Corn chip feet, otherwise known as “Frito Feet” or “Fri-Toes” (pronounced “free-toes”), is that weird smell your dogs paws are giving off. But just what is that familiar smell? It certainly isn’t corn chips… it’s something a bit more… well, corny.
Why Do My Dogs Feet Smell Like Corn Chips?
If your dog has Fri-Toes, don’t freak out. It’s a simple yeast infection (harmless bacteria called Pseudomonas or Proteus) that give off that memorable smell. A simple foot bath and a slight hair trim might do the trick.
Since the yeast lives under nail beds and in all creases and folds of the dogs paw, it’s best to soak your dogs feet in a mixture of Epsom salt, white vinegar, water and peroxide. Here’s a recipe; and please keep in mind the condition is not curable, just treatable. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR VETERINARIAN BEFORE TRYING THIS RECIPE TO DETERMINE IF IT IS OK FOR YOUR DOG:
Frito Feet Soak
- Clip the fur between the paw pads. This will keep down the sweat and may inhibit yeast growth.
- Add warm water to your washtub, or bucket. Enough to cover your dogs paws.
- Add 2 cups of white vinegar
- Add 1 cup of peroxide
- Soak your dogs feet for about 5 minutes.
- Do not rinse their feet. Pat dry with a towel.
If you’re worried about the peroxide, don’t be. The vinegar should keep your dog from licking their paws. You may need to repeat this foot soak a couple times per week until the condition clears up. Again, please consult with your veterinarian before applying this bathing method.
It’s equally important to control your pets diet. Cut out giving them any food which contains: sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey, and even white potatoes and rice. Carbs break down into sugar and Yeast feeds on that sugar.
Is the smell of corn chips really, really pungent?
If the frito-foot smell is really pungent, it would be a great idea to take Rover to the vet. We hope you learned a bit today about your dog. If you need to give them a great bath without worrying about the cleanup, DDG offers a dog self wash area rigth at our facility. Dog Day Getaway is open 7 days a week to help keep your pooch clean. Like DDG on FaceBook and get notices of our specials!
