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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to ask your top tips for getting rid of the smell when your dog rolls in something vile?

95 replies

Ellybellyboo · 14/10/2017 10:29

Took my horrible dog for a walk to the beach yesterday.

He loves the beach, it's his best thing ever so thought I'd treat him.

How does the little fucker thank me? By finding, and rolling in a rotting seal.

He absolutely stinks.

He's been in the bath several times, we've got fox poo shampoo which hasn't really helped. I tried tomato ketchup. A friend gave me some shampoo she uses on her horses and swears it gets rid of vile smells but he still bloody stinks.

It's making me gag and we've got some friends over tonight

OP posts:

Albatross26 · 14/10/2017 12:25

I used to think I wanted a dog, then I started dog sitting for a friend on a fairly regular basis. she rolls in everything and makes my flat stink. I spend ages bathing the bastard. She is lovely, but I don't want a dog anymore

Slowtrain2dawn · 14/10/2017 13:00

Ketchup definitely works, sniff the dog all over first though to work out where the offending stuff is (boak) then rub the ketchup in and leave it to dry, rinse off later. I never liked ketchup much before I had a dog, now I associate it with the smell of fox poo. Mayo with my chips thanks.

MatildaTheCat · 14/10/2017 13:05

That's bad. Even my Very Bad Roller has never done this. This is only through lack of opportunity.

After all that bathing I think I'd hand it over to the professionals and get him detoxed. Then he will fragment and gorgeous and will repay you by rolling in some other delight at the very first chance.

It's one significant drawback to dog ownership.

zzzzz · 14/10/2017 13:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ruby1234 · 14/10/2017 13:17

Can you go back to the beach and let him splash around swim in the sea for a while? Salty water might clear some smell off. Have you changed his collar - that might be harbouring some of the whiff?

Not helpful, but mine once rolled in a (very) long dead sheep which was teeming with maggots. That smell took some time to shift too. Seem to recall using up various flowery smelling body lotions and bubble baths.

Original poster

Ellybellyboo · 14/10/2017 14:22

Thanks all!

2 baths with the coal tar soap, more ketchup and finished up with Dettol and his normal shampoo and at least he's not making me gag now

Have re-febreezed the house and lit every scented candle I can get my hands on. I got my neighbour to come in for a sniff and she reckons we're good to go

The fucker is now green though - DH is cutting the grass and the bastard dog managed to get out and rolled in the grass cuttings.

I can cope with green

Thanks all!

OP posts:

RestlessTraveller · 14/10/2017 14:36

My dog did exactly this. 3 ketchup washes later, some told me about Animology Fox Poo shampoo. Worked a treat. You can get it on petplanet.com.

FruBayerischOla · 14/10/2017 16:16

I'm glad that my ketchup suggestion wasn't a crazy as I thought!

minesapintofwine · 14/10/2017 16:46

Oh my your dog is a scamp 😂😂😂

LakieLady · 14/10/2017 17:31

Distilled vinegar (the stuff that looks like water) is excellent at killing smells. Soak the smelly fur, leave the dog to dry, then bathe the dog again.

My last dog (another terrier) dug up a large dead fish and rolled in it, and it was the only thing that worked on the smell. It even worked when he rolled in a puddle of liquid that was the run off from a heap of slurry from a cattle shed. That was the stinkiest thing I have ever smelt, and it stunk the car out for weeks afterwards, despite using Febreze daily. I even had the bloody car valeted but that didn't get rid of it.

Left shake and vac in the back of the car for several weeks and that finally sorted it, but I'm not sure shake and vac is safe for canine use.

About a year later, he rolled in a pool of liquid that was the run off from a silage clamp, that was almost as bad. The vinegar/bath trick, followed by a liberal spray with a pet deodoriser worked ok on that, too.

Still miss the stinky little bastard, but I don't the miss the rolling. I now have a bitch, same terrier breed, and she hardly ever rolls. When she does, it's just the merest smear of fox shit and easily dealt with. I wonder if male dogs are more inclined to be rollers.

MyOtherNamesArePants · 14/10/2017 19:35

I am sorry but this thread is making me laugh. And look very lovingly at my very old lab who can barely muster up the energy to pootle down the garden, let alone roll anymore thank fuck

MyOtherNamesArePants · 14/10/2017 19:38

Oh, and I bought some "Fox-Poo Shampoo" once for DDog back in her rolling days. DH asked in a very perplexed way "What the fuck? Why are they selling shampoo that smells like Fox Poo? Surely you want to get rid of the smell - not replicate it?" He was deadly serious. I explained it was not a description of the perfume (a la Mint and Coconut shampoo but was to get rid of said poo. Daft bugger.

Twoweekcruise · 14/10/2017 19:54

The only thing which de-stinks my dog after a dreaded corpse rubbing is to shampoo several times with washing up liquid then when he's dry dowse him in baby powder, always works a treat. Good luck.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 14/10/2017 20:20

Our dog once rolled in a dead turtle on the beach (in Oman) - it was like the worst of rotting meat and rotting fish combined.
In the end I bathed him in Brut shampoo, bought for the purpose. Another horrible stink, but at least not quite as bad as dead turtle.

Original poster

Ellybellyboo · 14/10/2017 20:35

Thanks all

He's a prolific roller. It's like he loses his tiny mind and can't resist the lure of fox shit/dead seal/whatever.

Seal is definitely the worst by far - he once rolled on a dead seagull but that was nothing compared to eau du rotting seal

Just sneaked away for a fag to order a Chinese and we seem to have got away with it - no one is gagging, pulling faces or wrinkling their noses - none of my friends are polite enough not to mention it

OP posts:

DaisyDrip · 14/10/2017 21:13

Sorry OP but laughing so hard here. I've two furbabies and thankfully neither are rollers. I hope you've cured your eau du dead seal.

By the way, I've never heard of tomato ketchup for smelly dog, I'll remember that incase I should ever get a 'roller' in future.

CMOTDibbler · 14/10/2017 21:20

There was an epic MN thread about someones dog who had rolled in rotting seal - and she had gone to the beach on the train....

honeyroar · 14/10/2017 22:00

Twenty years ago my old German shepherd rolled in a dead sheep, I can still remember the gag reducing stench even now. Fox poo doesn't even come close to carrion! I remember washing and washing him, even putting shake and vac on him (my dad went mad at me!).

Glad you got the worst out. Little bugger going green on you! Although I find rubbing grassing their coats immediately when they roll in fox poo helps - perhaps he was helping out!

Original poster

Ellybellyboo · 14/10/2017 22:40

I'm glad I'm not the only one with a roller, although I do have lots of sympathy!

Every walk he rolls in something - fox or horse poo is his usual trick (we normally walk along a path next to a riding school), but every now and then he finds something spectacular.

Badger poo was quite something too

He's so naughty but he does make me laugh. He knows he's going to end up in the bath but he's just like 'fuck it'

OP posts:

Feliciaxxx · 14/10/2017 22:57

This thread is so funny! What make of dog is he? Must be a terrorist!

WriterByTheSea · 15/10/2017 04:58

I think you are awesome sauce to love your dog so much!

I take my dogs to the beach a lot, and let them run free, so they have rolled in God knows what. . .Ugh! What is also really depressing is when you run up to them, but they have already had time to eat. . whatever it is they have joyfully found.

When my dogs roll in something I just take them to the dog shop with the self-washers you can use, and that usually does the trick.

That said, if it is horrific and really stinks. . .it can take a while to wear off :(.

Open the windows, and hug your furry friend :)

mydogisthebest · 15/10/2017 09:27

We used to take our previous dog to the beach a lot and he had a knack of almost always finding a dead fish and rolling on it. He also used to love to roll in fox poo.

The worst though was when we were on holiday with him. It was our last day and we were on the beach. We called him and he wouldn't come back which was not like him at all.

We called and called but no he wasn't coming back. We started walking towards where he was and realised he was rolling in something. As we got closer we realised it was a dead animal (it was a seal).

The smell was unbelievable. We tried to get him to go in the sea to wash some of it off but he didn't like water so it wasn't easy. He had long fur so there was literally bits of dead seal stuck to his fur!

We had to put him in the car, open all the windows and drive back to our holiday cottage - almost an hour drive. I was gagging all the way.

Our last evening was spent bathing him over and over again!

Original poster

Ellybellyboo · 15/10/2017 12:27

What make of dog is he? Must be a terrorist!

The little shit is a spaniel.

I agree with the eating stuff. He used to eat horse shit. We have to walk along a footpath by a riding school to get to some fields. The path is always covered in horseshit and he'd forget his recall manners, run off and take great bites of it so he could eat as much as possible before I caught him up. It used to make me retch. He just rolls in it now.

He's a filthy beast.

Dead seal is definitely the worst thing he's done so far though

OP posts:

Goldmandra · 15/10/2017 14:14

Next time (sorry - we both know there will be one) try rubbing the shampoo into his coat while it is still dry. Then leaving it for five minutes before adding enough water to make a lather, working it through again and then rinsing.

I speak from experience. It was a suggestion from a friend who is a hairdresser and it did help. I didn't like to ask how she knew.

spiderlight · 15/10/2017 14:54

Having once had to deal with the aftermath of my dog finding and coating himself in a horse's placenta that had been in the July sun for three days, you have my sincere sympathy!! Still, though, it could be worse....

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