petbrief The Holistic Pet Parents Guide to
Pet Odors You Don’t Want to Ignore
by Michel Selmer, DVM, CVA, CVH, CVFT
The Holistic Pet Parent’s guide to Pet Odors You Don’t Want to Ignore
F
ebreze has some hilarious (and effective) commercials designed to make us second guess the smells that we’ve gone “nose blind” to but are poten- tially horrifying our guests. An effective marketing message, because—let’s face it—no one wants to be that pet owner whose house smells like “dog.” If this is a concern for you, there are two things you need to know:
While pets do have odors, your home won’t smell bad unless your pet smells bad. For the most part, your pet shouldn’t be emit- ting a foul odor.
Don’t ignore pet odors. Peculiar and persistent pet odors are gen- erally a sign that something is “off,” and it’s important to find out the cause of the odors. Pet odors aren’t just cosmetic—they can be warning signs of imbal- ance or infection.
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Here are just a few odors to watch out for:
Smelly Skin and Coat. Allergies— both environmental and food related— can contribute to skin problems. When allergies are impacting the skin, both yeast and bacterial infections can be present, causing an odor, especially in the summer months when it is hot and muggy.
Stinky Ears. If there’s a strong odor coming from your pet’s ears, take your pet for a checkup right away. Hot weather makes pets more prone to ear infections, often due to yeast over- growth. These ear infections aren’t just smelly. They can cause your pet pain and constant irritation.
Bad Breath. Pets need dental clean- ings just like we do. So, if your pet’s breath stinks, it is possible his/her teeth simply need a good brushing. Of course, if you’ve recently had your pet’s teeth cleaned and there’s still a bad odor, it needs to be addressed. Bad breath can be a sign of a more trou- bling underlying health condition.
gas, Belching and vomiting. It happens. Your pet may pass gas, burp or even vomit occasionally. And, yes, it stinks. But frequent rumbly tummies, gas, burping and regurgitation are a sign that something is wrong and a trip to your vet is in order.
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Often these signs are due to the food you are feeding. “I joined a grow- ing number of veterinarians adding customized nutrition consults to their menu of services because finding the optimal food for your pet is of critical importance and requires extreme per- sonalization,” says Dr. Michel Selmer, of Advanced Animal Care Center, in South Huntington. “The truth is that no prepackaged bag food, not even the expensive ones prescribed by veteri- narians, will meet your pet’s specific needs. Nutrition demands depend greatly upon the age, activity level, health history and current health condi- tions of your pet.”
If your pet stinks and this smell does not go away after a bath (or returns shortly after bathing), a trip to your veterinarian is in order.
Dr. Michel Selmer is a Certified Vet- erinary Acupuncturist and is currently pursuing a master’s degree to become a master practitioner of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. His prac- tice, Advanced Animal Care Center, is located at 260 Evergreen Ave., South Huntington. For more information, to schedule a phone consultation or to make an appointment, call 631-FOR- PETS (367-7387) or visit Advanced-
CareForPets.com. See ad on page 2.
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