Is the smell on a canine fox a musky odor or a foul odor?

The fox belongs to the class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Canidae, and is also called the red fox, common fox and grass fox. Because of its "unseemly appearance," the fox is mostly associated with cunning and sneakiness. So what does the smell on a fox's body smell like? According to canine reference data, most foxes have a pungent odor, released from the scent glands at the base of the tail. The fox has long guard hairs and soft, fine underfur, and its coat color is usually a rich reddish-brown or an elegant white. The tail is bushy with a white tip, the ears and legs are black, the ears are very pointed, and its appearance is similar to that of a dog. On each side of the anus there is a glandular sac that can release a peculiar foul odor. Overall, when eaten it gives the impression that the fox has a musky odor, and when smelled it has a foul or stuffy odor. Simply put, it is body odor (hircus).

However, more and more people now keep foxes as pets. According to Ms. Li, who has kept foxes, domesticated pet foxes usually have no peculiar odor on their bodies, at most a body odor like that of dogs, and as long as the owner gives them regular baths and cleaning there will be no problem. In addition, the frequency of bathing a pet fox should be adjusted according to the change of seasons. In the hot summer it can be bathed and cleaned once a week, and in other seasons once a month.

Note: Body odor, in medicine the term axillary osmidrosis is commonly used. Axillary osmidrosis is a kind of body odor, and because the odor it gives off is similar to the odor discharged from a fox's anus, axillary osmidrosis is commonly known as fox odor. Axillary osmidrosis is a special unpleasant odor produced and given off from the secretions of the apocrine sweat glands distributed in the body surface skin such as the axillae, perineum and back. This unpleasant odor often affects the patient and the people around them. So what are the causes of the onset of axillary osmidrosis?

1. Apocrine bromhidrosis: Apocrine sweat glands exist only in parts such as the axillae, areolae, umbilical fossa, anus, vulva and external auditory canal. Apart from the axillae, the function of these glands in other parts is extremely weak and the sweat produced is very little. The sweat secreted by apocrine sweat glands is initially sterile. Under the action of microorganisms, the organic matter in the sweat is decomposed, forming short-chain fatty acids and ammonia with a peculiar odor, which leads to the occurrence of axillary osmidrosis.

2. Heredity of axillary osmidrosis: According to surveys, if both parents have axillary osmidrosis, the probability of the child having it is about 80%; if one parent has axillary osmidrosis, the probability of inheritance is 50%.

3. High mental stress often leads to axillary osmidrosis: When the mind or nervous system is damaged (such as paranoia, schizophrenia, etc.), bromhidrosis can also occur.

4. Eccrine bromhidrosis: It often occurs on the palms, soles and intertriginous areas. Eccrine sweat is usually colorless and odorless; however, when there is excessive sweating, the sweat is decomposed by bacteria parasitic on the skin surface, releasing fatty acids and so on, which produces a peculiar odor; other substances such as garlic and arsenic agents can be excreted through the eccrine sweat glands and cause axillary osmidrosis.

5. Apocrine bromhidrosis: Apocrine sweat glands exist only in parts such as the axillae, areolae, umbilical fossa, anus, vulva and external auditory canal. Apart from the axillae, the function of these glands in other parts is extremely weak and the sweat produced is very little. The sweat secreted by apocrine sweat glands is initially sterile. Under the action of microorganisms, the organic matter in the sweat is decomposed, forming short-chain fatty acids and ammonia with a peculiar odor, which leads to the occurrence of apocrine bromhidrosis.

In general, a person can notice their own body odor, but the severity of the symptoms is difficult to judge as follows:

Strong: People around a person with body odor can all smell the pungent odor given off from their body;

Moderate: In general, after a person with body odor takes off their clothes, the pungent odor can be smelled;

Mild: After a person with body odor tucks gauze under the armpit and then takes it out, smell whether it has a peculiar odor;

Weak: A person with body odor can tuck gauze under the armpit, and after 5 to 10 minutes remove the gauze; if it has a peculiar odor, it is mild body odor.