My Dogs' Smelly Coat doesn't Stink Anymore because of ACV
by CHanson
(Dallas, TX)
So all dogs get to smelling a little funky about a week and a half after bath time, that's to be expected, and with the daily runs that my two get, the summers have been ... well "hot n' smelly" especially for my chocolate lab "Bruce".
Bruce is adorable as all labs are but he had a funk that was waaaay out of the ordinary. He smelled so bad about a week after the groomers I almost didn't want to rub his belly (something I know he loves so much).
His sister "Blu" (my Australian Shepherd mix) on the other hand, smelled like a dog, not repulsive, just like it was almost time for a bath. You dog people know what I'm talking about. It was tolerable till bath time.
Anyway, I talked to the vet, who said it may be diet related or a thyroid problem… "The diagnosis" came with a hefty price tag of course! I switched to a holistic dog food, all natural and organic. It came with a "holistic" price tag too! lol. I knew I couldn't keep that up for too long and, needless to say, Bruce still smelled like a dump, moldy old rug about a week after a bath.
I had read it was best to give a bath no more than every 2 weeks, so I was stuck with a whole week of "Bruce Funk" to deal with before bath time. I resigned myself to Spritzing the house and any place Bruce lay with Febreeze, using doggie cologne almost daily on him (poor guy didn't like that too much) and scented pads in the air filters in the house, not to mention, washing hands with soap after touching him (not so much for the hygiene even though in the back of my mind I probably was concerned about "fungus or mould", but to get rid of the smell!) I was so paranoid that perhaps my house smelled just as bad. Poor Brucy... as much as I loved him... I felt so sad that he smelled so bad.
Then I came upon this website, around the first of 2010 and it changed my life!!! I was looking for a home rinse for healthy hair and I found the apple cider website... So I clicked on it and started to read. I found the topic on pets and while I didn't see anything about smelly coats, I figured I'd try the same strength rinse that I would use on my hair, to wipe my Bruce's coat with.
I have used it now 2 times between baths since Christmas, (its mid Jan) and I have to tell you, BRUCE DOES NOT STINK!!! He smells like a dog... (a clean dog) a week after his bath, but he isn't repulsive. As a matter of fact, his coat feels great and he actually smells better than his sister!!!
I am amazed at this! That cheap ol’ bottle of apple cider that I've had in my pantry all this time!!!! I don't know if it’s just the change in the PH of his skin, or what - and I don't use much at all; just the same strength as I rinse my hair with...and a cloth to wipe him down!
This is great! And I LOVE the price tag for this remedy!!! I will keep using it through the summer and if it works even on those hot summer days, I will write again and tell you all about it!!!!
Hope this helps someone else with a similar issue. Thank you so much for posting this site and the info on ACV!!!!!
CH in Dallas TX
