odor/smell

Question
Hi,

We just purchased a 3 month old male toy poodle. He smells very bad like a strong talcum powder, I washed him with a lavender scented puppy shampoo, lavender scented powder , still the smell is there...is the puppy sick? Please help. Thank you very much...

Answer
Hello Fudge,
I have never heard of a dog smelling like powder as linked to an illness, but to be on the safe side you may want to contact your Vet just to be sure there isn't anything medical that could be causing this.  

Once you rule out that there is nothing medically wrong with your dog, you might try using a Clarifying Shampoo on your dog.  You should be able to get a Clarifying shampoo from your local Hair Salon or try Sally's Beauty Supply.  A Clarifying shampoo will strip the oils and residues out of your dogs hair that could be causing the smell.  You might also want to use a good conditioner after the shampoo because your dogs hair will need the proteins back in his hair and the Clarifying shampoo will sometimes dry the hair out.  

If this doesn't help his smell, you can also try using the remedy for Skunk sprays.  
You use 1/4 part Water and 3/4 part Hydrogen Peroxide in a small bottle.  Don't fill it all the way up.  Add 2 tsp of Baking Soda and enough dish soap (like Dawn or Ivory) to make suds, about 2-3 tablespoons depending on the size of the bottle.  Cover the top with your thumb and give it a gentle shake; use within 20 min after you make it.  Throw out what you don't use and don't store it in a closed bottle or it will explode out the top.  
Again, use conditioner afterwards because it can strip the hair and leave it dry.  

Give this a try and if you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim