Why does my dog smell sour?

Sour skin smell can also be related to the food your dog is eating ("authorized" or not). There are myraid reasons for this. I had a dog get continual yeast infections in his ears. He also itched alot and scratched constantly. I was concerned when antibiotics were not doing the trick.

When I brought my dog home from the animal shelter and gave him some of the food he'd been getting there, and the "natural" version of the same food, my dog looked at me like WTH? Really?! He picked at it, and ate the "natural" version. I received a coupon for a free small bag of dog food from a local pet boutique when I adopted my dog. So off we went. They had samples of food by Nutrisource. I put all the versions in front of my dog, and he chose a particular flavor, and then ate only those bits of kibble, leaving the other stuff. After changing his food, his smell changed dramatically. He still had some of the same issues after a month or two and I went back to the vet and requested allergy testing. I did the "hyposensistizing allergy shots",

Once I got the report back from the lab, I saw the five food ingredients causing him trouble. Salmon, sweet potato, eggs, corn, and brewers yeast. Blessedly, the report also comes back with lists of dry and wet food that are OK for your dog, and treats. I took the booklet to the feed store (where they had the biggest selection) and spoke with the manager. He asked what price point I was looking for, and then told me what he carried - had on hand, what he could get for me - and how far in advance he needed to know.

Once I got my dog on the correct for him food - according to the testing, he had no more yeast infections, smelled MUCH better, and was happier with no itching. I also stopped the shots, as there were no more issues, so why screw with his system? The vet and I disagreed about that, but I explained clinically he was fine with the management (husbandry) I implemented. From then on I was vigilant about what ate, and anytime I wasn't, the smell was different, he had gas etc.

Any supplements you give your dog like Cosequin, calming wafers, or even the chewable medicine, check the ingredients. Once I managed my dog's diet, we both felt better - and I surely felt like a star human for my dog.

Good luck, and I hope that this helps you and other people in a similar situation.

So, your vet is always the first stop. Observe what your dog eats and doesn't (knowing some don't care and will eat anything), and trust that instinct that thinks something isn't right.

What dogs encounter outside can cling to their skin and fur which can cause an unpleasant smell. Also dogs don't sweat like we do. They sweat through there paws and slightly through there hair follicles. You may notice when your dog comes back inside in the summer he probably smells worse than in the winter. You might notice that your dogs feet smell bad too. This is due to normal bacteria found on there feet. Bathing and grooming and keeping your dog inside will help with the smell.