[LY909]

Hello everyone, I am a new basset mommy with a 3 year old tri-colored basset. He is such a great dog except for one problem. He is a BIG stinker!!! Right after he was adopted, I took him to the vet for a full checkup. Everything was good except for the smell. The vet told me my basset was one smelly dog.

I know bassets can have teeth and ear problems and that is where a lot of stinky smell comes from. My dog Porter just had a full dental cleaning and I brush his teeth every other day. And his ears are cleaned every weekend with solution. I was told I shouldn't bath him too often because this can dry out his skin but he just smell so ripe after 1 week.

To all you basset owners out there, how often do you bath your dog? Is there any way to control the basset smell?

 

[cjdaisy]

Hello!

My basset is one smelly girl! I have to bath her, clean her ears, and wash her bedding and blakets once a week or else the smell gets over powering. I bath her in puppy shampoo (which is gentle in its own self) and I finish with a conditioner/water rinse. I haven't had any problems with her skin at all in the 4 months I have been doing this for her. She has a very beautiful coat and my vet said her skin looks very health and well conditioned. Hope this helped you!

 

[bubbad]

Food can contribute to a smelly dog,what are you feeding.

 

[LY909]

I feed Eagle Pack Holistic Select Anchovy Sardine and Salmon Meal. I was told its good food for dogs since its very high in fish oil for the basset joints. This food makes his coat very shinning and thick.

Sometimes the other dog owners at the dog park comment about how stinky my basset is and I do get a little embarrassed since my dog is the only one that smells funky.

Oh well, guess it takes a basset owner to understand another basset owner. Too bad there isn't many bassets here in Boston MA.

 

[jaleely]

I feed my dogs that too. Most of the time there is not a smelly coat....BUT...my boy does like to go sit outside in the sun...where he pees....or he will step in it after he goes (he still squats like a girl) or drag his ears over his poo or pee... once a week usually is okay, if i catch him right away after going outside and i give him a good baby wipe.
You can also check their anal glands...that can smell kind of like garbage or even fishy...or nasty fishy barfy garbage *lol* if he's got tight glands he could be leaking smell.
if it's just a doggy odor, i would just recommended watching to see if he rolls in things and a bath every4-5 days for a month or so, then once a week. Just use baby shampoo/conditioner, make the baths quick and vigerous. If you find he starts scratching with dry skin use baby lotion and rub through the fur to the skin! : )

 

[LY909]

He just has a very strong doggy smell. VERY STRONG. Especially if he isn't bathed every week. I just thought it was something wrong since other dog owners only bath their dog a few times a year (thats what they tell me).

here comes the weekly bath schedule... at least he likes all the personal attention at bath time.

 

[Mikey T]

I was told I shouldn't bath him too often because this can dry out his skin but he just smell so ripe after 1 week.

Depend on the shampoo used.

Also keep in mind most vets do not have the skill to properly diagose all but the most common dermalogical conditions, Basset are prone to a skin condition known as Seborrhea. In bassets the oily type is more common but both types occur There is no cure and the only control is frequent bathing see;

Seborrhea in Dogs

Seborrhea


Primary Idiopathic Seborrhea

It is the most common chronic keratinization of dogs. Many breeds have primary idiopathic seborrhea including the following: Basset hound, Cocker spaniel, Dachshund, Doberman pincher, English springer spaniel, German shepherd, Irish setter, Shar-Pei, and West Highland white terrier.

...Seborrhea oleosa is characterized by a generalized, malodorous, greasy skin and hair coat. There are accumulations of brownish-yellow, greasy material that adhere to the hair and skin. Neck, and feet are the most severely affected regions.

additional resources

What is Shampoo/Topical Therapy?

For example, bathing a cat or dog frequently -- as often as daily in difficult cases -- helps lessen the effects of allergy-causing animal dander or airborne substances such as ragweed for both humans and animals.

Shampoo Topical Therapy


Another source of odor in basset hounds is Skin Fold Pyderma

the most common location being the bottom lip and flews

 

[bubbad]

Possibly the fish in the food can contribute to the odor as well.

 

[mhvonalmen8908]

Maybe I'm lucky but neither of mine smell real bad. The only time they stink is when they're in an enclosed area for hours, like the car, or when they come in from being outside and they're hot. Those are the times when I notice it the most. But they only get bathed once a month or so. Unless they roll in something totally vile. Then they get a bonus bath!

 

[LY909]

Porter just has this strong doggy odor if he isn't bathed every 10 days or so and it seems a little unusual from the other dogs in the neighborhood. If I dont bath him every weekend, you'll know when he comes in the room, especially if he is trying to wake me up with his nose on a saturday morning... hahahaha

 

[Cassidy]

We got really lucky with Fergus and he's not overly smelly. Sure he smells, but find me a dog that doesn't. We bathe him about once a week and haven't had any problems with skin issues. I guess I would probably defer to Mikey T, as he seems to know more than most of us on here, but imho if it's not bothering his skin, it's ok to do it once a week.

 

[peterluquer]

I think maybe we are lucky with Lollypop. Sure, she can smell a bit after a good walk in the woods and a few rolls in manure, but on the whole, she doesn't seem to smell badly at all. We only bathe her about 5 times a year and mostly in warm weather at that. Snow works wonders if you live in northern climes. I think a hounds coat naturally takes care if itself fairly well and constant cleaning prevents it from doing what it naturally wants to do. If it's a healthy coat, it shouldn't stink so bad.