[jonbugh]

Hello! I have a 4 year old male Boxer and I'm having a couple of problems. The first problem is he smells really bad. I give him a bath about once a week using an oatmeal dog shampoo that my last vet gave me. He stays inside with me all day other than our walks and his potty time outside, and he never rolls in anything outside. He has a strong smell though, mainly around his face (mouth, snout, between his eyes, etc.). It smells almost like rotting cheese. Any ideas of anything else I can do, or any problems with his health this might suggest? I've had three other boxers in my life, but none have smelled bad.

The second problem is that he leak urine when he sleeps. Sometimes it's just a couple of drops, but a lot of times it is quite a bit. When he wakes up, he always licks it up, so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the smell on his face.

My biggest problem is that we just moved to the St. Louis area a few months ago and I don't have a good vet here. The vet that I took him to basically said the leaking is normal and to keep him bathed to keep the smell down because that is normal as well. That just doesn't seem right, but I wanted to get some opinions from you all before going to another vet.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Here is a picture of my baby boy and his little sister (cat), who he is scared to death of!

Thanks!
Jon

 

[Skylar]

Hi Jon - First thing is that is way too many baths for a boxer. I only bath ours maybe once a month unless they get really dirty. Also, the smell may be a yeast infection. There are some much more knowledgeable than I about the subject on both counts but that is just my two cents, Hopefully they will chime in on this post.

 

[jonbugh]

Thanks Skylar! That was pretty much my thought as well, but that is what the vet said to do. My old Boxers rarely got a bath unless they really needed it. I am going to definitely try to find a different vet.

If anyone else has any suggestions, please let me know! I'm all ears!

Thanks!
Jon

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

hmmm i was going to say yeast inf..how about open his mouth and see if smell is INSIDE his mouth? like a tooth issue?

MOST DEF FIND A NEW VET..none of that sounds right.. :?

hes beautiful !! LOVE the kitty pic with him looking like uhmm please dont scratch me hahaha

 

[sully]

Males can get yeast infections??   8O

 

[Guest]

my male dog at my mom's house simba gets yeast infections in his ears all the time...very stinky...a icky moldy bread/rotten cheese mix that makes you wanna gag...the eyes would be a breeding ground\- warm and moist as well as his lips I imagine..so it would make sense he could have a yeast infection giong on...I know boxers can be very yeasty dogs...also like was mentioned above..how are his teeth?  My moms dog has a couple pretty bad teeth that give him the WORST breath...the teeth effect a lot of systems and should be checked over often

 

[JeepKuntry]

More than likely a yeast infection in his ear or ears.  Our female, Sadie, gets them periodically.  It does have a rank smell.  I would find a vet in your area and have him looked over.  Can't help you out with the leaking, never experienced it.  He's a good lookin boy though!

 

[jonbugh]

Thanks everyone! I smelled inside his ears and they just smell like normal puppy dog ears (they didn't stink). I smelled his breath and it is pretty bad, but I did not see any rotting or bad looking teeth. I guess the really bad, cheesy smell is coming more from his nose and between his eyes area.

As far as the leaking, does anyone else have a male that leaks when sleeping?

Also, on a long shot, does anyone know a good vet in the St. Peters / St. Charles, MO area?

Thanks!
Jon

 

[Barbs2Ks]

I would try to find a different vet.  If there is a boxer club or boxer rescue in the area, I would call them and maybe they can recommend a vet.  Hope you find out what is causing it.

 

[jonbugh]

Thanks! I will look into that!

Jon

 

[southerngirls]

We had the same problem...not so much rotting cheese smell, but a stronger smell than normal. I spoke with sharon and got this little tidbit....baking soda the instructions i was given is 1 box of baking soda per gallon of water. Mix it and dump over the dog and let sit for a few minutes....rinse off then bath as normal. My BF and i did this the other day and the girls smell wonderful. and so far that smell hasnt come back. Oatmeal shampoo is normally used for dogs with allergies or sensative skin, so you may want to switch shampoos as well. Cant help with the urine leakage...no experience with that.

 

[nano]

Yeast and could be UTI with the leaking.  Not typically a male problem though but worth a check.  If he was my dog I would do that for him.  Hopefully you can find a vet you like.

Nano

 

[sharonL]

Well on the skin it sounds like most things have been covered but a strong smell is an indication there is something going on...It is not uncommon for a dog (male) to lick his urine if he has gone on his bedding so it may be just that on his face....The thing with the baking soda listed above works wonders.  There is also fungal, bacteria and yeast infections on the skin that cause bad smells.  

On the urine.  The most common thing with leaking during sleep is incontinence. Four years old is not to young to start that in a boxer and especially if he was neutered early in age.  I would have that checked because if there are no UTI's involved then again it may be incontinence.  There are many good med's for this.

This is the only one I could find listed in my book that have received good reviews...not to say the other ones are not good, but this one had client comments.


Bogey Hills Animal Hospital
Virginia Loder, DVM
1997 Zumbehl Road
St. Charles, MO 63303
636-946-9395

 

[jonbugh]

Thanks everyone! We got him some shampoo with baking soda, and a toothbrush with some peanut butter toothpaste. He smells like a new dog

Jon

 

[samsonsmom]

Good news, glad to hear that it helped