Help your pet smell better

2 recommended pet products put to the test

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – Sherri Cox works hard to cover up the smell of Sammie, her five-year-old basset hound.

"I've been in people's houses and the first thing you smell is the dog," said Cox, who is admittedly self-conscious about what type of odors Sammie is bringing into her Central Florida home.

Groomers like Melanie Thompson can be a pet parent's savior.

Thompson, the grooming services manager at Petco in Kissimmee, is somewhat of an expert on getting the stink out of dogs and their homes.

"It's not one particular thing, it's the whole circle: what you put into the pet, how you live around it and how you maintain the pet at home," said Thompson.

She recommends cleaning around the eyes, inside the ears, maintaining their teeth and using a comb versus a brush.

"When you don't get the tangles out, apart from it being very uncomfortable for the dog, there's more chance for build up of odor,"said Thompson.

Products range from shampoos and wipes and home deodorizers and mouth washes.

"There are all different types of mouth washes that you can add to your pet's water every day that are going to help with all the odors and the stinks that build up everyday ,not just the teeth," said Thompson.

Her brand recommendations are Tropical fresh breeze spray and Espree baking soda and oatmeal shampoo.

She said the pet parents she sees like the spray the most and any shampoo with baking soda and oatmeal works well to keep the smell away for a few weeks.

Cox tried both the spray and shampoo.

According to veterinarians, odor could be an indicator of a skin condition.

"The ones that you bath them and then two days later they already stink terribly, then they have something else going on," said Marcia Schwassman, a veterinarian who specializes in dermatology.

"If your dog is having skin problems then you need to be getting something from your veterinarian depending on what type of skin problem your having then we have certain types of shampoos used to treat different skin problems," she said.

We checked back in with Sherri Cox about a week after trying out the shampoo and home deodorizer.

Recommended Videos



Cox says that Sammie and the house both smell terrific -- even after her dog went outside and ran around.

Both products cost around $12 at Petco.