How to Make Your Dog Smell Good: 7 Natural Ways
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Anyone who has ever owned a dog knows that they can develop an odor every now and then, despite our best efforts to keep them clean. Most cleaners contain harsh chemicals and fragrances that can harm your pet, causing skin rashes and other problems.
We have searched the internet and asked all of our friends to find as many safe and natural alternative ways to remove the odor from your pet to help them smell good, and we’ve been able to share a list of seven natural ways to make your pet smell good.
Please continue reading while we take a look at each one to see how it can help reduce odors.
Top 7 Natural Ways to Improve the Smell of Your Dog
1. Regular Brushing
Regular brushing with a fine bristle brush can help eliminate tangles and knots in your pet’s coat. It can also help remove dander, food particles, dirt, and other debris that may cause your dog fur to develop an odor. Brushing also improves blood circulation, which can improve skin health.
2. Bathing
Bathing your pet can be a great way to make your dog smell good, just be careful to look for a brand that uses all-natural ingredients and doesn’t contain any dyes or perfumes. There are quite a few brands of dog shampoo available that can help clean the fur while deodorizing and moisturizing the skin.
3. Brush their Teeth
No dog is going to smell very good if it has bad breath. Bad breath can be controlled by manually brushing your pet’s teeth. If you start brushing their teeth at an early age, they will be used to it after a few months, and it can really improve their dental health as well as their smell.
You will need to use only dog toothpaste because many brands of human toothpaste contain a popular artificial sweetener called Xylitol that can be deadly for dogs.
4. Clean their Ears
If you have ever had a dog with an ear infection, you know that they can produce a foul odor. The ears can also develop an odor before they reach the infection stage, so it’s best to keep the ears properly maintained, especially if your pet has floppy ears. There are plenty of ear cleaning solutions available made from natural ingredients.
5. Wash Bedding
It’s easy for odors to transfer through contact, which means your pet’s bedding and any other areas they frequent, could be contributing to their bad smell. Often, running the bedding through the washer can significantly improve odor and reduce the risk of odor transference.
6. Rinse Your Pet
Another good tip is to rinse your pet off with the hose after a hike in the woods or a muddy walk. A quick rinse can help remove ticks and other insects that might cause your dog problems. It’s also a lot easier to get any mud off while it’s still wet and doing so will help prevent skin problems. Dried dirt and mud can cause pet odor, and it can get around your home.
7. Baking Soda
One of the best-known natural products for removing odors of any type is baking soda. Baking soda is non-toxic, and if your pet allows, you can sprinkle some baking soda over their coat, let sit for 30 minutes and vacuum it out. It does a fantastic job of removing odor and doesn’t replace it with fragrance. Besides your pet, you can sprinkle baking soda over their bedding and any carpet in rooms they frequent to minimize transferring odors. Leaving a box of baking soda open in an area that often smells bad can also help reduce odors without needing to vacuum.
What to Avoid
One popular remedy that many people like to use is essential oils. However, many essential oils can be harmful to your dog and other pets, and we highly recommend avoiding them completely. Essential oils can irritate the skin and can even cause liver damage if too much absorbs through the skin.
Conclusion
We hope you have enjoyed reading over these natural odor remedies and have found a few that you have not tried before. If you have tried these remedies and were successful in reducing offensive pet odor, please share these seven natural remedies on Facebook and Twitter.
Featured Image Credit: Kristina Holovach, Shutterstock
