6 Reasons why Cavalier King Charles Spaniels smell!
Before getting a Cavalier King Charles into your home, you should consider all possible scenarios. Having a dog by your side is great, but there are also unpleasant situations to watch out for. In this article, I’ll discuss whether Cavalier King Charles Spaniels smell or stink – and if so, when and why.
Do Cavalier King Charles Spaniels smell? Cavalier King Charles Spaniels naturally have an inherent odor and smell accordingly. However, you cannot say that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels smell strong or stink. Cheap dog food mixed with low-quality ingredients can be why your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel smells. But diseases can also increase your dog’s odor.
Why do Cavalier King Charles Spaniels smell?
Dogs, like us humans, have an inherent odor. However, this does not mean they are smelly or have a strong odor.
A Cavalier King Charles typically smells less than other dogs. This is partly because they have no and minimal undercoats. This is also why a Cavalier King Charles does not shed as much as other breeds.
On the other hand, the Cavalier is a relatively small dog and already smells less than larger ones.
However, various influencing factors can be why your Cavalier King Charles smells stronger than normal or even stinks.
Cheap dog food
Cheap dog food, packed with “fillers” that have no place in good dog food, can be why your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel smells or stinks.
The basic rule “You are what you eat” also applies to dogs.
ATTENTION! Cheap dog food does not refer exclusively to the price! Even high-priced dog food often contains ingredients that do not belong in dog food.
For example, it makes a difference whether the packaging says “30% fresh meat,” “30% animal products”, or “animal protein.” If it says fresh meat, it has to be meat; if it says the other two, it can be offal, claws, hooves, or whatever.
We got a relatively expensive and well-known dry food from our breeder when we picked up our Cane Corso. However, she smelled very strongly from her mouth and otherwise. After changing the food, our dogs have hardly any inherent odor. And they are big dogs, weighing 100 lbs (45 kg) each.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel gets wet.
Your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will smell stronger when he gets wet. So if you walk through the rain, you will notice a slightly stronger smell when you get home.
But also, if your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel likes to swim and is often wet, he will have a slightly stronger inherent smell.
However, if you have good dog food, as mentioned above, this will also be limited.
Cavalier King Charles rolls in dead animals.
The Cavalier King Charles also remains a dog that may roll in when it sees a dead rabbit in the field or smells fox droppings.
Yes, this does not only sound disgusting. It is. It can happen even if the Cavalier does not have a reputation for jumping into every mud hole or rolling in carrion.
Our Broholmer, for example, hates to be outside when it rains. Nevertheless, she had already rolled in stinking fox poop two times, so it was necessary to bathe her. Then she wants to pee and go straight back into the house.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has lousy breath.
It is possible that your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has terrible breath and therefore smells strong. Again, this has to do with the food.
The dog descended from the wolf and originally ate the prey animal, including bones. The biting and gnawing of the bones is the dog’s dental care and ensures that he has no plaque.
If your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel now gets only dry food (even if it is good dog food), this care process is missing.
This causes tartar and plaque to form, which can lead to gum disease. This leads to the formation of bacteria that cause bad breath.
So make sure your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel gets regular bones to chew on, or offer him a chewing toy, so he doesn’t get bad breath in the first place.
Problems with the glands
Like every other dog, your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has two glands at the rectum. Usually, the secretion is excreted when the dog defecates.
Unfortunately, we have had this problem with our Cane Corso. Now it can happen that this does not work as it should, and this secretion accumulates in the anal glands until it eventually runs out. This stinks unbelievably.
After consultation with our vet, who told us that, unfortunately, this could happen. With us, it has no medical reason, and there is no need to worry.
If this is also the case with your Cavalier King Charles, having the glands regularly expressed at the vet is sufficient – or you do it yourself.
The ears of your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel stink
The long floppy ears are also often why your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel smells. So regular care of the ears is necessary.
Dogs, like the Cavalier, with long ears and lots of hair on their ears, tend to produce more earwax. Also, the ears are poorly ventilated due to the anatomy, which can lead to ear problems.
So you should regularly check and clean your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s ears. This way, you avoid that skin particles building up and creating a breeding ground for bacteria which are the reason for smelly ears and a possible ear infection.
Can a Cavalier King Charles be bathed?
You should bathe a dog as little as possible. The coat has a natural protection against wetness and dirt that is attacked by excessive use of shampoo.
Under no circumstances should you use your shampoo. So if shampoo, then natural dog shampoo.
As already described, your Cavalier rolls in a dead animal and may stink unbelievably. Of course, you may and should bathe your dog then.
Not only that, it stinks. On the fur and skin can also be bacteria, which on the one hand, are harmful to your dog, and on the other hand, he drags into the house.
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Conclusion: Do Cavalier King Charles Spaniels smell?
Bad food or diseases can make a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel smell stronger or even stink. A healthy Cavalier King Charles, which gets good dog food, usually does not smell particularly strong. Of course, every dog has a particular odor, which cannot be called unpleasant. Also, one cannot exclude the possibility that a Cavalier rolls in a dead animal and stinks.
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