Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Back Road BearsI couldn't resist... I have to ask this question!
Do your dog's feet smell like Doritos... or Fritos... or chips of any sort for that matter?
Sarah Medina and I once had this conversation and Laura Lynn has finally smelled it on her dog's feet and decided I'm not totally nuts after all!
The bigger question is WHY? Anyone know?
I searched the internet and it seems lots of people have noticed this smell. Some say it's a sign of a healthy dog while other's say it's related to poor diet, bowel disease, etc. My vet is off today but this is now driving me crazy so I'm going to call her tomorrow unless one of you here has an answer that is medically proven.
So... everyone go smell your dog's feet and let me know if you suddenly get the craving for chips!! :crackup:
q.D.paToOtieSPerhaps they're up late at night after you go to bed, raiding the snack cabinets and watching some late night TV??? 
Posts: 3,540No answers medically proven, but I have smelled the 'corn' smell on dogs when I was dog grooming. The only 'link' I could find was they were all dogs that were prone to allergies. It seemed the more allergic they were, the more the smell. The absolute worst was one poor old golden retriever. Shampoos and conditioners and even doggie foofoo perfume wasn't going to touch that ~ the dog smelled like a gigantic Fritos! I put it down to his diet and just ignored it. 
Okay I am not alone!!!! I have always said that Little Emma's feet smell like corn chips and hubby always looks at me like I have three heads!!! I look forward to hearing what you find out Daphne! I hope it isn't diet, she eats a very high quality hollistic food!!!
Hugs,
Krista
Waggle BearsDebbie, I think you're right, at least where it relates to our dogs. Hugo and Tulie were both black Scotties and they always smelled fresh and clean even if they'd been in the dirt.
Emma and Harley, both wheatens though Harley is lighter, both smelled like corn chips... I don't buy Doritos so I don't know about that. I've never necessarily smelled it on their feet, but in their fur. Emma's fur was so thick you couldn't even get down to the skin and she often had hot spots. Poor Harley barely has any fur and is more allergy prone than Emma and he can smell corn chippy even after a bath.
I didn't know this was something that happens on many dogs, though.
Interesting question, Daphne.
Posts: 3,540Oooh, Krista I'm not positive it was his diet, as I didn't bother to grill the owner. So I've no idea what kind of food he was on. 
It was just one of those assumptions as the dog was being groomed, but he was easily the worst as far as the allergic corn dogs I'd had come through. Not just the smell, but the poor old boy was SO horribly off with bad skin.
The allergies was the only link I found with them.
oh no worries Deb, it was a suggestion as well that Daph had put in, I am just saying I am hoping it isn't diet...as I have no idea what to feed her if it is...I couldn't imagine going to a lower grade food with all the fillers and what not in it 
Hugs,
Krista
Back Road BearsI Googled my question and found a lot of dog owners smell their dog's feet and find that same Doritos/Fritos smell! But no one seems to know why.
Krista - I'm not changing diets here regardless of the cause..... if tons of dogs out there have feet that smell like this than it really can't be all that bad. And if you and I are both giving our dogs high quality food, some even feed the raw diets but still have Frito Toes, then I'm not sure it is diet related.
I do notice the smell more first thing in the morning or after they've had a long nap.... I know with humans that we absorb as well as get rid of a lot of toxins through the bottom of our feet. I'm sure a build up occurs where there is no movement for a period of time. But this would sort of then go back to the diet being the cause, wouldn't it?
Personally, I love the smell..... it's like comfort food only non-fattening!!
thanks Daphne!!! Okay, I can come out of the closet on this one too, I secretly love to smell Emma's feet when she is laying in bed with me
Hugs,
Krista
Man, I WISH my dogs' feet smelled like Doritos or corn. They spend most of their time outside (our big lab Hunter is just not as comfortable indoors and loves nothing more than getting wet and rolling around in our big back yard in the open air.) So their feet smell like grass, mud, and unfortunately, dog poop, cause they step in it from time to time.
We bring them in every night but they don't come into our beds because it would be just too much work to bathe them every night after that much outside time. They have their own special beds near the woodstove (faux woodstove, I should add; it's gas powered) and on cold nights they really like warming up there for the night.
If their feet smelled like cornchips, though, I might reconsider this entire plan.
Funny. 
Dolls N DreamsLOL............. my westie Tiffanis paw pads smell like Fritos....................I kinda like the smell
oh how i would love to have a picture of you all smelling your dogs feet :photo: :crackup: :crackup:
Hugs
Vicki
Apple Dumpling DesignsI just asked my housemate if her beloved teacup poodle, Sassy's, paws ever smelt like fritos and she laughed at me and said a resounding YES!!! She said that even from time to time she thinks her fur might have smelt like fritos too. Sassy lived to a ripe old age of 18 so it can't be that bad.
Posts: 1,836:crackup: HA, cracking up over here. I've had dogs my entire life and they've pretty much all had that essence-o-corn chip thing. My dogs all get lil' paw baths before they come inside from the yard, so they've got really clean paws all the time...but they still have that light dog foot/corn aroma if you sniff a footsie up close
I do know that dogs sweat from their pads and it's probably just their natural sweat smell, that we've related to a corn smell. It probably varies in degrees, just like in people.
So, are all of our dogs looking at us with funny expressions after we've just sniffed their feet up close?? (Imagine if they had a doggie talk....."um, do your people smell your feet all the time..what's up with that?) :crackup:
:hug:
~Chrissi
I am home with the flu, but could NOT resist smelling my dogs feet! My toy poodle has not left my side since I got sick. But he did look at me funny when I grabbed his paw for a smell. And YES they do smell like corn. He just had a bath and is a house dog with a strict diet (no table scraps). He doesn't have any allergies. So maybe it's just a dog thing. Funny.
Back Road BearsGlad I'm not the only one who actually kinda likes that smell.
Shel - too funny. I've read elsewhere that most animals who spend a lot of time outdoors don't tend to have Frito-Toes.
Shantell - there.... see... it can't be that bad if the dogs are alive and doing well or living to such a ripe old age as Sassy did. Thanks, Twila, for your YES! I feel much better.
Chrissi - OMG... the things my dogs would talk about... I'm so glad they only know 'woof'!
Jennifer - feel better soon.... what a sweet baby to keep you company and make you feel better!
I always associated the smell with taco shells-I guess corn chips fit the bill. I think it might have to do with their skin oils. It was much stronger on my lab and they have more oils to make their coats water resistant. I worked for a vet for 15 yrs -to me the allergy smell is different and is usually caused by the dog licking their fur. Their saliva will also turn light color dogs a kinda pink color.
Swan Valley BearsYep, Buster's feet smell more corny than Bear's and Buster has a lot of allergies. Bear's feet smell more like "dog" but Buster's . . . definitely Doritos. Both dogs had a bath yesterday and I clean their feet every time they come in from outdoors.
Past Time BearsHmmmmm - what a fun topic. I have never noticed how my doggies' feet smell so, of course, I had to check it out. Bailey's (cairn terrier) have a sour-y, grassy, strange odor . . . kind of unpleasant, but not too bad. Toby (Lhasa Apso) toes DO have a faint scent of corn chips. And Toby does have allergies. Interesting.
Back Road BearsHmmm... this is very interesting....
Both of my dogs have allergies - Tucker more than Riley ( can you imagine being a dog and being allergic to GRASS??? That's our Tucker... never mind food alergies!) and Tucker is most definately the yummier smelling one of the two!
Yep, my dogs feet are smelly too - never thought of relating the smell to certain foods - have to say it is not a bad smell, thank goodness! Nothing wrong with my girls but dogs do sweat/perspire through their feet so that could be one answer to the smelly feet.
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy Bears:
So, are all of our dogs looking at us with funny expressions after we've just sniffed their feet up close?? (Imagine if they had a doggie talk....."um, do your people smell your feet all the time..what's up with that?) :crackup::hug:
~Chrissi
The dogs aren't the only ones looking at you all with funny expressions!!!! :crackup: I've been reading through this whole thread with a big amused grin on my face!!! We had one dog very briefly when I was a kid and since then cats have been my pets, so I'm sitting here picturing you all smelling your dogs' feet and it's cracking me up!!!!
Back Road BearsTami - I'd be cracking up too if I pictured everyone smelling CAT feet.... I'd be just waiting for someone to say "I went to sniff my cat's foot and she clawed my face... I had to have stitches!"
:crackup:
Apple Dumpling DesignsSo when I decide to go looking for a new puppy...I wonder if the human society will look at me funny if I start sniffing dog feet? Nope...not this one doesn't smell enough like fritos, sorry...NEXT...
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
Little Bear GuyDaphne, we both have to agree here that Holly's feet do smell like corn, or corn chips . So nope you aren't alone, but I do like how someone mentioned about dogs sweating and perhaps that's it. I know Holly gets all natural food and there's no corn in her diet .
big hugs
Shane
