yorkie thing or no?

[RockyBop]

My Rocky has always gotten funky after a couple of days to a week after bathing him. His fur gets kind of oily and has a bad odor. I feel like this is a never ending. I've tried using dawn dishsoap, oatmeal shampoo, T-gel, and ketachlor. Nothing helps. And his breath is just foul. I feed him Royal Canin for yorkshire terriers. Never gets table scraps and he just doesn't eat chew sticks and treats.

Me and my mom rescued him 4 years ago from an older lady. She told us he was from Brazil. I don't know if this is a yorkie thing or if its something else. So, is it common for Yorkies skin to act up and breath be horrible? Any suggestions?

[gemy]

Originally Posted by RockyBop

My Rocky has always gotten funky after a couple of days to a week after bathing him. His fur gets kind of oily and has a bad odor. I feel like this is a never ending. I've tried using dawn dishsoap, oatmeal shampoo, T-gel, and ketachlor. Nothing helps. And his breath is just foul. I feed him Royal Canin for yorkshire terriers. Never gets table scraps and he just doesn't eat chew sticks and treats.

Me and my mom rescued him 4 years ago from an older lady. She told us he was from Brazil. I don't know if this is a yorkie thing or if its something else. So, is it common for Yorkies skin to act up and breath be horrible? Any suggestions?

Have you checked his teeth and gums? Foul breath can be a sign of gum disease or tooth decay.

Maybe you can try for the coat a waterless shampoo in between baths to see if that helps out.

[babiehammer]

I was going to ask if he was teething. While Hammer was teething, he breath STUNK. Now we just brush his teeth everyday. However if we go a few days without brushing he breath is fine now that his teeth were taken out.

He does get oily after a few days though. Mostly on his head where I pet him alot.

[RockyBop]

How can you brush a dogs teeth?

Is it bad to bathe him about 3 times a week? I don't want to over bathe him.

[Rhetts_mama]

The shampoos you listed are pretty strong. Dawn shouldn't be used as a regular pet shampoo (though some people swear by it in a pinch for getting rid of fleas). And people shampoos (t-gel) have the wrong pH balance for dog skin. When the acid mantel of the skin is thrown off and the skin is stripped of oil, it sends a signal to the body that it should actually be producing MORE oil. It is actually possible to bathe a dog too much. And if the acid mantel of the skin is constantly stripped, it leaves the skin more vulnerable to fungal and bacterial infections which can stink.

The first thing I would do is take the dog in for a complete check up. The source of the breath odor could be tooth decay as already mentioned here, or it could be a sign of digestion problems.

Skin irritations can also be a sign of food allergies. I don't know much about Royal Canin other than there are better foods out there.

[Rhetts_mama]

Originally Posted by RockyBop

How can you brush a dogs teeth?

Is it bad to bathe him about 3 times a week? I don't want to over bathe him.

Petsmart and Petco carry special toothpaste that is made just for dogs. They also have small tooth brushes and little brushes that fit over your finger. Don't use people toothpaste, as it can be toxic.

And yes, 3 times a week is too much. Especially with harsh shampoos. I think most people here bathe once every 1-2 weeks. Once or twice a week in between, I take a warm wet wash cloth and wipe Rhett down to help keep the oil at bay.

[kdhawks]

This is the grooming routine that works for us. Hopefully it will be helpful as you adjust to your own pup's individual needs.

To brush my dog's teeth, I use a small dog toothbrush that slides over my index finger and peanut butter flavored dog toothpaste (both purchased at Petco). I brush his teeth probably 2-3 times a week (he doesn't really have any teeth/breath issues at this point), and I wait until late in the evening when he has calmed down a bit. As others have mentioned, as puppies are teething, their breath tends to stink a bit more (this is usually true of all breeds, not just Yorkies). My boy is 2.5 and his breath is fine.

I bathe him once a week with dog shampoo purchased at a pet specialty shop. In between baths, I wipe his face down with a warm washcloth every morning and use Earthbath grooming wipes as needed if he has gotten into something smelly or just needs a rubdown. His coat stays clean and silky throughout the week.

[RockyBop]

I know some of the shampoos are strong. I was told by a vet to use the ketachlor. I would NEVER use those strong shampoos on a regular basis. I've just been trying different things for the past 4 years.

Thanks for all the help guys

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by Rhetts_mama

The shampoos you listed are pretty strong. Dawn shouldn't be used as a regular pet shampoo (though some people swear by it in a pinch for getting rid of fleas). And people shampoos (t-gel) have the wrong pH balance for dog skin. When the acid mantel of the skin is thrown off and the skin is stripped of oil, it sends a signal to the body that it should actually be producing MORE oil. It is actually possible to bathe a dog too much. And if the acid mantel of the skin is constantly stripped, it leaves the skin more vulnerable to fungal and bacterial infections which can stink.

The first thing I would do is take the dog in for a complete check up. The source of the breath odor could be tooth decay as already mentioned here, or it could be a sign of digestion problems.

Skin irritations can also be a sign of food allergies. I don't know much about Royal Canin other than there are better foods out there.

This is really good information. If you want to try new dog shampoos, try Bio Groom, it's available at PetSmart, or Yorkie Splash and Shine available through a YT vendor. The Splash and Shine has a sample set so you could try it without committing to huge bottles of shampoo, and it's enough for at least 4-5 baths (min). If you do switch, don't expect an immediate change in his skin and oiliness. It might take a few baths for you to see an improvement.

[peachesmom1sc]

i have a 10 year old female and i have had her since birth and she has always had a stink about her vet could never find anything wrong with her
give her a bath and with in 30 minutes she is all smelly again so we just learn to live with my lil smelly one she is still sooooooo loved

[ruaga]

Originally Posted by RockyBop

My Rocky has always gotten funky after a couple of days to a week after bathing him. His fur gets kind of oily and has a bad odor. I feel like this is a never ending. I've tried using dawn dishsoap, oatmeal shampoo, T-gel, and ketachlor. Nothing helps. And his breath is just foul. I feed him Royal Canin for yorkshire terriers. Never gets table scraps and he just doesn't eat chew sticks and treats.

Me and my mom rescued him 4 years ago from an older lady. She told us he was from Brazil. I don't know if this is a yorkie thing or if its something else. So, is it common for Yorkies skin to act up and breath be horrible? Any suggestions?

Don't give any corn or soy in his food...go to care-a-lot and get dry shampoos...made with natural ingredients....Ruaga

[Nancy1999]

We also use Royal Canin, and Joey smells great and his breath smells good too. My guess is it's something else. At 4, your dog should have a dental, if you haven't been brushing teeth, and he isn't using chewing sticks, he may have lots of tartar, which can cause bad breath. Eventually the tartar gets so bad, that gum pockets form and food is trapped and breath gets worse, and dog may lose teeth at this point.

Dawn is too strong and you may be over drying his skin, and causing him to produce more oil. I also recommend Biogroom products and you should always use a good conditioner, as it conditions the skin as well as the hair. An important step many people overlook is rinsing, you must rinse rinse rinse and rince some more. It sounds like your dog needs an overall checkup.

[IamMiasmom]

Glad you mentioned breath! It seems in the last 2 or 3 days Mia's breath is OMG bad. I blamed the lamb & rice food.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by IamMiasmom

Glad you mentioned breath! It seems in the last 2 or 3 days Mia's breath is OMG bad. I blamed the lamb & rice food.

Food that causes intestinal upset can cause bad breath, but one of the Yorkshire Terrier's major weaknesses is their teeth. Tartar forms very rapidly, and many lose teeth starting at age two. We have been using bully sticks, Petzlife dental spray, and brushing, to slow tartar formation, and so far at almost 4 Joey still doesn't need a dental. It's good to have their teeth checked once a year.

[Teegy]

I use Virbac toothpaste, comes in beef and chicken mmmm.
Make sure to brush the teeth because if they get gum infections that cause stinky breath it can also lead to intestinal infections and blood infections.
I bought a baby toothbrush kit at the drug store and it has silicone teeth on it. Virbac also make a formula that you can put in the drinking water. It's enzymatic and will work on your babies teeth.
I'd rather spend $12 on a tube of paste and $3 on a brush than $600 for a vet to clean his teeth. My vet gave me a pat on the back when I bought the toothpaste.
Now the bathing thing, I bathe Teegy every three months. I do groom him every couple of days and rinse him off with water if he's been rolling around in the dirt at the park. I see a lot of you bathing your dogs weekly, would this not strip the natural oils from the hair?