I guess every person who brings a dog to his/her home as a pet wants to know if that dog will stink, will his/her home smell bad because of the dog’s presence. The Belgian Malinois (future) owners are not any exception. So Do Malinois smells bad? If he does, what can you do about it?
Belgian Malinois has an average probability of bad smell. Apart from poor hygiene, the top reasons for bad odor in Malinois are teeth, ear or skin infections, impacted anal glands, flatulence and gasses.
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What Are The Reasons For Bad Smell In Belgian Malinois and How To Fix It?
Even though Belgian Malinois are not on the list of the worst-smelling canine ( like Saint Bernard or English Bulldog ), these dogs still can have a foul odor.
It’s important to know that Belgian Malinois shouldn’t have a strong, bad smell unless he has some health issue. Of course, the matter of hygiene and maintenance is essential since lack of it may lead to a repulsive smell of your pet.
Dental Problems
Dental issues are the most common health problem all pets are facing. In the canine world, Malinois is the breed that is more likely to catch some dental infection comparing to other breeds.
The problem starts with tartar build-up on the teeth and continues with gum and roots infections.
A bad smell will come from a bad breath of your Malinois. Besides bad breath, you might notice some other signs of dental issues in dogs such as :
- drooling ( especially because Malinois have a very low drooling tendency )
- loose or missing teeth
- difficulty eating
- nose discharge
- the swollen area under the eyes
If you think that your Mal is coping with some dental issues, do visit a vet. Gum/roots infections usually require antibiotic therapy. The vet may also prescribe some painkillers that will help with pain caused by inflamed tissue.
To avoid bad breath and dental infections in general, try to keep your Mal’s dental hygiene at the highest level. That means that you need to clean his teeth at least 3 times a week.
You can use a toothbrush ( designed for dogs) and toothpaste also made for dogs. Never use yours, as toothpaste made for humans contains some ingredients that can be toxic to dogs.
Your Mal possibly won’t be thrilled with the idea of teeth brushing but you can train him to tolerate that ( the same as nail trimming ).
There are other options as well. You can find dental wipes in pet stores. Those are easier to use but cannot approach every single corner that needs to be cleaned. Dental wipes could be a nice alternative every now and then but still, tooth brushing with a paste is far more effective.
Don’t forget dental treats and chew toys. Dental treats are designed to help to remove plaque and to return a fresh breath to your Mal. Chew toys have excellent teeth-cleaning properties and promote oral health.
Of course, the most expensive but also the most effective way to keep your Mal’s teeth impeccable is professional cleaning by a vet.
Just bear in mind that bad breath ( without other signs ) might be the symptom of some other disease such as diabetes, kidney, or liver disease so never ignore a bad breath in your Mal.
Maybe his teeth are in perfect condition but he has some underlying issue that may harm him more than just a bad smell he spreads around.
Ear Infections
Since Malinois generally have stand-up ears, they are less prone to ear infections than other breeds with large, floppy ears. Still, Belgian Malinois can catch a nasty ear infection that can be very smelly.
The smell is not the worst thing about it, ear infections might be very painful for your dog and if left untreated may lead to hearing issues or even loss in some cases.
To prevent ear infections in Malinois, do clean your Mal’s ears on weekly basis. You can either use apple cider vinegar or dog’s ear solution to clean the outer part of the ear.
You can use cotton balls for this. Be careful if you try to clean the inner part, you shouldn’t go too deep as you could hurt your canine friend.
If you notice that your Mal has too much hair in the ear, you can remove some but not all of it. Hair is found there for the reason- to prevent foreign debris to enter inside.
Too much hair though may reduce normal air circulation and increase the possibility for infection.
Skin Infections and Allergies
Again, Malinois are not prone to skin infections like some other breeds that have wrinkly skin such as Shar-Pei or Bulldog. However, Mals can also get infections ( bacterial or yeast ) which can provoke a bad smell.
Also, allergies both seasonal and food, as well as poor diet may lead to itchy and dry skin, that is further susceptible to different kind of infections.
Belgian Malinois are also prone to Thyroid problems (which happens when the body is not able to produce enough Thyroid hormone). One of the first symptoms of this condition is dry skin and coat that is further prone to many skin infections.
Impacted Anal Glands
Anal glands are small glands located on both sides of your Mal’s anus. They produce a smelly secretion that can be in liquid form ( if everything is ok ) or in the form of a thick paste ( if glands are impacted)
If anal glands are in perfect condition, you shouldn’t be able to feel any bad smell coming from that area.
In case your notice that your Mal has that nasty fishy smell, then the problem might be anal glands. They might be impacted and needs to be expressed.
It’s not difficult to do that, there are a lot of videos on Youtube that explain how to do that correctly but the majority of dog owners don’t prefer to do it on their own so they ask for professional help.
Besides the fishy odor, you might notice some other signs that refer to a problem with anal glands :
- your Mal has blood in his stool or in the hair around rectum
- he licks the rectum area often
- he has redness or swelling of the skin over the glands
- your Mal scoots his bottom on the ground
Gas Attacks
Dogs do have flatulence problems just like humans. Some breeds are more prone to gasses attacks ( for example Boxers) than others.
Belgian Malinois usually don’t have a big problem with gasses although they are prone to bloat due to Mal’s deep, narrow chest yet this is a whole other story.
Excessive gasses that create a very smelly atmosphere around your Mal can be the result of a poor diet, high in fat, and other ingredients that are difficult to digest ( lactose for example).
Avoid giving human food to your Mal, as it’s rarely good for dogs. It’s not necessarily bad because of the ingredients but for the way we cook it, prepare it.
In case your Mal ate something unusual such as some prey animal that he caught while outside ( a rabbit for example) or chicken poop, excessive gases will appear.
If your Mal eats very quickly, this can also produce excessive gasses.
Obese dogs that don’t exercise enough will also have a history of problems with gas attacks.
There are some natural remedies such as plain yogurt that could help in case of excessive gas. Another thing that could help is ginger, you can just sprinkle a small amount of it onto his food, or you can add a few drops of peppermint oil to his water.
If gas attacks repeat constantly then you should think about diet change. Ask your vet for advice. He/ she might think that your dog needs some digestive aid supplement.
How Often Should I Bathe My Belgian Malinois?
Normally you should bathe your Belgian Malinois every 6 weeks. This is a kind of general rule. Of course, it depends on where you live, how dirty your dog becomes after play outside…
Note that you never should bathe them more often than 1 time per month, ideally once in two months ( usually when the dog starts shedding). Of course, if he shows up covered with cow poo you have to bathe him.
Too frequent bathing, as you might know, can lead to dry and itchy skin (dogs don’t produce skin oils the way humans do), which is further susceptible to a variety of skin infections.
Belgian Malinois are not known for rolling in dead animals and other nasty things so a good bath every two months should be just enough.
When you bathe your dog always use a dog shampoo, never a one made for humans.
Some dogs love to shower so you can give them that pleasure especially if the days are warm but in that case use only the water, no shampoo.
After the bath try to get the fur as dry as possible. Use the towel first and then the blow dryer.
Don’t forget to wash his doggy bed. If a freshly bathed dog rolls on a dirty bed, he will get smelly again.
How Do I Stop My Belgian Malinois From Smelling Between Baths?
There are a few things you can do to prevent your Mal from smelling between baths.
Coat Brushing
Mals don’t require daily brushing, but you should brush your pet at least once or twice a week. During the shedding season, brushing should be more frequent like 4-5 times a week.
The main purpose of coat brushing is to remove dead hair and mats, reduce shedding. By brushing your Mal’s coat, you are distributing natural oils on the skin, keeping his coat shiny and good-looking.
Teeth Brushing
This has been already explained earlier in the article. Regular teeth brushing is extremely important to avoid any plaque/tartar build-up and to prevent gum/roots infections and other dental diseases.
With regular teeth brushing your dog is less likely to have bad breath.
Dog Wipes and Dry Shampoos
If your dog returns dirty from an outdoor adventure, a dog or pet wipes might be very helpful to clean him. You can use these wipes for the whole dog’s body except for the face.
If contact with eyes occurs, that could cause irritation. If your Mal has a precisely dirty face area, especially around his eyes, use another type of wipes, that are specially formulated for that purpose.
Some Malinois owners like to use dry shampoos between two regular baths to keep their pets clean and fresh. You can find these products in different forms like powders, sprays, even mousse.
If you prefer homemade versions, you can make your own dry shampoo for dogs. Mix baking soda ( 1 cup), cornstarch (1 cup), and some essential oil that is safe for dogs.
You can sprinkle this mix in your dog’s coat, avoid the face area ( especially nose and eyes ), rub it into the coat until reaches the skin. Then you can brush Mal’s coat to get rid of the rest of the dry shampoo. Your Mal will be clean and fresh as a daisy!
Clean Dog’s Bed, Toys and Other Things
As said before, do keep your Mal’s bed clean otherwise your dog will smell bad no matter how hard you try.
The same goes for other things he uses. Toys, blankets, collars… Make sure all things he gets in touch with are cleaned on regular basis.
Final Thought
Malinois dogs are not known as smelly ones. Of course, like any other dog, this breed can spread foul odor. Usually, the reason is some health issue or poor hygiene.
Note that if you keep your dog clean, bathe him regularly every 6 weeks, keep his belongings clean and he still stinks, do visit the vet, as the bad smell is most probably the sign of some underlying health issue.
