Stinky feet

[Madison]

Can anyone tell me how to get my golden retriever from having such stinky feet? I can't find any info on what to do for them!

[WagNBragShane]

Not as odd a question as you think, but what do your golden's feet smell like? We have a golden, too, and we've talked with other owners who also report something informally known as "Frito Feet." The front paws smell exactly like Fritos corn chips. We've heard others call it "Popcorn Feet."

Dorrie definitely has that smell on her front paws and we prefer to call this phenomenon "Dorrie-Toes" or Doritos.

This corny smell is most likely a perspiration odor and it seems to be quite common (from our personal experience) to other golden owners we know.

However, there are plenty of other types of smells and plenty of reasons. It could be a grooming issue or a sign of a yeast infection (depending again on the type of smell). Make sure also that the smell is truly coming from the feet. If the smell is actually coming from the ears, it could be a sign of an infection.

It's a good idea to have a check-up with your vet to make sure it's nothing health-related.

Take care,

Shane, WagNBrag Community Moderator

[amabsher]

Hello. Stinky feet accompanied by reddened hair and skin, and mild to moderate hair loss is most likely the result of demodectic mange. There is more than one kind of mange and this would be the kind that is not contageous but is brought on (or gets out of control as the mites are natural to the body) as the result of a weak immune system. A drop in the immune system can be brought on by anything from recent vaccinations, changes in dog food, hormone cycles, or possibly an underlying medical condition. If this is a new developement or an old one... it may be time to see the vet. Your vet can do a very inexpensive skin scraping to determine if in fact it is demodectic mange and can prescibe treatment to cure and/or control this issue. If you do not treat demodectic mange... it can become a chronic condition and can be irritating to your dog. Food allergies to certain protiens (such as found in beef flavored dog products) or to dyes (such as red dye #40) are the most common cause of demodectic mange in my personal experience. The treatment is long but effective if you stick to it and don't cheat.
Other things to discuss with your vet could be fungal, use of cleaners (like bleach to clean the floor ,killing the natural flora of the foot and letting it get out of ballance), and possibly other types of bacterial or viral infections like Staph.
If your dog checks out clear of these and the stinky foot isn't accompanied by any other symptoms... I would just wait and watch for changes... sometimes it will correct itself and the things we do only interfere with natural body ballancing.
Good luck. I will watch for updates about your situation.