We have all been there. You walk into a house that has stinky dogs or a stinky kitty litter and it is like hitting a physical wall of bad pet odor. The house can look spotless and perfect but once that smell pervades your nostrils, all you can think of is how quickly you can get out and wash your hands, if not a full shower.
Figuring out how to conquer pet odors is mostly common sense. A clean pet sleeping in clean bedding in a clean house is not going to smell.
Conquering Pet Odors at the Source
A clean smelling dog is more then just clean fur. Dirty ears, eyes, mouths, feet, fur and bottoms all contribute to the dog smell in a home.
Clean Ears for a Pet Odor Free Home
Dog ears are a lovely haven for several types of smelly bacteria. They are warm, wet and cozy caves that are often not part of a cleaning regime. That is, until there is a problem and once a problem arises, it is off to the vet.
Why not save yourself some money and keep your dog’s ears clean? Weekly cleanings help keep ears free of black goo, sweet smelling and healthy. It also helps you to be aware of a potential problem at the earliest stage, speeding up the recovery time as well as the cost of medicine. Speak with the staff at your veterinary clinic to see which ear cleaner they recommend and more information on how to clean your dog’s ears.
Clean Eyes for a Pet Odor Free Home
Eye boogers smell bad. It is an odd thing to say but it is true. Even healthy eyes produce eye boogers and depending on how and on what your pet removes them, over time they can affect the air quality in your home.
They are also a good way of monitoring your pet’s overall health. Eye boogers should be a slightly grey to brown color with a moist consistency. Green or yellow eye boogers or excessive quantities can indicate an eye infection or that something else is going on with the eye.
Wash your pet’s face each morning with a damp paper towel and carefully remove any excess eye boogers. Not only are you monitoring your pet’s health, but you are also making sure that any stinky eye boogers end up in the garbage and not all over your carpet.
A Clean Mouth for a Pet Odor Free Home
Humans brush their teeth once or twice daily to maintain a healthy and fresh smelling mouth. We also chew gum, suck on mints, floss and who knows what all else in order to remain socially acceptable.
Pets lick their bottoms. Dogs chew on bones and stinky rawhides. After eating their dinner, many pets wipe their faces on the carpet or furniture and when they sleep, they drool onto their pillows.
As pets age, their mouths become hot beds of bacteria and decay if left unchecked. The majority of older pet odor comes from a their mouth and before long, that smell is now throughout your house.
Why not prevent your pet the discomfort of gingivitis and tooth decay while keeping your house smelling fresh and clean? It is easy. Brush your pet’s teeth once a day and offer them breath freshening treats throughout the day. Not only will it save your pet the pain and discomfort of dental cleanings and tooth removal, it will help keep your house clean and smelling pet-free.
Clean Feet for a Pet Odor Free Home
Healthy pet feet are not a large contributor to pet odor in the house but they can track in some pretty stinky smells. When your pets come in from the great outdoors, wipe their paws to ensure they did not step in anything grim and that any mud and dirt stays off the carpet.
Handling your pet’s feet in this way when they are young also has the added benefit – they become used to it and do not fuss over being touched. Throughout their long healthy life, it will help you trim toenails and discover any potential conditions developing early that could cause problems later on.
Clean Fur and a Fur Free House for a Pet Odor Free Home
Clean fur that is free of dead coat is a vital part of your pet’s overall health.
Cats normally look after this for us and all we need to do to keep the house smelling fresh is to vacuum regularly. Longhaired cats do need to be brushed regularly but very few actually need to be bathed.
Dogs on the other hand need us to intervene now and then for a good shampoo to stay clean and healthy. Over-shampooing is not good either as it can make the skin produce more oils so moderation is the key. How often does your pet need to be bathed? Let your nose be the decision maker. Once they start to smell a bit doggy, its time.
Brushing is another secret weapon to conquering pet odor. Dead fur smells and although it takes a lot of dead fur to really stink up a house, by brushing the dead coat out and regularly vacuuming to suck up what fur is naturally shed, you will find your house stays cleaner and much fresher.
Clean Bottoms for a Pet Odor Free Home
Most of us avoid looking at our pet’s bottom and for good reason. However, that can be a sight for many bad pet odors.
Longhaired cats and dogs can have a hard time keeping the area clean, especially if they are suffering from a bout of diarrhea. If you know they have just gone the bathroom, save yourself some work and give them a quick inspection to make sure they are not going to leave behind anything stinky when they then sit on the wall-to-wall carpet.
The other concern is anal glands in dogs. Anal glands are natural lubricators to help ease the stool along that should release only when the dog defecates. Many breeds however are prone to infections and abscesses of the anal glands and that is a stink that will make any house uninhabitable.
Have your vet check their anal glands as part of your dog’s bi-yearly physical – a healthy bottom is a stink-free bottom.
The Common Sense Part of a Pet Odor Free Home
- If you have bathed your dog, why not wash his bedding? In fact, why not wash his bedding every week when you wash your own? Is his bed looking at little rough and the stuffing starting to smell? Why not buy him a new one and lower the stink level?
- Kitty litters are a chore – no doubt about it. Giving them a twice daily cleaning, however, keeps the work to a 30 second scooping. Your cat will love you for it and so will your nose!
- Vacuum cleaners suck up a lot of stink from your pet so what if you were to replace the bag or empty the canister after each time you vacuum? Done more regularly, it becomes a quick job instead of a major process and helps keep the old, dead fur smell out of your closets.
- Do you have furnace with a filter in your house? Why not change that as instructed or even more frequently? Keep the house smelling fresh by circulating clean air.
- Has your dog rolled in something gross? Take them to a you-bathe dog washing facility and keep the smell out of your house.
Owning a pet does not have to mean your house smells like them. Common sense and staying on top of the smell will help keep the work to a minimum.
Another bonus? You do not need to shampoo your carpets, guaranteeing they will last longer while looking better!
