doggie smell

Question
I have a 1 yr. old German Shepherd. She had just came out of heat recently. She hasnt smelled until now since her heat cycle. She has a nasty fishy odor.  She usually gets it 1 week before her heat cycle. she went out of heat beginning of Nov. She should not be having this smell. Could she have an infection? Would she need to be seen by her vet? Thanks for any info you can give.

Answer
Usually when I hear clients complain about a fishy odor it is because a dog's anal glands are full.  The glands are located right inside the anus, at about the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock position.  Normally they are expressed during a normal, firm bowl movement, but occasionally the opening gets blocked and they fill up.  You can try expressing them yourself, but if you have never done it before, I suggest taking her to the vet and having it done.  They should be able be to do it for you for a small fee, as well as show you how to do it in the future.

Amanda