My senior dog smells really bad after a bath. What's going on?

Question

My 11 year old gsd has degenerative myelopathy, cancer that has come back, arthritis in her hips and spondylosis. Both her back legs are now like jelly and moving around is becoming very tricky. Now she has another thing: she smells really REALLY bad. Giving her a bath doesn't help. It's terrible because I'm now avoiding touching her :(.. any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female | 13 years and 1 month old | 66 lbs

Megan, DVM, CVA · Accepted Answer

Poor Asra. It sounds like she has a lot going on. She could be urinating or defecating on herself causing the severe smell. She could also have a wound from not being able to move very well which has necrotic (rotting) flesh which could cause her to smell despite a bath. It sounds like she needs to be seen by a vet to determine where the smell is coming from and if it can be helped. Also, with everything going on, I would talk to them about assess her quality of life. Unfortunately, dogs with DM can decline very slowly and can develop a poor quality of life before they are able to pass away on their own. In those cases, sometimes it is better to humanely euthanize them if they are suffering. I am so sorry that Asra and you are having to go through this. Hang in there.

My senior dog smells really bad after a bath. What's going on?

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