• Can anyone tell me why my girl smells like Fritos? Does your B smell like corn chips too, or is 'doodle' getting treats I don't know about? Clues? Anyone? Is it diet? Wet paws? Dirty ears? Where is it coming from?

    [btw, it smells delightful!]


  • A lot of Basenji owners refer to "corn chip feet", so I am guessing that is what you are noticing. What I've always enjoyed about Basenjis is that they simply don't smell like dogs. I can bury my face in their fur, and there is none of that "doggy" odour. Dog breath, however, is another matter! πŸ˜‰


  • Could be warm weather and an overgrowth of yeast fungi. Giving her a warm water and apple cider vinegar rinse will help. It will make her fur nice and shiny. Ava is prone to itchy paws, so when she starts biting and scratching at her feet, I soak her paws. She's not a big fan of it, but it works!


  • bad breath is a world of its own. It is a pre-cursor for a trip to the doggy dentist as the teeth become rotten from eating soft food. They need to chew the occasional bone, (this is a hobby horse topic of mine). The raw beef brisket bone is excellent for the dogs (RBBB). You have to be friendly with your meat purveyor (butcher to us in some places), as it comes in a length of about a 1 metre, (about three feet), and you get them to put it on the band saw and they will produce chunks of basenji size about 2 to 3 inches long (50 to & 75mm). The dogs love them, it keeps them occupied for a half hour, and it cleans their teeth without leaving a debris to shatter the windows like other bones. Excellent food. And natural, also.


  • @eeeefarm
    Agree! And laughed @ your dog breath comment!


  • @redial I do something similar. My local grocer (NC, USA) will set aside any neck bones from when he's cutting the day's meat. They charge next to nothing (~$1USD/#) and there are usually 5 or 6 good meaty bones in a pack. I freeze them on a cookie sheet and store them in a zipper freezer bag. 'doodle' gets one (almost every day) straight out of the freezer. The frozen meat doesn't leave a mess and it seems to make the treat last longer. Don't forget to count it as food though! Raw, frozen, or cooked, beef still has calories!


  • @lifewithava said in Corn chips:

    Giving her a warm water and apple cider vinegar rinse will help

    Are you mixing this in a 1:1 ratio and then applying it after a bath? ...maybe I should try it on my hair oops, did I say that out loud?


  • LifewithAva is correct the 'corn chip' smell is caused by a yeast fungi, but hey, who really cares, it smells like FRITOS under the covers!!


  • @elbrant said in Corn chips:

    @lifewithava said in Corn chips:

    Giving her a warm water and apple cider vinegar rinse will help

    Are you mixing this in a 1:1 ratio and then applying it after a bath? ...maybe I should try it on my hair oops, did I say that out loud?

    Yes, 1:1 ratio as a rinse after bathing or you can just use it as a rinse. LOL, works for human hair, too-- if you don't mind the vinegar smell. Fritos definitely smell better!


  • Re: bad breath. There are reasons other than bad teeth that can cause this. You don't know where that tongue has been! (I'm so glad most Basenjis, at least the ones I have had, do not readily give "kisses")

    Re: bones. Yeah, but if you have an aggressive chewer, chipped teeth is one possible result. The other is constipation from ingesting bone. I have seen a severe case of this (not in a Basenji). Very unpleasant for the dog......


  • @eeeefarm Con't (from Re: bones)... I give 'doodle' just a bit of pumpkin puree` daily. Maybe a 1/2 teaspoon or so, not much at all. It seems to keep her "regular". Important side notes:

    1. it has to be Pure Pumpkin (WalMart sells it for $1/can, sometimes less). Not Pumpkin Pie Filling
    2. There is a lot of Puree`d Pumpkin in one can! When you open the can, pull out a cookie sheet and drop bits of it on the cookie sheet. Toss it into the freezer. Once frozen, put all the pumpkin dots in a zipper freezer bag. Then you can either pull out a few at a time, or one a day.
    3. Do not give your pup too much! It's better to give a little bit less, than a little more. Too much and things will swing the other direction (if you know what I mean).

  • @elbrant , I've never had a constipated dog, but I've seen them. The severe case I referred to was someone else's dog on a raw diet and eating a lot of chicken necks. His stool was white and chalky.


  • @eeeefarm said in Corn chips:

    white and chalky.

    I've seen stool like this, but only after it has been left out in the elements. I never considered that it was from poor nutrition or digestive issues. The pumpkin seems to settle doodle's stomach. Too much and she has diarrhea. While I've never noted constipation, the pumpkin seems to work like a probiotic for her. Keeps things going well. So, she gets it most every day. But, just a dab.

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