What can I do about Mother-in-Law's stinky feet?

Checking with a podiatrist is my recommendation, once you know what you are dealing with you can go from there.

Medicare covers for a podiatrist to cut toenails every 10/12 weeks. This is not something you should really do especially with a diabetic. Nurses in care facilities are not allowed to cut toenails because of infections that can happen. If you can't get MIL to one, see if one does house calls.

If you can’t get MIL out of the house, contact a company like Visiting Physicians, a company of medical professionals who makes house calls. They have a network of specialists, including podiatrists, that they can send out. It’s covered by Medicare.

Yes, I agree with the other posters, have her checked out by a podiatrist or Foot Care Nurse if in Canada (more likely to do house calls). Have you checked her foot wear? I have a pair of slippers that I wear daily and I have to wash they every couple months as they stink to high heaven.

Are her compression stockings being washed between wearings? I ask, because a good friend who has to wear them at night does not wash them too frequently. I know they are expensive, but being able to rotate them through the wash may help.

When I worked for a podiatrist they did not like Epsom salt baths, they often cuased moe harm than good. So please have her feet checked by a professional before you soak her feet.

You need not actually soak he feet but have her put them in a bowl of warm water and give them a good wash especially between the toes. Make sure you dry well between the toes too and wash her socks daily. This may help till you can get her seen professionally

People with diabetes who cannot learn how to care for their feet due to dementia, etc., should see a podiatrist. Make an appointment with a podiatrist and learn how to care for her feet between visits. People with diabetes have a harder time healing and certain solutions such as Epsom salts, etc. may make their condition worse.

Don't want to be alarmist but with diabetes and poor circulation this could be quite serious. If she were mine I'd want her checked out by a doctor to make sure there isn't a nasty infection going on. Nothing to see, is there?

It's excellent that you're already alert to the warning signs.

Hm. I note that in its patient information on this topic, Diabetes UK refers confidently to "your annual diabetes foot check" where, among other things, you'll be told "your level of risk, if you don't know already." They seem to be saying this is routine care - does your MIL attend regular appointments for her feet?

I don’t recommend using a hair dryer to dry between the toes AT ALL. Diabetics have neuropathy and may not feel a burn if you use a hairdryer. You can do more harm than good in an instant. A simple cotton towel will do.

My mom also gets sweaty, stinky feet. My recommendation:
Twice weekly, soak her feet in apple cider vinegar, for 15 minutes. Rinse well. Dry very well. Apply anti-fungal powder daily, between toes.
Medicare does cover Nail Care by Podiatrist for Diabetics, every 60 days.

susie, another vote for podiatrist not just her regular doc, and as others said these visits are covered at regular intervals, my mother’s are every three months.

Does she wear the same shoes everyday? Moisture in shoes that does not dry between wears can cause really stinky feet.

My nephew washes his shoes and is impatient with the drying process, whew, put those things outside.

I have read that putting crinkled newspapers in the shoes overnight will help.

Let us know what the podiatrist says.

God bless you for caring for your MIL.

Just get some lotrimin foot cream and put it on as directed. It will kill the bacteria that is causing the problem works great. You may need to get her new slippers or shoes though once it gets in the shoes its hard to get out

I would definitely get her to a diabetic specialist/ podiatrist asap . Something is not right of course . If you go to youtube.com you can do a search on diabetic feet issues and some are really bad . You want to learn how to avoid anything worse . There are many good answers here from those who know however I really liked it when you asked if you needed a dr because it shows your willingness to give her the best life she and you can have right now .
There are basically good answers on the epsom salts or vinegar foot bathing and surely if it helps you care for her , it is something to do . However if this were my Mom I would want to stop what causes it and I would need a real podiatrist for that . Showers become " bed baths " because showers do bother many of them . Having worked with these people I am sure that using a soap with a good fragrance , calm music and sitting with the person before helping them be clean becomes a routine they love . I prefer Johnson's baby bath as well as lotion for those who do not have any ulcers or infections . It is not the Magic of that product like it is ( whether babies or adults ) the fragrance they come to know as a good , calm time . No more traumatizing of the shower on both you and your Momma .. God bless you for helping her and I hope things get better for you !

REALLY she needs to see a podiatrist ...she might long shot i hope diabetic foot ulcer i have one on my right big toe that could cause to make a smell if she has a discharge ..do not do anything but get her to a foot dr...they can get very bad like she would need amputation ..but that is the worst case of it ..the infection can work its way to the bone then they have to amputate it ..i wrap my toe up all the time with a thick gauze to keep the pressure off my appointment is spread apart b/c of that use to be 4 weeks now it is 9..well YOU REALLY GOT TO GET HER SEEN VERY SOON .MIGHT BE BEST IF YOU CAN GO THE THE E.R THEY WILL TELL LESS THAN A MINUTE IF SHE NEEDS REAL CARE.. in feb of 2016 i accidently open my sore up with a pumas rock that gets rid of callaises = bad spelling sorry ..well i did it bout 2;30 pm on wenseday so by 2 am on friday i could not bear weight on that toe so i noticed it was hot well so friday round 2;30 pm i soaked it in cold water for a hour well i got it out so i dabbed it dry i noticed that i had blood come out so later i had supper then i went to the E.R got in took her a minute & she said you are staying for a little while so i stayed till sunday afternoon ....they gave me strong antibiotics ..so if i did not take care of it could have gotten a lot worse .. believe me make sure nothing serious. i do have a next door nieghbor lost 2 toes cause of it so do not mess around got it ..with bad circulation makes it worse ..need to get her on a good diet to - google what to eat & not eat ..last week i got my eye -right eye indirect laser surgery or laser tag in my eye b/c of neuropathy if she has that she also has retinopathy i got that so check the eyes unless you want her blind it is not fun to treat it for 5 months i got a small needle shot in my eyes .they nub it 1st but that has to be done ..so look up retinopathy ,,there is so much that us poor people get with diabetes get a book it is worth it ...it could be serious do not hesitate.. I was VERY VERY VERY LUCKY i went around for 3 yrs with a diabetic foot sore ..i did not know how serious that was ..it never hurt like it did in 2016 ..so PAY ATTENTION GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If she is diabetic, you CANNOT SOAK her feet.

try a little cider vinegar but you can also wash her feet with mouthwash.

my DH had toenail fungus but his feet never smelled bad. I was told to soak his feet in cider vinegar to help kill the fungus. but in hospital, no cider vinegar - that's when I tried using mouthwash and it was awesome!

My Mother was diabetic and we never cut her toenails ourselves. She had regular podiatrist visits. When she was bedridden, the podiatrist came to the house. A diabetic has to be very wary of cuts to the skin of their feet. Prayers to you and your Mother in law.

You are way ahead of the game when it comes to knowing about infections early and taking such great care of your MIL, checking her feet daily, good for you! It becomes tougher when they have to wear those compression stockings all day too. Great suggestions already here, just to add you can make a nice foot bath of warm water and the Apple Cider Vinegar and even a little Lavender essential oil (also good for healing as well as relaxation) when your ready, it doesn't have to be straight ACV. She is so lucky to have you watching out for her and caring for her!

Run don't walk to a specialist in foot care or her dr. - my mom had to have her leg amputated below the knee because of gangrene & she had a similar profile to your MIL

Definitely see podiatrist, diabetes and feet do not mix!

In the meantime...I keep rubbing alcohol in a small spray bottle and use that between toes and under edges of nails. Helps a lot! Dries fast and no odor after.

Definitely get her checked by a podiatrist first. If all is well, spray rubbing alcohol on her feet before putting on the socks. Also, spray the alcohol in any shoes, slippers, boots, etc. she wears regularly. I saw a friend of mine doing this recently when I traveled with her. She even uses the alcohol in place of deodorant!

You might want to try tea tree oil soap. Dr Browns or Dr Bronners are both good.

i am my brother care overseer. He has severe dementia. Along with this is horrible edema that has ulcerated his legs to a septic state. He will not leave the dressings on his legs or wear compression socks. As soon as you turn around he has them off. Soooo, all this fluid, blood, puss goes into his shoes. I buy him diabetic shoes that can be thrown in the washer. I got him 4 pair so they can rotate them. It has helped solve the odor problem. It was pretty intense. He also has a podiatrist that visits the nursing home monthly to trim those toes up.

She should be seen by a podiatrist, a vein specialist and a vascular specialist. Is she wearing rx compression stockings? Do not wait until it's too late to see the specialists, e.g. some elders with diabetes wait too long to get seen by the doctors regarding foot care, leaving the physician with a bad option.

The doctor says she has athletes foot . Over the counter treatments should work. Also to freeze her shoes for 4 days. She has been wearing the compression socks for years. Thank you all for the many good suggestions and advice.

A nice warm foot soak with a few drops of Tea tree essential oil and some Epsom salts will clear up any fungus and take away any foot malodor. You could skip the Epsom salts and use magnesium crystals which would be relaxing and bring up her magnesium levels, which most seniors are deficient in.

WHAT YOU CAN DO IS TO DO YOUR BEST TO MAKE AND KEEP HER COMFORTABLE AND THEN MAKE UP YOUR MIND TO VISIT A FOOT DOCTOR WITH HER (IF POSSIBLE) AND EXPLAIN THE SITUATION. PERHAPS ANOTHER MEDICAL CONDITION IS AT FAULT; WHO KNOWS; BUT YOU WILL AT LEAST HAVE GOOD DIRECTION ON HOW TO HELP HER. REMEMBER...WE ALL WILL BE TAKING TURNS SOON ENOUGH WITH HEALTH RELATED PROBLEMS

DR COPPERTINO

Our son was born with stinky feet. I washed them twice a day with antibacterial soap, and that helped a little. Then, a nursing friend suggested that I mix warm water and white vinegar (equal amounts) and apply to his feet, let air dry, and then rinse with warm water. I did and his problem disappeared. Had to reapply when our son was a teenager. Tried this on my husband (his feet smelled so bad, the family dog would roll on his feet when he took off his shoes), and his feet have never smelled bad since. (The nurse said that fungus gets around the toenails and smells bad.) I don't know the science, but this really worked for our family. Amazing. Hope this will help.

Check with your local Council on Aging or other Senior Service Agencies in the area to see if there is a service for in-home footcare. We have an Agency run by an RN that trains and schedules RNs to do footcare and to assess the clients feet for issues during the visit. They come every 8 weeks,

Cuppertino is not yelling. She no doubt has vision problems. If I'm right, she MAY have Macular Degeneration and as such, it's much easier for her to type in all caps.