Why Your Dog Smells Like Fish!

Dogs don’t smell like roses; they have a standard body odor. However, their body odor is not so strong that you can smell them from across the room. If your pup suddenly starts to smell like fish, it could signify something is wrong with their anal gland.

A dog’s anal glands are sacs on the right and left sides of their inner anus. These sacs have sweat glands that produce smelly fluid that functions as a scent marker, allowing dogs to leave a unique scent behind when they pass stool. Dogs naturally excrete some amount of the fluid when they poop, but in some cases, dogs may struggle to empty them.

When a dog’s anal glands become too full, the dog experiences some discomfort. Usually, dogs going through such an issue may show symptoms such as licking their rear, straining to defecate, and leaving smelly fluid where they sit or sleep. If your dog shows any of those symptoms, they need your help to empty their anal glands.

In this case, the only way to help your dog solve their problem is by taking them to the vet to have their glands expressed. However, if this becomes a regular issue, you may ask your vet to teach you how to do the glands expression manually at home.