Help Pls - Labrador 6 Years Old - Smells of fish round mouth
Discussion
Hi,
Hoping you can help, vets not proving anything but costly.
Mortimer, 6 years and 8 months in age. Male, golden short hair lab.
8 weeks ago started smelling funny around his mouth, never smelt this bad before. This is not dog breath this is like rotten fish or bad bacteria.
Checked his gums and teeth myself and had two different vets check, all fine, nothing stuck in them.
Had two rounds of antibiotics which hardly do anything. I've been cleaning the area with water with a bit of anti septic mixed in. He seems himself, he is eating normally but he stinks and so does the house.
He is on his second round of antibiotics, been on them for 3 weeks now 1 in morning 1 at night and he still stinks.
It's really getting quite bad as no one wants to be near him and normally he is very affectionate but if he rests his head in your lap, you will change your trousers.
Round by the cheeks of his mouth is a green yellow build up but nothing damaged or too sore.
Any ideas what it is and what I can do about it?
Thank you in advance
Hoping you can help, vets not proving anything but costly.
Mortimer, 6 years and 8 months in age. Male, golden short hair lab.
8 weeks ago started smelling funny around his mouth, never smelt this bad before. This is not dog breath this is like rotten fish or bad bacteria.
Checked his gums and teeth myself and had two different vets check, all fine, nothing stuck in them.
Had two rounds of antibiotics which hardly do anything. I've been cleaning the area with water with a bit of anti septic mixed in. He seems himself, he is eating normally but he stinks and so does the house.
He is on his second round of antibiotics, been on them for 3 weeks now 1 in morning 1 at night and he still stinks.
It's really getting quite bad as no one wants to be near him and normally he is very affectionate but if he rests his head in your lap, you will change your trousers.
Round by the cheeks of his mouth is a green yellow build up but nothing damaged or too sore.
Any ideas what it is and what I can do about it?
Thank you in advance
Have they swabbed the discharge around his mouth?
Have they at least sedated him to investigate his mouth more thoroughly esp tonsils?
An anal gland ck can't hurt. Diet a possible link but difficult to say without seeing him. Any bloods been done for basic health checks?
Have they at least sedated him to investigate his mouth more thoroughly esp tonsils?
An anal gland ck can't hurt. Diet a possible link but difficult to say without seeing him. Any bloods been done for basic health checks?
Edited by bexVN on Tuesday 17th June 22:37
Hi people thanks for the response.
Gargamel - I thought this but we have checked and so have 2 independent vets both say nothing in mouth. Full of energy, eating and drinking like normal.
Crockfeller - One vet stated this and checked but said they were fine. Other vet never said anything about A-Glands but I guess would have checked as it's quite common I believe. Also I think the dog would be spending a lot of time licking his bum if so which I haven't noticed.
Bigandclever - as above don't think its glands
smn159 - he is definitely leaving him arse alone, giving it no more attention than normal.
jasandjules - I've been thinking about this raw diet thing lately for a number of reasons - what do you feed them and is it a lot more costly?
BexVN - No swab, one vet said if the month course of Antibiotics didn't work then the next thing would be to swab the discharge. No they have not yet sedated him to check his mouth and tonsils but the other vet did say that may need to happen to look at mouth thoroughly, especially at the back by tonsils. No bloods have been done.
Gargamel - I thought this but we have checked and so have 2 independent vets both say nothing in mouth. Full of energy, eating and drinking like normal.
Crockfeller - One vet stated this and checked but said they were fine. Other vet never said anything about A-Glands but I guess would have checked as it's quite common I believe. Also I think the dog would be spending a lot of time licking his bum if so which I haven't noticed.
Bigandclever - as above don't think its glands
smn159 - he is definitely leaving him arse alone, giving it no more attention than normal.
jasandjules - I've been thinking about this raw diet thing lately for a number of reasons - what do you feed them and is it a lot more costly?
BexVN - No swab, one vet said if the month course of Antibiotics didn't work then the next thing would be to swab the discharge. No they have not yet sedated him to check his mouth and tonsils but the other vet did say that may need to happen to look at mouth thoroughly, especially at the back by tonsils. No bloods have been done.
My thoughts are that we let him go another week on the antibiotics, even though I'm sure it won't clear up and then move to a swab and sedation - would you agree? There is nothing else I can try.
BTW his current diet is decent dry food with a little water splashed in. I mix up flavour wise, beef chicken lamb etc.
BTW his current diet is decent dry food with a little water splashed in. I mix up flavour wise, beef chicken lamb etc.
Not sure but this looks like skinfold dermatitis as a dog gets older his features change and around the mouth area where the wrinkles are saliva,water etc does not clear away as it used to becomes a nice wet and warm place for bacteria my old akita had this and the vet gave me some ointment called fuciderm very good stuff soaks in right away so the pooch does not get a chance to lick it away and very fast acting if memory serves hope this helps.
akita1 said:
Not sure but this looks like skinfold dermatitis as a dog gets older his features change and around the mouth area where the wrinkles are saliva,water etc does not clear away as it used to becomes a nice wet and warm place for bacteria my old akita had this and the vet gave me some ointment called fuciderm very good stuff soaks in right away so the pooch does not get a chance to lick it away and very fast acting if memory serves hope this helps.
I'm just looking into this online now and it seems it may be the case. Was the smell particularly bad on yours?Symptoms of skinfold dermatitis include reddened area and a bad odour which is pretty accurate
I did think this when you originally described it but I assumed your vets would have seen and diagnosed this tbh so didn't comment on it in the end.. Antibiotics can help but stabbing the area will determine the correct type to use. On top of that daily bathinposs with antibacterial wash or just a salt water wash.
There is a product called clx wipes that may help (use after he's eaten or after you've bathed it)
Clean you food storage bins out aswell and if you don't use the wipes at least clean his mouth after eating with a clean damp j cloth.
My mum and dad's elderly poodle (they took him on aged 12 and it was already established) suffered this. It was hard to control and needed persistent care to control it.
It may be worth asking about Fuciderm, though this should be a short term measure for flare ups then control measures.
There is a product called clx wipes that may help (use after he's eaten or after you've bathed it)
Clean you food storage bins out aswell and if you don't use the wipes at least clean his mouth after eating with a clean damp j cloth.
My mum and dad's elderly poodle (they took him on aged 12 and it was already established) suffered this. It was hard to control and needed persistent care to control it.
It may be worth asking about Fuciderm, though this should be a short term measure for flare ups then control measures.
Edited by bexVN on Thursday 19th June 16:26
jonamv8 said:
jasandjules - I've been thinking about this raw diet thing lately for a number of reasons - what do you feed them and is it a lot more costly?
It is cheaper for us to feed our animals raw than kibble. We feed tripe (beef, not lamb as that gave them wind), beef chunks, lamb (spine, ribs, heads), pork (trotters, ears, ribs, spine and sometimes heads), chicken carcasses... Then heart (Ox) and kidneys (various).
Then they get chicken feet, carrots and whatnot as snacks..
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