New 2 the Breed, need Pug education!!!

Hi! I am a life long dog lover & a very responsible pet Parent, although I am new to the Pug breed. I have many questions, One in particular: Why does my Sophie May smell like a Sour Foot? And is it a permanent thing? I want to educate myself as much as possible on the pug breed to ensure I give her the care that I give my own child. Please help me learn Pug 101!!!

~*~Tiff

Well, I find that pugs do tend to have a bit of odor--their feet always smell like corn chips to me--but if you're getting a moldy smell or an "old Gym socks" smell then you are probably dealing with a yeast issue that is likely allergy related. You might need to do a food change as most yeast dogs are reacting to food--but could be other things, as well.

I have found that cleaning between the roles on my pug's face's with a warm wash cloth normally does the trick, its good for preventing infections as well :)

Also be mindfull of their anal glands, your pug will need your help on occasion with that, your vet should be able to educate you on it and show you how to do it.

Weekly Baths will help, and rinsing them off after a walk. Cleaning their bedding every couple of days and insuring they aren't damp or wet prior to them being in their crate.

Dog food can also cause odors, our stitch was on science diet for his first 3 months, his breath was terrible, his fur wasn't soft at all, his poop litterally made the room un inhabitable. We switched his food t, and those problems have since vanished.

Sniff the nose and then the ears. Many times what you are smelling is from a yeast or bacterial infection in the ears or the nose. If so, a vet can give you something to clear it up and pointers on how to avoid future infections.

Hi and welcome! I'd agree with the yeast angle too. A vet visit should help. And we're always happy to help a new Pug owner!

Welcome! I agree with all that has been said except the suggestion of a weekly bath. This may control the smell for you but will likely not help the pug herself. If you do feel the need to bathe weekly it should ONLY be with a shampoo formulated for dogs and ideally one for yeast issues which can be used on veterinary advice. Yeast thrives in dampness so after any bath you need to make sure your pug is thoroughly dry before bed (or before going out in cold weather) and you particularly need to make sure you dry between the toes and inside the nose wrinkles. You need to avoid getting water inside the ears.

On a daily basis cleaning out the nose wrinkle is good - you can use a damp washcloth or kitchen paper but I would recommend always doing a final swipe through with a dry kleenex to keep things as dry as you can.

These will only treat symptoms, of course, and I agree with the advice given to try a switch of food; it should be to a food that has NO corn or wheat as ingredients as these are common causes of allergies.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

You have been given some excellent advice. I agree, it sounds/smells like yeast. I highly recommend a grain-free food - decreases allergy possiblities and also decreases the amount and stench of the poop. I agree with Blanche, too. Pug feet smell like Fritos.

Oh, and welcome to PA! We would love to see pics of your puggie.

I also want to ditto the no weekly baths. IF this dog has yeast, then the being wet frequently won't help. Yeast loves the damp. And you can actually make a dog's skin very vulnerable to issues by bathing too frequently.

The only time I give weekly baths is when I have a foster dog in whose skin is so degraded that you need to do the bathing to debride (not sure how to spell that) the skin of the old dead tissue.

My dogs are bathed every 3 to 4 months tops and then only if I think they are too funky to sleep with any longer.