Smelly Bailey

[LynnD]

My Bailey has came into season last weekend (or perhaps before as she was in the kennels...) and is now very smelly. We picked her up on Sunday from the kennels and had to bath her immediately as she was so smelly. But less than a week on, she is very smelly again. Does anyone else think their dogs are smellier during their season? And can anyone recommend any decent products to make dogs smell better?
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Lynn

[kerry]

sorry i havent noticed this with Luna, but then again she visits my mum when in her prime to avoid any accidents my mum and dad always wipe her down with some scented eucalyptus wipe after long walk in the rain ( helps the wet dog smell ) so maybe this covers it for me, but other than that i cant say i have noticed her having a smell to her when in season. sorry, Luna is the 1st girl i have had so maybe someone more experienced with girls can help you
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We are forever responsible for what we have tamed

[Jack]

Hi there, I definately agree. Girls ARE very pungent when in season - even those with short hair.

TRY not to bath her too much as she'll be very susceptible to infections around this time down below and even a simple bath can cause one to develop. I tended to wait til the season, or at least the bleeding had finished but I'd give them an old fashioned bed bath i.e. a wipe down with a flannel and a MILD solution of warm water, a little salt and a squirt of Johnsons baby bath to do away with the worst of the scent. Pay particular attention to her lady bits (too early to use the real term for it ). She'll be keeping herself as clean as she can by licking but then when she licks other areas she's spreading the scent. I tended to discourage my girls from doing that, I KNOW it's natural but it's also pretty vile plus they could be spreading germs all over themselves and ingesting ick!!! I tended to swoop with said flannel and clean them when they started doing that, mind they had to wear nappies (customised natch) in the house as they were VERY heavy with their seasons so we didn't get too much of the whole licking thing going on. At every nappy change I'd clean them up down below to get rid of the excess mess and scent and that helped a lot.

You could try as Kerry has suggested and also consider baby wipes which will be gentle enough for her skin and also leave her smelling nice, alternatively sprinkle a little Johnsons baby powder into her coat and skin and rub in well. This will absorb excess grease and icky stuff, leave her smelling nice and discourage licking. One thing though, it WILL leave her coat looking dull, you can brush the excess out which will help and the rest just wash out when her season is over. Her coat will then go back to normal.

Bitches tend to lose a lot of goodness from their bodies during seasons anyway and their coat will appear duller so consider giving her a vitamin and oil suppliment such as Vitapet to ensure she remains tip top during this time.

Hope that helps a bit.xxx
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Staffies are my life! Visit us at www.staffies.co.uk

[Lorna]

Lynn, Jack's advice is good. Nappies are a good idea is she is exceptionally heavy. But some argue you must take care as the lack of air around the sensitive area can make her more susceptible to infection.
With Great Danes you either follow them round with a mop all the time or nappies and mop - it is your choice.

The smell is just part of the process. Baby wipes I found are fine. Please don't use anything perfumed to which she could have a reaction.

If you are not going to breed her, I'd get her neutered asap. Then you don't keep up with the mess etc...
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Regards,
Lorna, Basil & Poppy
Great Danes are not substitute children. They are much more important than that!

[LynnD]

Thanks for your help. I'll give your suggestions a try tomorrow. She doesn't appear to be too heavy, just a couple of spots of blood here and there. I just mop it up. The wee soul was booked in to get dressed on Wed just passed, so that had to be canceled. I now have to wait 3 months before she can get her op but will get her re-booked asap.
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Lynn

[Jack]

Point I forgot to mention - REMEMBER to take off said nappy when letting your dog out to the loo Yep - WE BOTH forgot a few times and it was NOT pleasant giving them their bedbaths afterwards We had 2 VERY heavy bleeders with synchronised seasons so nappies were a TOTAL necessity for us. Also remember to take off the nappies when popping her in her crate or leaving her alone for long periods or she'll eat it. This has the dual benefit of allowing her to get much needed air to her nether regions and thus assists in preventing infections.
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Staffies are my life! Visit us at www.staffies.co.uk