Why Does My Dog Smell Like Fritos?

We all know that dogs do produce all kinds of odors. Not all of these are pleasant and some are really bad. One odor that is very interesting is the smell of the feet that is similar to Fritos or even Doritos. In reality, the smell will remind us of corn chips. Why does my dog smell like Fritos? There are some facts you will need to know first and we hope that you will get the answer that will satisfy your curiosity.

Why Does My Dog Smell Like Fritos? 

In the shortest answer possible this is due to the mixture of bacteria, fungi, and sweat. Dogs have their sweat glands on their feet. They will release sweat in order to help them control the temperature among other things. When sweat mixes with the bacteria especially Proteus and also Pseudomonas you will get this odor. It can be annoying and it is more common than you may believe.

Dog’s feet will come in contact with billions of bacteria every single moment. Every time when you walk your dog, his feet will collect germs, bacteria and so much more. Add the fact that the fur is present on the paws and you get the best possible environment for breeding bacteria. Add sweat to the equation and you have all the ingredients. This is perfectly normal and it happens to many dogs every single day. Keep in mind that this will happen even if you clean your home every single day.

Just for comparison, this happens to us, humans. We sweat and when sweat comes in contact with bacteria bad odor happens. This is why our armpits can smell really bad. It is the same with dogs but this happens on their feet. You can smell fritos occasionally.

Fritos odor will be present if your pet wears dog shoes the entire day. This is a bad choice and can cause a problem. Dog’s feet are not ‘’designed’’ to wear shoes all the time. They will be perfectly fine without shoes unless it is extremely cold outside and you walk them for hours. 

Is This Odor A Bad and Serious Thing?

In most cases, this is the harmless thing that will go away. The bacteria present here are a normal thing and they are harmless in 99% of cases. You can bathe your dog and monitor his behavior and symptoms. If this disappears after some time, there is no need to worry about it. Your dog is perfectly fine. In many cases, this happens occasionally and goes away after a few days. 

If your dog starts developing other symptoms and issues and the odor is always present, you may have to worry about it. This means that something is bad or there is some complication and as such you need to act. As always a vet can help you diagnose the issue and prescribe a treatment.

Yeast Infection Can Cause This Odor As Well

Sadly, Fritos odor of the dog’s feet isn’t always harmless and a common thing. In some cases, this can happen due to yeast infection. No, this will not go away after a few days and you do need to act. First of all, stress, environment, diet issues, and some health problems have a connection with yeast infections. All of these can cause a yeast infection. A dog will show certain symptoms when that happens. You need to look at these.

• Your dog is tired and unhappy all the time
• A dog will lick and also bite his paws every single moment he can
• There are no fleas but a dog will still scratch on a regular basis
• Skin is dry and there are patches
• Paws are swollen
• Discharge from the feet
• Shaking his head (this means he has an ear infection)

These infections come from the gut and they will reach other body parts.

The best one for the bacteria is the feet. Once this happens, a dog will show symptoms. It is extremely rare to see a dog that will show all of these. In fact, you will likely have to see one or two. The longer you wait, the more symptoms will appear and the bigger issues you will have. 

All we can add here is that a dog is in massive discomfort and he doesn’t know what to do. He will lick, scratch, and also be upset all the time. These are the only things he can actually do. As a dog owner, you will need to react and you will need to take him to a vet.

A Vet Will Easily Diagnose The Cause

He will prescribe a treatment which can be a medication or something similar. You will have to use it and your dog will be perfectly fine. This does take time but it is successful and far from expensive. Of course, we cannot generalize things. There are many variations here and it would be unwise to tell you just one outcome. Stress can cause yeast infections as well. In that case, you will have to help your pet decrease stress and feel better. 

Once the treatment starts you will notice improvement. After a few days, your dog will be perfectly fine. Try to sense the Fritos odor and monitor the intensity. In most situations, the intensity will decrease as you use the treatment. If the odor and the symptoms are still present after the treatment, it may mean that the diagnosis is wrong. Yes, you must take him to a vet once again. A second diagnosis will be the correct one. This commonly happens with bacteria and fungi infections.

The Final Word

Why does my dog smell like Fritos all the time? As you can see bacteria is almost always the cause. Try to remember that this will happen to the feet of a dog and rarely on other parts. Treatment will be successful and it is an affordable, simple and harmless thing your dog needs. Within days your pet will be happy and playful.