If your dog has never smelled like corn chips then that probably sounds like a completely ridiculous question. To be honest as dog owners ourselves we secretly kind of like it. And you will always know when your dog is near.
The thing is, for dogs who have that peculiar smell is in fact a symptom of an imbalance in the body and it may be causing them significant discomfort. If it's coupled with reddish brown discolouration around the paws, armpits, eyes, ears and mouth, then we're afraid you have a yeasty dog. Probably also a very itchy dog. In short, your dog smells like corn chips is because of a build up of sweat, bacteria, and yeast.
Don't worry though, this is an incredibly common ailment among animals fed processed commercial pet foods because these foods literally feed the problem. All dogs produce yeast and it lives in and on the body in even the healthiest of animals. Similar to how there are good bacteria and bad bacteria, yeast is not inherently bad and it makes up a part of your dog's natural flora.
Yeast loves to thrive in warm, wet environments. And so does the bacteria called Pseudomonas, which emits an odor that many people interpret as popcorn. The real culprit in that corn chip smell, though, is the Proteus bacteria, which smells like slightly sweet corn tortillas and seems to intensify after dogs sleep, possibly because the heat generated by a sleeping dog encourages bacterial activity.
The reason processed foods contribute to yeast overgrowths in our pets is because they are generally very high in starch. Yes, even the grain free ones. It's not possible to make a dry food without starch. You could end up with a big bag of powder. So while grain free dog foods do often contain higher quality ingredients with less allergens (like wheat), they are usually still around 50% carbohydrates. During digestion all of this starch is broken down into sugars. Yeast feeds on sugar.
Our number one recommendation to resolve this issue is, of course, to transition them to a fresh or raw nutritious diet, which will almost always resolve the problem naturally. Feeding your dog a carbohydrate rich, dehydrated and highly processed diet is the fastest way to upset their gut microbiome and yeast is given the opportunity to thrive.
Also, trimming the fur between the foot pads is important for keeping the stench down. Without trimming, the sweat goes into the fur and permeates it. Spread the pads apart. This is best done by putting your thumb between them. Using pet hair clippers, carefully trim the fur from around the pads. This will eliminate the buildup of all sweat and stink coming from the pads. After trimming, your pet must be bathed thoroughly.
