Correcting Pet Odors: Pet Health

Our homes don’t have to smell like our pets

We love our pets. They become members of our families, and just like our children, they like to join in with family fun and mess-making. As many loving pet owners have come to realize, pets can cause our homes to smell. It isn’t always because they have accidents in the home.  Just like people our furry friends can have dandruff, oily skin, and grumpy digestive tracts. All of these items can lead to that funky pet smell in our homes, but how do you correct pet odors?

Dogs, cats, and other pets spend tons of time in our homes lying on the carpet, flooring, bedding, and other things. Their skins produce oil that is absorbed right into whatever they are laying on; depositing that odor everywhere.  In order to get rid of these smells, it is important to work from the inside of your pet out, starting with their health.

Odors can be caused by diet

Proper care of our pets is important. Make sure you pick foods that are all-natural and preservative-free. Most pet foods contain chemicals and preservatives that can damage the natural flow of your pet’s system causing problems like oily, smelly skin, foul-smelling bowel movements, and more. A degreasing shampoo will help pets with oily skin. If your pet has had an odor problem for a long time you may need them to go through detoxification. Check with your vet to find out the best method to detoxify your pet. Every pet is different and may require different methods for detoxifying.  Also, make sure your pet is getting the essential fatty acids that they need. Your vet can recommend a good supplement. If your pet has been having issues with making it to the box or outside these steps may very well help to get them back on track.

Your cat’s food is more important than you may realize. Cats especially are known to be susceptible to bladder infections. Cat food that is too high in sodium, or does not have the proper PH can really make a difference in the habits of your cat. Cats with bladder infections tend to have more problems going outside the little box. Instead, they will aim for a cool comfortable place. They may also hit multiple areas around the home because every time they go to the bathroom it hurts. Cats will associate pain with their litter box, and suddenly that is the last place you will find them. If you suspect your cat has a bladder infection a trip to the vet is necessary. Bladder infections can be life-threatening to your cat, and a dose of antibiotics can get them back on track quickly.

What to do about a healthy cat that won’t use its box

If your cat is in perfect health but is still going to the bathroom outside its box there are a couple of things you can do. First, add litter boxes. Make sure there is a box on every level of your home, and in areas where your cat has a tendency to go. Your cat may also be claustrophobic so leave the lid off the box. Second, clean your litter boxes daily. Cats do not like to stand in their waste, which can lead to them peeing in different areas of the home. If you have switched litters recently, or you have a cat that is declawed the litter may be hurting their paws. You may need to change to something less abrasive.

In addition to cat litter and diet, cats need fresh water. A cat fountain is a great way to make sure that your cat isn’t avoiding the water dish because of stagnant water. In the wild cats get most of their water intake from the food they eat. Dry food does not provide enough moisture for them, so it is imperative that you provide an appealing water source. Lastly, make sure your cat is spayed or neutered. If your cat isn’t fixed, then they are going to be excited to mark their territory and invite other cats over for a date.

If none of these options work, it is time to get your cat to a vet. They could have an underlying medical condition or may need some help managing stress.

Spot Cleaning

While you are working on your pet’s health, use white vinegar and water to spot-clean both carpet and solid surfaces. It’s cheap, green, and will help with some of the odor issues. DO NOT put dish soap in anything you use to clean your carpets.  NEVER USE bleach, cleaners that are not designed for carpets, or anything that says “test for color fastness,” on your carpet. For more information on how to treat pet odor at home check out this blog on pet odor removal.

Once your pet is on the road to healthy living

Once you have taken care of your pet’s health it is time to get the carpets cleaned. Make sure you invest in having the carpet sanitized. Sanitizing the carpet will help to remove the smell by killing the bacteria that cause it. In some cases, if the pet has urinated in an area over and over again it may have reached the pad. Although this isn’t very common if it has reached the padding you will need to have an injection treatment done where the sanitizer is injected directly into the pad in the areas that are affected. In very rare cases urine passes through the pad and reaches the flooring underneath. When this happens the injections need to be taken down to the floorboards. If the problem is extreme you may need to pull up the carpet and treat or replace the floorboards.

Pet smells don’t have to run your life. You can reclaim an odor-free home starting today.

Need your carpets cleaned now? Schedule an appointment today call 303.993.6751.

Copyright 4/22/2013 all rights reserved Pristine Carpet Cleaning.

Additional Information

Pet Odor Removal Process