Why Does My Dog Smell Like Metal? - PawSafe (2024)
If a whiff of your dog leaves you wondering, “why does my dog smell like metal?”, you’re not alone. The reason could be serious, so read on for possible causes.
A metallic smell surrounding your dog is a cause of concern. In fact, a metallic smell in the breath, pee, urine, and skin indicates a potential health issue, most times severe. Many pet parents associate a metallic smell with blood and investigate their dogs for injuries, and they aren’t wrong.
However, some reasons, such as problematic anal glands, have little to nothing to do with blood from external wounds. Knowing why your dog smells like metal enables you to seek urgent medical attention when they need it the most. This article equips you with knowledge of dog metallic smell and a few solutions depending on the offending cause.
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Why Does My Dog Smell Like Metal?
Your dog can have a metallic smell because of medical issues such as dental problems, kidney failure, and impacted anal glands. Seek medical attention urgently because many conditions causing the metallic smell, like internal bleeding, can be fatal without proper treatment.
The cause of the smell greatly depends on where it comes from. Depending on the affected area, the odor can come from the breath, urine, skin, or vomit. Lethargy, appetite changes, and depression often accompany the metallic smell if your dog is sick.
Dogs aren’t the most fragrant animals, but sometimes their smell just isn’t right and is more odiferous than usual. Swift veterinary action effectively eliminates this suspicious smell and any other symptom your dog may be displaying. Here are 5 possible reasons your dog has a metallic smell and what you can do about it.
Dental issues that cause bleeding in the mouth
Most define the infamous dog breath as fishy rather than metallic when your pooch has halitosis. Oral conditions such as canine periodontal disease cause bleeding and teeth loss in dogs and are as painful as they sound.
When the bleeding occurs in the gums, you’ll notice a metallic smell, typical of blood, when your dog leans in close. Gingivitis is an early form of canine periodontal disease, and gum inflammation and swelling characterize the condition.
Canine periodontitis is common among dogs, affecting around 80% of dogs before getting to 3 years old. You can prevent these dental diseases by being proactive with your dog’s oral hygiene by brushing their teeth at least twice weekly. Additionally, you can provide dental chews and chew toys for maximum dental benefits.
Full and impacted anal glands
Dogs have two kidney-shaped sacs at their rear end. These glands secrete a pungent liquid with both a fishy and metallic smell. The secretion gives dogs their distinct scents, which explains sniffing each other’s butts when they meet.
Dog owners have likely walked in on their dogs licking their anal area, a behavior that can cause fishy breath. Sometimes, these anal sacs don’t empty enough as they should when your dog poops. The result is a metallic smell when the anal sac secretions thicken, causing your dog to smell after licking the area.
Our dog grooming spray helps to eliminate the metallic stench as you seek medical intervention for the anal sacs. The natural plant-based products are easy on your canine’s fur, so you don’t have to worry about damage to your dog’s coat.
As far as causes of anal gland issues go, changes in stool consistency are the most notorious culprit. When dogs poop, they naturally express the anal sacs and empty them a bit each time. If your dog has diarrhea or loose stool, they are more susceptible to anal gland issues than a dog with firm poop.
Gastrointestinal issues like stomach upset cause changes in stool consistency. Arthritic and obese dogs or those with orthopedic problems like luxating patellar have difficulty squatting and pooping. As a result, they are more susceptible to impacted anal glands.
You’ll notice scooting and excessive rear licking if your dogs have anal problems. Treatment of anal sac problems involves manual expression of the sacs by a vet to empty the contents. Some professional groomers are trained in anal sac emptying, but it’s best to stick to the vet because anal sacs are delicate.
Kidney failure
Kidney failure is a severe medical condition where the kidneys don’t remove bodily toxins as they should. In the case of kidney problems, your dog’s urine can smell like iron due to the accumulation of bodily wastes and toxins that the kidneys haven’t effectively filtered out.
You can notice blood in urine in advanced stages of renal failure in dogs. Your dog also displays what professionals call uremic breath, which results from an accumulation of proteins and waste products. Dogs with renal failure also show increased thirst, lethargy, decrease in appetite, and weight loss.
It’s best to consult your vet right away if you notice any of the above signs. Kidney failure is fatal if you don’t medically manage it in time. Grievously, many dogs with acute renal failure don’t make it, but some can survive and heal with early and vigorous treatment. Chronic kidney failure is untreatable but manageable with fluid therapy and diet changes and is mainly associated with aging.
Internal bleeding
Internal bleeding is dangerous because it’s less obvious as it happens inside the body, which can delay diagnosis. Immune-mediated diseases, rat-bait poison, and trauma can cause your dog to bleed internally. You can catch a metallic smell in your dog’s breath because of the blood within the body.
The most common signs include pale gums, lethargy due to the lower red blood cells, a distended abdomen, and shallow breathing. Internal bleeding warrants immediate medical attention because it can be fatal or cause severe anemia if untreated.
Bleeding of the body tracts due to UTIs or ulcers
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) cause traces of blood in the urine, which you can smell if your dog accidentally pees in the house. The overactive bladder makes it hard for your dog to hold in pee, causing them to urinate in odd places like their beds, where the smell rubs onto the fur when they sleep.
Sometimes your dog’s poop has a red tinge due to small amounts of blood. Ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract can cause blood in your furry friend’s excretion. The passage of stool containing digested blood is referred to as Melaena, and the poo is dark and sticky. Melaena results from dogs swallowing blood or internal bleeding where the body digests the blood.
It’s essential to know how to clean your dog without baths if they smell due to any of the reasons above. You can’t wash your dog with shampoo every time they stink as that would strip their coats of sebum. Dog wipes, colognes, and dry shampoos are a few ways to clean your dog bath-free.
How to Prevent a Metallic Smell in Dogs
The best solutions to metallic-smelling dogs are preventative. Taking precautionary measures against these odors helps to prevent the iron-like smell in the first place. The solutions depend on the cause of the stench and where the smells originate in the body.
Clean your dog’s teeth
Oral hygiene is crucial to your dog’s health, so regular brushing is necessary. Taking the time at least twice every week ensures your dog’s teeth are free from plaque buildup and halitosis. Yearly visits to the vet ensure the teeth are in a topnotch condition and that dogs receive treatment for present dental issues.
Feed your dog a quality diet
Your dog’s smell can indicate their internal state, so good nutrition prevents metallic dog smell. Dogs with stomach sensitivities that feed on low-quality foods can experience upsets and loose stool. The loose poop isn’t firm enough to express and empty the anal glands leading to issues that cause a metallic smell.
Keep an eye on the environment
Your dog can chew on something that hurts the gums, causing them to bleed and have a metallic smell. Dogs consuming harmful ingredients like certain plants and antifreeze can experience renal failure. To avoid these situations, ensure the environment your dog plays in has only pet-safe substances.
Final Thoughts
Metallic smells in dogs are concerning as they indicate medical issues. Dental problems, kidney failure, full anal glands, and internal bleeding can cause your dog to have an iron-like odor. Urgent medical attention is vital if you notice the metallic smell and signs like lethargy and loss of appetite.
We recommend cleaning your dog’s teeth at least twice a week straight from puppyhood if possible. Feeding your dog a proper diet helps prevent obesity and gastrointestinal issues, which can cause impacted and even abscessed anal sacs. Metallic dog smells are disconcerting, but with treatment and proper preventive measures, you can get ahead of the odors.
Tamsin De La Harpe
Author
Tamsin de la Harpe has nearly two decades of experience with dogs in rescue, training, and behavior modification with fearful and aggressive dogs. She has worked closely with veterinarians and various kennels, building up extensive medical knowledge and an understanding of canine health and physiology. She also spent two years in the animal sciences as a canine nutrition researcher, focusing on longevity and holistic healthcare for our four-legged companions.
Tamsin currently keeps a busy homestead with an assortment of rescue dogs and three Bullmastiffs.
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Metallic smells in dogs are concerning as they indicate medical issues. Dental problems, kidney failure, full anal glands, and internal bleeding can cause your dog to have an iron-like odor. Urgent medical attention is vital if you notice the metallic smell and signs like lethargy and loss of appetite.
The dog iron smell or dog metallic smell is caused by a build-up of waste products and toxins that the dog's kidneys are not removing from his body. Again, you should seek veterinary advice right away, as kidney failure is fatal if not treated urgently.
A metallic smell on your body is typically a type of body odor triggered by handling copper or other metals. It can also result from your body burning protein rather than glucose during a workout.
Dogs' breath can smell metallic for several reasons. The most common is due to their anal glands, and the most serious reason is kidney failure. The metallic dog breath (like ammonia) can be caused by a build-up of toxins not being filtered by kidneys.
Secondary yeast or bacterial infections on the skin or inside the ears remain the most common medical reasons dogs might smell awful. Allergies often begin the process, which leads to scratching and licking that open the door for infections.
Symptoms of a yeast infection include red, itchy skin, discolouration, and a sweet, musty odour. If a yeast infection is present in the paws (one of the most common areas), the paws will become red and itchy, and there may even be a brown discharge present in the nail beds.
At any given time, dogs have some level of bacteria and fungi on their skin. “When your dog's paws have a bacteria called Pseudomonas and Proteus, they can give off a yeasty odor that smells similar to corn chips,” says the American Kennel Club's Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Jerry Klein, DVM.
Rubbing blood over skin results in a similar metallic smell based on the same scent molecules. Blood also contains iron atoms. Says Glindemann, “That humans can 'smell' iron can be interpreted as a sense for the smell of blood.
So you know how if you've been handling coins you get that distinctive whiff of metal? Or how the water from the fountain in the back end of your elementary school tasted pretty much like the smell of those coins? You were wrong—metal has no smell.
Metallic smells in dogs are concerning as they indicate medical issues. Dental problems, kidney failure, full anal glands, and internal bleeding can cause your dog to have an iron-like odor. Urgent medical attention is vital if you notice the metallic smell and signs like lethargy and loss of appetite.
Anal glands are small paired sacs that sit on the left and right side (around 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock) of your dog/cat's anus. The cells lining these glands produce an oily secretion with a distinct rotten fishy, metallic smell.
Diabetes. If your dog has diabetes, their breath may have a sweet smell to it. The fruity smell results from ketoacidosis, which is a serious and potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes. If your dog has sweet-smelling breath, take them to the vet right away.
It could be a medical issue that needs attention right away. In fact, an abnormal smell is one of the big signs that your “healthy” dog is showing illness symptoms.
The clinical signs of more advanced kidney failure include loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and very bad breath. Occasionally, ulcers will be found in the mouth.
If your dog is itching and has a distinctive musty smell or if his feet smell like Corn Chips, or ears smell like musty mold, he may have a yeast infection. Yeast is tremendously itchy.
Vets usually recommend using a product that contains chlorhexidine (a disinfectant that kills germs) once or twice a week. Apply a prescription lotion, cream, spray, or wipe on the infected area daily. Common antifungal medications include miconazole, clotrimazole, ketoconazole, climbazole, and terbinafine.
When some dogs eat ingredients such as chicken, wheat, corn or other individual items, ingestion will trigger an allergic reaction that can alter the natural flora and allow an unnatural growth of yeast.
If you want to reduce the corn chip smell, wash your dog's feet regularly with a gentle, pet-approved shampoo. Dry thoroughly, paying special attention to the areas in between the toes. Trim any long hairs in between the toes as well, and while you're at it, clip the toenails if they are too long.
For example, Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization, which is associated with disease progression in cystic fibrosis patients, is known for its grape-like odor, which can be attributed to the VOC 2-aminoacetophenone (2-AA).
Oct-1-en-3-one (CH2=CHC(=O)(CH2)4CH3), also known as 1-octen-3-one, is the odorant that is responsible for the typical "metallic" smell of metals and blood coming into contact with skin. Oct-1-en-3-one has a strong metallic mushroom-like odor with an odor detection threshold of 0.03–1.12 µg/m3 and it is the main ...
Electrical and metallic odors generally stem from excessive heat within your furnace. A smell like singed wires likely indicates an overheating metal component, while a more metallic smell may come from a damaged rubber component.
Blood, containing Fe2+, also gives a metallic smell when smeared on our skin. This gives rise to the “coppery” odour of blood, but the smell is actually derived from the skin's fatty chemicals.
However, some people experience a change to their sense of smell about three to four months following infection. People report certain things—like food or body odor—smelling like garbage, rotten eggs, or chemicals. This altered sense of smell is called parosmia.
Phantosmia is when a person smells something that is not actually there. The smells vary between individuals but are usually unpleasant, such as burnt toast, metallic, or chemical smells. Possible causes range from nasal polyps to a stroke. Phantosmia is also called a phantom smell or an olfactory hallucination.
In fact, according to research published in Nature, your nose can detect about one trillion smells! But your own underarms could reek and you might not be able to tell: Humans are prone to what scientists call olfactory fatigue; our sense of smell just gets plain tired out by familiar odors and stops detecting them.
I guess you have oily scalp and you might be doing a lot of exercise or having sweat when the oily scalp combined with sweat gives a foul metallic sort of smell and if you are having dandruff the condition might become worse so use anti dandruff shampoo once a week and oil scalp based one for daily use and do avoid ...
Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) is an uncommon condition that causes an unpleasant, fishy smell. It's also called "fish odour syndrome". Sometimes it's caused by faulty genes that a person inherits from their parents, but this isn't always the case. There's currently no cure, but there are things that can help.
Some find that there is a distinct metallic smell to feces infected with parvovirus. If left untreated, parvo cases can escalate quickly and dehydrate the dog to the point of no return.
The skin of dogs with chronic dermatitis almost always has a bad smell. You might describe it as ranging from an extreme 'doggy' smell to old socks. This is probably due to an overgrowth of secondary yeast and bacteria taking advantage of the skin's weakness.
The poop should start a pale yellow and gradually become darker as more blood enters the intestines. Parvo poop can go from yellowish brown to dark red, to nearly black in the later stages.
Be on the lookout for the following signs: Your dog is scooting on the carpet.Your dog is licking his bottom a lot.If your dog's glands are really full, they may leak out a stinky, pungent smell.
Your dog or cat might get infected by: Being in contact with infected poop from another dog or cat. Rolling and playing in contaminated soil. Licking its body after contact with a contaminated surface (for example, a dirty litter box or dog cage or crate)
Liver disease can lead to an unusually foul odor, which is distinctly different from the bad breath associated with periodontal disease. Dogs with liver disease usually present with other symptoms, such as vomiting, yellowing of the corneas and gum (jaundice), and a lack of appetite.
For some, these episodes occur suddenly and with little warning. When a diabetes detection dog senses that their owner is in trouble, they notify them by performing a predetermined task, such as barking, laying down, or putting their paw on their shoulder.
A human's best friend. Dogs can be trained to smell several types of cancers, including melanoma, breast and gastrointestinal cancers and some infectious diseases in humans, including malaria and Parkinson's disease.
According to Animal Behaviorists, 'dogs don't understand human kisses the same way that humans do. ' When kissing a young puppy, you may not notice any signs of recognition at all because they have yet to associate kisses with affection.
Yes, your dog knows how much you love him! Dogs and humans have a very special relationship, where dogs have hijacked the human oxytocin bonding pathway normally reserved for our babies. When you stare at your dog, both your oxytocin levels go up, the same as when you pet them and play with them.
Some of the earliest signs of kidney disease in dogs may include subtle weight loss, urinating/peeing more often and drinking a lot more water. Therefore, if you notice your dog is peeing on the floor or asking to go out more, or if your dog is always thirsty, it's time to visit your veterinarian.
3 Warning Signs That You May Be Experiencing Kidney Failure
Dizziness and Fatigue. One of the first possible signs of weakening kidneys is the experience of overall weakness in yourself and your overall health. ...
In stage one, there is a small amount to no protein in the urine, and the pup typically maintains normal blood pressure. However, diagnostic tests may indicate abnormalities in the urine concentration or irregular kidney palpation. Most dogs do not present with symptoms during this stage.
Drinking too much and producing large volumes of urine. General depression associated with elevation of waste products in blood. Overall weakness caused by low potassium in the blood. Increased volume of urine in the bladder.
Mix 1 gallon of warm water, 2-4 cups of white vinegar, and 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide in a bucket. Place one of your dog's paws into the solution and let it soak for about 30 seconds. Remove his paw from the bucket but don't rinse it. Use a towel to gently pat his paw dry.
Trim excess fur around your dog's paws to help prevent them from collecting dirt and debris. Wash dirty paws as soon as you can with a safe store-bought solution—or make your own with water, baking soda, and vinegar. Use a wet cloth or pet safe towelette to clean your dog's paws after walking or playing outside.
ACV will soothe the irritation on paws that are infected by bacteria due to excessive licking and scratching. Soak the paws of your pooch in two-part water to one part Apple Cider Vinegar bath for 5 minutes. Just pat dry the paws and do not rinse them.
External irritants, allergens, burns, or bacterial/viral/parasitic/fungal infections can all be present. If your dog still smells after a bath, is excessively scratching or licking, has a lot of scaling, or is rubbing his/herself on the carpet, take them to a vet as soon as possible.
Those constant baths you're giving your dog are removing natural oils from their skin and coat, which signals their glands to secrete even more oils, and those oils are magnets for dirt, grime, and odor-inducing bacteria.
If your dog's feet smell like Fritos, they probably has a buildup of Pseudomonas or Proteus on the surface of their paws. These are two types of bacteria that are commonly found on dog paws, but don't cause any issues or illness.
Generally speaking, a healthy dog with a short, smooth coat and no skin problems doesn't need to be bathed often. In most cases, dog baths are more for the benefit of their pet parents than for the dogs themselves. Even so, it's a good idea to bathe your pooch at least once every two to three months.
Why Dog Paws Smell Like Fritos. Even the cleanest, healthiest pooch has trillions of bacteria and fungi living on their skin. That yeasty, corn chip smell is actually a normal byproduct of harmless bacteria, usually Proteus or Pseudomonas, both of which are naturally present in our environment.
“Proteus and pseudomonas [bacteria] are considered 'normal flora' for dogs' skin [but they] can cause the odor.” She adds that it's normal for some dogs' feet to have that yeasty “corn chip” smell, but it's also normal if your dog's feet don't have that kind of odor.
Don't use human deodorant for your pup. Human skin has a different pH level than dog skin, and human-oriented skin products may lead to irritation and drying.
Yeast will cause a somewhat fishy scent when there is a problem with overgrowth or infection. Yeast, like bacteria, are naturally occurring and are on the skin, ears, and warm, damp places that encourage their growth.
A yeast infection can make your pet very itchy and uncomfortable so it is important to help your pup by soothing their yeasty skin. Two natural, effective and common ways to treat your pup are with apple cider vinegar and coconut oil. Apple cider vinegar is a fungal fighting ingredient and works wonders for dogs.
2 cups water, 2 T apple cider vinegar, 2 T hydrogen peroxide. Soak dog's paw for 30 seconds in solution. Helps get rid of itchy paws caused by yeast infections and allergies.
Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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