing rapid transit and, as a consequence, bad smelling diarrhea, as there was no time to eliminate the water.
It is often a mild disorder that resolves within a day of light specific food. The problem is that if the diarrhea is deep and the dog doesn't replace the fluids it loses, it can become dehydrated. It is a point of special attention in puppies, in adults weakened for some reason or in older specimens. In these cases, go to the vet and don't risk waiting for it to resolve spontaneously.
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
The pancreas plays an important role in digestion, so when it stops producing its enzymes, the dog won't be able to absorb all the nutrients it needs. Thus, as in the malabsorption syndrome, the dog will be thin, although he has a voracious appetite and eats more than normal. In addition to noticing the strong smell in the dog's feces, they will be diarrheal, large and greyish in color. The hair around the anus will become oily. This type of stool guides the veterinarian for this diagnosis. Treatment includes enzymes to make up for those that are lacking and food control.
For all that, if you smell a strong smell in the dog's feces and the problem is not a poor quality diet, don't hesitate and go to the veterinary clinic as soon as possible.
And since we're talking about dog feces, maybe the following video might interest you: why does your dog eat feces? Find it out:
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Strong smell in dog feces, what can it be?, we recommend that you enter our Intestinal Problems section.