I have a girl here who is shedding badly after weaning her litter. She also smells much more strongly than I've ever noticed any girls smelling before - a doggy smell, not ears or anything else. She's been bathed a few times in shampoo for yeast/bacterial infections and after about 2 days she starts to stink again. Any idea what this is? Hormones that need to settle out again? TIA

I am going through the same thing with one of my weaning moms. Hair is falling out in handfuls, she itches, and causes scratch marks.
what your smelling is a skin infection, she might need to be on antibiotics.
your bathing her for the smell but removing all her natural oils that are suppose to protect her skin.

I double up on the fish oil and start brushing with soft bristle to help stimulate the oil production.

Always seems that the girls look their absolute worse when families are coming for the visit....oh here is mom, dont mind that she looks like she lives on the streets.

I have a girl who reacts that way about a month after delivery. It always ends up being a bacterial infection that requires a long term antibiotic.(3 weeks or more)
I, too, double up on the fish oil or even 1 whole sardine packed in oil in each meal.
Good luck, those infections can be very itchie.
P.S. It can also be demodex mange, common when systems are compromised.

You all have it right. Antiobiotics for a staph infection. It's a musky smell, my Vet smelled my dog before he scraped her skin.

Always seems that the girls look their absolute worse when families are coming for the visit....oh here is mom, dont mind that she looks like she lives on the streets.[/quote] That was funny!

I actually had a guy insist my bitch ( who had a litter and was blowing ALL her coat, which she always did ), had mange, and he wanted his deposit back! I explained that the girls usually lose all their coat after having a litter, he would NOT believe me, ignorant! so I gave him his deposit back, and told him good riddance! another family was thrilled I had an opening for a puppy for them! LOL!