Free The Toes!

I periodically get questions from my canine-loving families about their smelly feet. Specifically, why do they smell like Fritos? I have to believe that the advertising and marketing gurus at Frito-Lay have been tempted to concoct a campaign around this very topic. Did Sadie raid the pantry? Does Max have too much salt in his diet? Did Luna spend too much time in the ocean?

Good news, inquisitive and olfactory-curious pet people: Frito Feet is normal! This body odor is caused naturally by the bacterial residence of Pseudomonas in the many nooks and crannies of the pup’s paws. One clinical researcher who frequently grows the bacterium in their lab stated that Pseudomonas’s aroma is consistently the essence of tortilla chips. Since this bacteria is a mainstay in the soil our dogs are barefootedly treading each and every day, it can be no surprise that this fragrance can and does occur.

Take home message: don’t try to scour your dog’s feet to eliminate their snack-like smell, it’s 100% normal. And it’s probably not a great idea to put anyone’s foot that close to your face…. just sayin’.