How Can I Make Dog Poop Smell Better?

May 14, 2023
Photo: A King Charles Spaniel smiles as he has good oral health.

They're our best friends, but let's face it--dog poop smell is not a favorite of ours. If your dog's poop makes you want to gag, we get it. That's why focusing on your dog's gut can make a huge difference in the dog's poop. The good news for pet owners is helping dog poop smell better is also helping them be healthier overall!

Orange lightbulb with a white background icon.
Illustration of a note coil.

Time To Take Control Of Dog Poop Smell

Dog poop wasn’t designed to smell like roses. In fact, dog poop smell is one of the most unpleasant parts of picking up after your best buddy. Nasty-smelling dog poop isn’t just hard on the nose, it’s also a sign that your dog’s gut health is probably not as good as it could be. In healthy dogs, dog poop has good consistency and color, but also doesn’t bowl you over with stench.

Why Does My Dog’s Poop Smell So Bad?

There are many reasons that dog poop smells horribly. A dog’s feces depends heavily on the dog foods it eats and how the health of the dog’s gut. Here are some major reasons your dog’s stool may be especially stinky:

  • Diet: If your dog’s diet is not healthy, then your dog’s gut health won’t be great either. As dogs eat, the dog food goes through their digestive system and is digested. In this process, waste is produced–that’s your dog’s poo. Some dry dog food has ingredients like proteins or fats that may not be digested fully, and that can make dog poop smell bad.
  • Poor Protein Breakdown: While protein is a crucial part of your dog’s diet–it’s important that it is broken down well for optimal absorption. That said, when it’s broken down, it releases ammonia and sulfur compounds, which can make dog poo smell worse as they’re released in your dog’s feces. Sometimes dog poop smell is a bit more ammonia or sulfuric, and a sign you want to ensure better absorption during digestion.
  • Digestive Speed: Believe it or not, the speed at which your dog’s food goes through the digestive system makes a difference in the dog poop consistency and smell. Dogs are meant to digest food similarly to the way we do–if the dog digests foods too quickly, that means they’re not efficiently absorbing nutrients, which can affect the smell and consistency of their dog poop. It’s important for it to be digested food to go through the process at just the right time so there’s optimal nutrient absorption and less poop odor.
  • Bacteria or Microorganism Overgrowth: Your dog’s gut is a complex system of bacteria and microorganisms that help digest the dog food you give. If poop odors seem excessive, it could be that during the digestive process, excess bad bacteria or microorganisms produce byproducts and gases that make their poop odor even stronger.
  • Poor Intestinal Health: On that same token, if your dog’s intestinal health is compromised because of illness, digestive disorders, inflammation, antibiotic use or anything else, that also impacts how the food you feed is broken down. If food isn’t broken down efficiently, and nutrients aren’t absorbed optimally, stinkier dog poop smell is often the result.
  • Hydration: Dog hydration is so important! Just as important as it is for us humans, when our dogs don’t have sufficient water intake, their waste product can be more concentrated and that can bring on a foul-smelling poop as well. Not to mention, constipation is not comfortable, nor is it healthy for your dog’s digestive organs.

More common reasons your dog’s poop stinks bad

  • Lack of fiber in the diet
  • Food Allergies
  • Worms
  • Colitis
  • Viral Infection
  • Pancreatitis
  • Bacterial Infection

What should dog poop look and dog’s poop smell like?

Your dog’s poop consistency should be similar to that of Pla Doh’s –firm and formed but not leaving residue behind. that is easy to pick up without leaving residue behind. And while it’s not supposed to be a super fun experience, picking up dog poop shouldn’t make you gag because the smell is so bad.

Get to the gut: Helping your dog’s digestive system will help your dog’s poop smell better

Dog poop is typically a bad smell, but there are some tougher smells that could be indicative of an unhealthy gut. You can help put a stop to your dog’s smelly poop and get rid of some of those bad smells by supplementing to improve their gut health. Bernie’s Perfect Poop is a premium high-fiber formula supplement that stops makes dog poop smelling bad a thing of the past. Your dog will benefit from the all-natural ingredients that include beneficial dietary fibers such as flaxseed, pumpkin, and Miscanthus grass. Dogs go wild for the taste, and that combination supercharges your dog’s digestive system. When dogs have the right fiber content (and it’s quality), their guts work food through at just the right speed to help eliminate many of the harsher dog poop smells. Harsh-smelling dog poop is often the first sign that their gut may not be as healthy, followed by dog poop being of poor consistency. But Perfect Poop isn’t just about including premium fiber. It also includes pre- and probiotics and digestive enzymes that help your dog digest food at just the right speed and efficiency. When your dog eats this combination with each meal, not only are you helping their dog poop smell better, but you’re helping their overall gut health and immunity too.

Brown more on topic button.
Orange discover more button.

Quick Links

April Is National Canine Fitness Month!

The Importance of Keeping Dogs Fit and Healthy The concept of fitness for dogs goes beyond just their physical well-being; it also includes mental health and the strength of the bond between dogs and their owners. Regular physical activity is pivotal for managing...

Is Fasting Right For My Dog?

What IS Dog Fasting? Dog fasting is a feeding strategy that mimics the natural eating patterns of wild dogs and wolves. It is NOT starving your dog; it is targeted meal timing with a specific purpose. Like we said, the purpose of dog fasting is to promote overall...

How to Stop Your Dog From Chewing Your Stuff

Yes, Your Dog NEEDS To Chew Chewing is a natural instinct behavior for dogs, and it's rooted in their evolutionary history. For dogs, it has several purposes. The main function of chewing for dogs, other than eating, is to help keep their teeth clean and their jaws...

Miscanthus Giganteus: Not Just Another Pretty Fiber For Dogs

Miscanthus Grass: Not Just Another Pretty Grass! No, Miscanthus is not just another pretty grass; it's technically a rhizomatous perennial grass. This means it has rhizomes, a type of underground stems that typically grow horizontally. Rhizomes help the plant store...

Is Your Dog The Key To Your Best Health? 

The study, published in BMC Public Health, supported what we probably already knew:  The tighter our bond is with our dogs, the better our overall health and happiness are, too. The researchers focused on 38 dogs who belonged to people of various ages, genders,...

April Is National Canine Fitness Month!

The Importance of Keeping Dogs Fit and Healthy The concept of fitness for dogs goes beyond just their physical well-being; it also includes mental health and the strength of the bond between dogs and their owners. Regular physical activity is pivotal for managing...

Science Says Interacting With Our Dogs Makes Our Brains Work Better!

A study published in March 2024 examined how 30 adults’ health was affected by interacting with dogs. The researchers from Konkuk University in South Korea provided compelling evidence that interacting with our canine companions can significantly reduce stress and...

The AKC Shares Top Dog Breeds–Is Your Dog On The List?

The Reigning Champion: The French Bulldog For two consecutive years, the French Bulldog has clinched the No.1 spot, dethroning the lovable Labrador Retriever, which had loyally guarded the title for an impressive 31 years. These adorable charmers aren't just taking...

Bernie’s Perfect Poop

Background of an orange circle for product.
The all natural, 4-in-1 digestive health support trusted by pet parents.
View more product info.

$13.99 - $46.99

Button: Buy Perfect Poop.