Smellognostics: More On What The Nose Knows

As I recently wrote about how the nose can detect medical problems, I got curious and I asked some of my veterinary friends whether they use their sense of smell as part of their diagnostic process.

But seriously now.

In Traditional Chinese Veterinary medicine, olfaction (smellognostics) is an integral part of the diagnostic process.

Discharges can be quite smelly and a good indicator of illness. They can come from the skin, ears, nose … Breath can have a distinctive or strong odor, as can the urine or stool. In fact, a peculiar odor can be one of the first symptoms.

I found it quite interesting that each of the vets I asked uses their nose in diagnostics for one thing or another.

“I have used smelling to search for more things. For example, in a horse's or dog's mouth, if it has a rotten smell, then I know most likely it has a tooth abscess and I need to look further in the mouth for a loose or broken tooth.

When I used to work with dairy cows I was one of the few that could smell ketones and if I could smell ketones on the breath of a cow then I knew I needed to search further for ketosis. That is the extent of using my sniffer in diagnostics.”

—Dr. Daniel Beatty, DVM

“I used to use smell as a clue all the time - especially with otitis cases.  Since I developed allergies I can not smell as well.  I didn't realize until then how much I relied on smell.  I do not practice differently - same exam, diagnostics and treatment based on that, but I can't always "guess" what a diagnosis will be as early.  Maybe that's a blessing!”

—Dr. Shawn Finch, DVM

“There are several conditions where a distinctive odor can be helpful in diagnosing. Some of the things that come to mind are the odor in the breath related to uremia, the smell associated with the vaginal discharge often seen in a pyometra, the "yeasty" odor associated with Malassezia skin and ear infections.

There is also frequently a certain smell that brings parvovirus to mind.

—Dr. Lorie Huston, DVM

“I am constantly sniffing around my patients' bodies for clues as to their various disease processes. I smell the mouth, ears, skin/coat, etc. There are many diseases that create various diseases of malodor.

The conditions I most commonly detect through smelling my patients' various body parts are periodontal disease, metabolic disease (kidney failure, diabetic ketoacidosis= DKA), and dermatologic abnormalities (especially with bacterial and yeast infections associated with otitis and seborrhea dermatitis).

Periodontal disease (disease of the teeth and gums) causes a rancid odor to emanate from the mouth.  The odor improves once the underlying condition is resolved with a veterinary based dental cleaning.

Metabolic disease, such as renal failure, causes a very strong, acidic smell to emanate from the lungs and exit the body through the mouth and nose.  Additionally, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) causes a smell akin to acetone (nail polish remover) and typically indicates that the balance between normal blood sugar and appropriate insulin production or administration has been drastically skewed.

Bacteria and yeast infections of the skin, including the ears, often produce a pungent sweetness.  This odor is often attractive to other pets in the household, with the non-infected pet grooming the infected pet.  If your dog obsessively grooms your other dog's ears, then there is likely an underlying infection that should be addressed with your veterinarian.”

—Dr. Patrick Mahaney, VMD

What about you? What does your nose know?

Further reading:
What Your Pet's Body Smell Says About Its Health

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Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog: Bad Odor
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When Bad Breath Can Kill!