# Sometimes Jax smells like fish!



## Jaxmom (Oct 3, 2013)

Yuck....everyone once in a while my cute, cuddly, baby boy smells! Smells bad! Once I thought it was when he had his bacterial infection...but that is gone. Then I thought it was from a certain bone he had...but, I read online that their anal glands can occasionally emit a fishy odor? Anyone else having this problem? Its all new to me!


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## Zuca's mom (Aug 14, 2012)

Yep, fish butt. Try real pumpkin, about a tablespoon, in his food once a day. It will help firm up his poop and that squeezes the glands when he goes. Good luck!


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Most likely he needs his anal glands expressed.


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## Jaxmom (Oct 3, 2013)

His poop is firm now that he is on a prescription diet. Maybe it just hasn't been for long enough? I am assuming a vet would have to express the glands? We have had a fortune in vet bills lately, I am not in a hurry to go back if I don't have to. Is it dangerous, or just dangerous to my nose? Luckily it doesn't smell for long.


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## Goldie806 (Oct 23, 2013)

I am a groomer and we offer that service at our salon. Of course it is external and the vet does it internally. (Use your imagination) but the external seems to help with the odor and if he is scootching his bottom across the floor. Not sure how old your baby is but I know at our salon we offer services at 8 weeks old and we have to see proof of vaccinations on all pets. So might try that. (He will need a bath afterwards though) good luck!!


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## Jaxmom (Oct 3, 2013)

Goldie806 said:


> I am a groomer and we offer that service at our salon. Of course it is external and the vet does it internally. (Use your imagination) but the external seems to help with the odor and if he is scootching his bottom across the floor. Not sure how old your baby is but I know at our salon we offer services at 8 weeks old and we have to see proof of vaccinations on all pets. So might try that. (He will need a bath afterwards though) good luck!!
> 
> 
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Thanks! That's good to know. I will check with the salons around here. Any idea how often it has to be done.? He is not butt scooting...yet...lol


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## murphysmum (Oct 6, 2013)

Jaxmom said:


> Yuck....everyone once in a while my cute, cuddly, baby boy smells! Smells bad! Once I thought it was when he had his bacterial infection...but that is gone. Then I thought it was from a certain bone he had...but, I read online that their anal glands can occasionally emit a fishy odor? Anyone else having this problem? Its all new to me!


Our puppy is now 6 months old and he's always had a problem with his Anal Glands. He has had solid stools for a long time and this doesn't make any difference, he's had pumpkin in his diet but still no good. We have started to give him bones to chew as someone told me that might help to express them, who knows??? It's not life threatening to the pup but it can make life very uncomfortable for them.

What we did when we noticed the smell and Murphy frantically itching his butt was get a hot towel and put it on his butt until it went cold and slowly applied pressure that seemed to express a small amount and give him relief.

I think it's best a qualified person should do it though.

Good luck 


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## Jaxmom (Oct 3, 2013)

hmmm....he hasn't started itching his butt, or acting uncomfortable in any way. Maybe this comes later?


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## Goldie806 (Oct 23, 2013)

You really just do it whenever it is needed. It sounds like he's able to express them himself but it's kind of a mess. I would recommend getting some safe wet wipes and maybe cleaning that area. It sounds like it is just on his bottom and could be cleaned off. 

Haha sorry for the bluntness. 


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## Mini golden (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't want to recommend you do something you don't feel comfortable with, but with our old dog (Rhodesian ridgeback) he had anal gland issues. He needed them expressed every few months - they would just leak a bit on his bedding or somewhere around the house and we knew they were full. And boy did that smell nasty!

We were tight on money and not afraid of a little mess, so we learned how to do it ourselves. It smelled rancid and horrible, but it worked and was free and only needed doing a few times a year. He didn't love it but it didn't bother him and he always stood still for it without seeming uncomfortable, similar to getting their temp taken at the vet. No fun, but no big deal. We just did it outside or in the bathtub when we bathed him, and we used disposable latex gloves. I'm sure vets do something internal, but we just used external pressure around the anus, and the glands just... emptied, in kind of a squirt. LOL! Sorry if that's too graphic. Really, it was just a medically necessary procedure that was needed to keep him healthy, so we just didn't let it gross us out. Too much.  

Anyway. Obviously not everyone would feel comfortable doing it at home, I just wanted to reassure you that if you are a do-it-yourself type person it can done quite easily and it's free.  And he never had a single side effect or issue. It was really very simple and straightforward.

Hope you figure out a plan that works for you!


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

When I groomed, we offered anal gland expression. Anal glands stink to high heaven. When I worked at a vet office, one of my coworkers got squirted and even after a shower and a change of clothes, she still stunk. 

I, personally, would clean the anus after eliminations first. If that doesn't work, go in for a vet visit and see if they NEED to be expressed. If the glands are impacted, only a vet can do it safely. I've seen a dog rupture their anal gland from impaction. I would rather have a vet look my boy over and show me what to look for and how to do it first. 

If its not his anal glands, sometimes a yeast infection can smell fishy. 


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