Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Fishy smell from dog.

Species: Dog
Breed: Boston Terrier
Age: 1-2 years
My boston terrier puts off a fishy smell. It doesn't happen all the time, but atleast once a week and lasts for about an hour or so. At first we thought it only happened when he got scared, but now we've seen that it happens whenever. Do you know what causes this?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

This sounds like a dog who is expressing his own anal glands. These glands sit at either side of the anus and collect with fluid and debris. Some dogs need to have them manually expressed from time to time but some dogs will empty them on their own.

Anal glands are the same things that skunks have that emit the smelly material. So, dogs will often express their glands involuntarily when they are scared.

If it is happening really frequently you may want to have your vet take a look to make sure that the glands are not infected.

Hope this helps!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Dog biting at tail. My dog Kita is biting her tail down to the skin and Im getting worried because our... (8841 views)

Heart murmur in puppy. Does this sound like a "normal" heart for a 10 week old Chihuahua pup? I know it's... (7766 views)

Is this a liver shunt? Hello Dr. Marie, Murphy is 16 months old. For the first 6 months of her life, she... (5681 views)

Reusing thermometers I took my Lhasa Apso, Monroe, to Banfield at PetSmart today. He is having issues... (13209 views)

Is aspirin safe for dogs? I bought the excel enteric coated aspirin 81mg each for my 85lb husky. I don't know... (19034 views)

Kitten won't get out of litter box. PLEASE HELP...MY RAGDOLL KITTEN 9 WKS OLD WONT GET OUT OF THE LITTERBOX HARDLY AT... (11182 views)

Itchy cat. My cat is male, age 5 and generally very healthy. A while ago I noticed him biting... (8870 views)

Head tremors and bloody discharge. Dear Dr. Marie my fiance Melissa contacted you friday 02/26/2010 about are cat... (9847 views)

Wounds not healing. My cat is mostly an indoor cat, but on occassion, he goes outside. Last time he went... (6147 views)

Chihuahua has back problem. Hi! One of my four chihuahuas, Ginger, has been having a back problem for a while... (12318 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.