Why Your Dog’s Paws Smell Like Fritos: Common Causes & How to Fix It

Have you ever noticed a corn chip smell coming from your dogs feet? If so you’re not going crazy, and you’re certainly not alone.

Many dogs have a corn chip (or popcorn like) smell coming from their feet. It’s known as “Frito feet,” and although it’s a bit strange it is completely normal.

So why do dog feet smell like Fritos? One common theory is that the corn chip smell on a dogs paws is caused by excess corn in their diet. And although a healthy diet is always important it’s not the cause of that corn chip smell on your dogs feet. Here’s the real reason your dogs feel smell like Fritos.

Why Do Dog Feet Smell Like Fritos?

The reason your dogs feet smell like Fritos is due to bacteria. That corn chip smell is caused by natural bacteria that end up on your dogs feet. It’s natural, normal, and fairly common. Most people say it reminds them of the smell of popcorn or corn chips. It’s commonly referred to as “Frito Feet.”

Dog feet are a thriving host for bacteria, mostly Proteus or Pseudomonas. Both of these common bacteria give of a yeasty type smell. Humans sweat glands are distributed over much of the body, but dogs only sweat from their paws. And since there’s not a lot of air circulation moving in between your dogs toes that moisture leads to a build up of bacteria.

Bacteria thrives in your dogs paws, and that’s what causes that corn chip smell, or as I like to call it ‘frito feet.’ But don’t let all this bacteria talk alarm you – it’s all completely natural. The same microorganisms that give your dogs feet that corn chip smell are the same ones that cause body odor in us. It’s nothing to be alarmed about. Your dog has trillions of bacteria living on its skin, even if he’s the cleanest dog in the neighborhood.

As Bill Bryson states in A Short History of Nearly Everything, “If you are in good health and averagely diligent about hygiene, you will have a herd of about one trillion bacteria grazing on your fleshy plains—about a hundred thousand of them on every square centimeter of skin.” So when it comes why dog feet smell like corn chips it’s due to all that bacteria, and yes — it’s completely normal.

What to Do If You Don’t Like The Way Your Dog’s Feet Smell

Dogs sweat through their foot pads, so any sweat that gets trapped between their toes can build up and create a strong odor coming from their feet. If you’d like to prevent the build up of sweat you can trim your dogs fur around their toes.

Place your thumb in between your dogs toes, and use a hair trimmer to carefully trim the fur around the pads. After you’ve trimmed the fur thoroughly bathe their feet. Shampoo, lather, and rinse each of their feet thoroughly. This will remove any remaining build up of sweat and debris.

Frito Feet Is Completely Normal

That corn chip smell on your dogs feet is completely normal. It’s a result of natural bacteria collecting between their toes and producing that Frito feet smell. If that smell isn’t one you fond of you can reduce the odor by keeping your dogs paws well groomed & clean. But for the rest of us? Well we don’t mind that frito feet smell at all, many of us find it endearing.

Do Your Dogs Feel Smell Like Corn Chips or Popcorn?

Do your dogs feet smell like Fritos? Or do you think they smell more like corn chips or popcorn? Does it bother you or do you find it endearing?

Check out out the Rest of Our “Why Do Dogs” Series:

• Why Do Dogs Like Belly Rubs?
• Why Do Dogs Go Crazy After a Bath?
• Why Do Dogs Have Spotted Tongues?
• Why Do Dogs Steal Laundry?