To almost anyone, the smell of a mangy dog is quite an unappealing one. If you’re in the process of adopting a canine companion, one consideration you might make is how smelly the pup is. You’ve had your eye on a Boston Terrier, but you’ve got to ask, do these dogs smell?
Boston Terriers, like any dogs, can get stinky, yes. In fact, many Terrier owners liken the dog’s unique odor to that of corn chips, which is caused from an overgrowth of yeast. The breed also farts a lot.
In this article, we’ll talk in much more detail where this corn chip scent emanates from as well as what you can do to eliminate it. We’ll even discuss why Boston Terriers produce so much flatulence and what options you have there. Keep reading, as you’re not going to want to miss this!
Why Do Boston Terriers Smell Like Corn Chips?
If you own a Boston Terrier long enough, they begin to give off an odor reminiscent of corn chips. At first, you might feel like you’re going crazy. Where is that smell coming from and why is it everywhere? Did you or someone else in your family leave an open bag of chips in the kitchen or something?
Then, you put two and two together and realize the smell is emanating from your dog. Even that will make you do a double take. Why does your Boston Terrier smell like corn chips? Is it just your dog or the breed in particular?
The answer is the latter. Lots of Boston Terriers produce this smell, and the reason they do is because of yeast. This isn’t the same type of yeast you use to make bread or pizza dough. Instead, it’s a fungus that’s often invisible to the naked eye. Behind the scenes, it begins rapidly reproducing, leading to the smell.
There are many reasons this yeast comes to exist. If you live somewhere where it’s warm and humid all the time, then your Boston Terrier has a much higher likelihood of walking around with the corn chip smell. Even if you enjoy more temperate weather where you live, spring and summertime could lead to an increase in the odor.
If your dog sweats a lot or overproduces skin oils, this also cause the yeast to develop. If you can spot it, you may notice the yeast is a fluid with a creamy consistency. It will appear in patches on your Boston Terrier’s skin, especially around the ears.
As your dog begins to itch, they can start scratching and licking at themselves. The licking is especially problematic, as your Terrier is now creating new areas of moisture for the yeast to gravitate towards.
How Do You Treat the Corn Chip Smell?
Now that you know more about what causes the odor of corn chips in your Boston Terrier, you can acknowledge that it’s more than a cute characteristic of the breed. It’s indicative of a problem that, if ignored, will only grow more serious. Yeast can continue reproducing, especially if the environment for it to do so remains.
A little bit of the corn chip smell in the summertime isn’t so much to worry about, but if your Boston Terrier smells like this year-round, then something is not right. In fact, yeast issues like these tend to point to a problem with your dog’s immune system.
It could be that your Terrier has an allergy to the ingredients in the food they eat, which kickstarts the immune system problems that then lead to the development of yeast. Ingredients like corn, soy, and wheat are the main culprits for triggering food allergies in dogs.
Failing to bathe your dog regularly can also contribute to the problem. When you do plunk your Boston Terrier in the tub or sink, make sure you use antifungal shampoo. This will kill the yeast, which is especially prevalent on the feet.
Like we people shouldn’t eat too many carbs, the same is true of your dog. In their case, it’s not so much about calories, but more about the fact that yeast loves carbs. To yeast, carbohydrates are a food source that allows them to multiply even more.
If you try the above measures and the corn chip smell persists, then it’s best to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. They may be able to prescribe a stronger treatment for fighting off your Boston Terrier’s yeast.
Boston Terriers and Farting
The corn chip odor isn’t the only type of pungency you have to worry about when it comes to your Boston Terrier.
There’s also farting.
Yes, there’s no gentle way to put this, but Boston Terriers fart. Quite a bit. In fact, compared to other dog breeds, you may notice your Terrier passing a lot more wind. This is due to their brachycephalic nature, which refers to their short faces, especially their reduced muzzle. As we’ve discussed on this blog, when your Boston Terrier eats, they end up swallowing almost as much air as they do food.
This air can’t stay in their bellies forever, so it comes out via farting. That’s not the only cause of this excessive flatulence, though. If you feed your Boston Terrier people food, you could upset their stomach. Farting can also be a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome if they’re doing it even more excessively than usual.
Once again, food allergies come into play here. Not only can a revised diet help your Boston Terrier have less itchy skin that smells like corn chips, but it may stop their farting as well. Cutting carbs is also a good idea, as some Terriers have a hard time digesting carbs. They then fart more.
Can You Control Your Boston Terrier’s Flatulence?
If you think your Boston Terrier might have a food allergy, then bring them to your vet’s office. There, the vet can run some tests that can confirm this allergy. Like we said before, it’s then a matter of switching out their food so they’re no longer eating the offending ingredient.
Besides diagnosing a food allergy and lessening carbs, there’s more you can do for your gassy Boston Terrier. For one, train them to eat more slowly so they don’t ingest as much air with their meals.
It could be they gobble down their dishes out of a fear response, especially if you have other dogs in the house. Your Terrier might think that if they don’t eat right away, there will be no food left for them. Perhaps you could feed them alone or at a different time from the other dogs to eliminate this scarcity mindset.
Make sure your Boston Terrier is pooping regularly as well. If they’re farting a lot but nothing’s coming out when it’s time to go potty, that’s no good. This behavior puts pressure on their gastrointestinal system, potentially worsening the farts.
Also, although you might not have thunk it, exercising your dog could reduce their farting. Their gastrointestinal system functions better when the dog’s body is healthy, leading to more digested foods and less farting.
Conclusion
Boston Terriers aren’t the most odorous dogs, but there are two smells you have to look out for. The first is the dreaded corn chip smell, which is caused by yeast. This can spread all over the dog, causing itchiness as it does.
Also, Boston Terriers are known for their flatulence. This is mostly caused by them eating too much air with their food due to their shortened faces, but there are other reasons for farting as well.
The good news is that both the corn chip smell and excessive farting are controllable through modifications to the dog’s diet and caring for your pup through regular bathing and exercise.
Author Nicole Malczan