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Frito Feet

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • OK experts, please tell me if you have a cure for "frito feet."

    "Frito Feet is a thing. ...Arlington Animal Hospital explains ...The answer to why your dog’s feet smell like fritos is relatively simple. That corn chips smell is caused by naturally occurring bacteria...the Pseudomonas and Proteus bacteria ...and both are completely harmless.

    It appears to cause a purple discoloring deep in the paws as well. When that goes away, so does the smell.

    It could be a cause for concern if...

    • Frito smell from the ears as well as the feet
    • Biting or chewing at the paws and feet
    • Excessive licking around the feet or other areas of the body
    • Raw or red ears or skin

    None of these apply in our case. Sanji isn't excessively licking his fee. So I don't believe it's an allergic reaction to food or something else.

    I just don't like the smell, and it's muskiness causes my sinuses to close up a bit.

    Remedies I've tried:

    • hydrogen peroxide and vinegar
    • just apple cider vinegar (most recently)
    • Miconazole nitrate and chlorhexidine gluconate (good for wounds)
    • flea and tick shampoo, other shampoos
    • human mouth wash
    • human hand sanitizer

    It might be my patience. Maybe I have to do the apple cider treatment everyday for two weeks to see.
    But none of the above kill the bacteria effectively in a short time. Suggestions?

  • @sanjibasenji said in Frito Feet:

    Remedies I've tried:

    Perhaps....

    • A mixture of (1 Tablespoon) White Vinegar and (1 Cup) Water. Apply with a cotton ball, or
    • A solution of (1 Tablespoon) Baking Soda and (1 Cup) water. Apply with a cotton ball, or
    • A gentle biodegradable soap, such as: Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap, which is available in WalMart, Target, GNC, many other stores, and (of course) online.

    Note: do not apply baking soda immediately after the vinegar wash or your dog may never let you near him again (!) :grinning_squinting_face:

  • @sanjibasenji - Unless you know what the problem would be or the result, do not just try "home" stuff... Frito Feet is comment in Basenjis for feet and DO not indicate a problem! If they are not excessive licking their feet, it should not be a problem.

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