People are smelling their dogs’ paws — and it turns out they smell like corn chips. Here’s why your pet’s paws smell funny.

So many people have asked “Why do dog feet smell like Fritos?” that it deserves a decent answer.

At this point, you might be wondering: Why are people smelling their dogs’ feet?

Yes, it might seem weird, but we’ll try to explain everything below, so keep reading …

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One Possible Cause of Smelly Dog Feet: Natural Bacteria

That “corn chips smell” is usually caused by bacteria that are completely natural yet give off a kind of yeasty odor, particularly the bacteria Proteus or Pseudomonas.

Many people who have dogs say they actually enjoy this smell, so you can relax.

However, if your dog’s foot odor seems particularly stinky, something else may be at play — which we discuss next.

Let’s Talk About: Sweat

Dogs sweat through their foot pads.

Just as people’s feet sweat — and more often than not have an odor — so do canine paws. The sweat becomes trapped in the coat between the foot pads and can become, shall we say, malodorous.

Trimming the fur between the foot pads is important for keeping the stench down.

Without trimming, the sweat goes into the fur and permeates there.

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You can try doing the following, carefully:

Spread the dog’s paw pads apart by putting your thumb between them.

Using pet hair clippers, carefully trim the fur from around the pads.

After trimming, bathe your dog. Use pet-friendly shampoo on each foot, lathering it up and then rinsing it completely. Shampoo all 4 paws well to remove sweat and debris.

This should get rid of the bad dog paw odor.

Corn in Dog Food?

Some people swear that the dog “Fritos” odor comes from cheap dog food. They say that if the main ingredient is corn, you should switch brands to get rid of your pet’s foot odor.

Will this work? No, not really.

But a higher-quality diet should come with the added benefit of improving your pet’s overall health, so what’s the harm in upgrading foods? (Also: Be sure to stay on top of dog food recalls.)

Here’s Meghann with her dog-paw observations:

Celebrate Your Dog’s Natural Foot Smell

So why do dog feet smell like Fritos?

The short answer: It’s probably just your dog’s natural odor.

As with humans, regular and proper hygiene will certainly help keep the smell down.

If it seems like a big deal to you, then consider scrubbing and clipping around those grubby little paw pads regularly. Otherwise, celebrate everything that makes your pet special — including dog paws that smell like Fritos.