Maintaining your dog’s dental health is very important for its overall well being. If you’ve never considered cleaning their teeth, plaque, tartar, and other dental issues will build up over the years.
Poor dog breath is both off-putting and a likely indication of an underlying health issue. Before you pop a doggy breath mint in their mouth, you should do a bit of research into what that terrible breath may mean for your dog and find a way to alleviate it.
REASONS FOR BAD DOG BREATH
Dog owners tend to overlook poor dog breath as only ”dog breath.” However, there are usually deeper reasons for the odor.
1. COSMETIC DENTISTRY AND PERIODONTAL DISEASE
The most common causes of bad breath in puppies are poor oral hygiene and periodontal disease. Similar to people, the accumulation of tartar and plaque can result in germs that cause bad breath.
If your dog isn’t a chewer and you don’t regularly brush their teeth, then the likely cause is plaque build-up. Over the years, poor oral hygiene can result in periodontal disease.
Tartar and plaque build-up could push the gums away from the teeth, exposing new areas for bacteria to grow. This not just inflames your dog’s teeth, but it can result in cavities, disease, tissue destruction, tooth loss, and even pus formation. All of this contributes to bad breath.
2. UNPLEASANT DIETARY HABITS
Some dog’s habits can translate to poor breath. If your dog frequently gets into the garbage or finds animal remains, then the poor breath may be from eating decomposing matter. Dogs also seem to love cat litter, and your dog may get into that too.
It’s smelly and unhygienic. Many dogs also tend to be coprophagic, which means they eat their own poop or even the poop of other puppies. Of course, that can result in incredibly bad breath. A little tip to put them off eating their own poop is to feed them a small amount of pineapple a couple of times a week. This puts them off this nasty habit!
3. DIABETES
In case your dog’s bad breath has a sweet or sour odor, then you may want to make an appointment with your vet. Sweet, fruity breath is a symptom of diabetes, a serious but treatable illness. Speak to your vet regarding other indicators of diabetes to look out for, such as frequent bleeding, intense thirst, and so on.
4. KIDNEY DISEASE
A dog that eats poop will have breath that smells like poop. But when your pet’s breath smells like pee, it’s likely not because she’s been drinking urine. A urine smell into your pet’s breath is a warning sign of kidney disease, which is a serious condition and may be related to an even larger medical issue.
5. LIVER DISEASE
If a pet’s breath smells like vomit and she has been nauseous, has a lack of appetite, and has a yellowish tinge to her eyes and teeth, she may have a liver issue. Like kidney disease, liver problems can indicate a serious illness, which necessitates an immediate visit to the vet or emergency clinic.
FIXING BAD DOG BREATH
While it’s important to understand why your dog has bad breath, you also need to know how to eliminate it. Fixing bad dog breath depends on the particular cause, each needing a different treatment option. If tartar, plaque, and periodontal disease cause your pet’s bad breath, schedule a consultation with your vet for dental cleaning. Blood work will be done to make sure that your pet can manage the anesthetic.
It’s also a good time to look for other possible causes for your pet’s bad breath. Throughout the cleaning, your vet may need to remove damaged or loose teeth, based on the extent of the periodontal disease. If it comes from unsupervised eating from the garbage and other detritus, prevention is key. Placing the kitty litter box out of the dog’s reach is a simple solution to stop coprophagia and ingestion of the cat litter and other wastes.
Diabetes, kidney, and liver disease are all serious conditions that require immediate treatment. Treating them can also help make the bad breath go away.
HOW TO GET RID OF DOG BAD BREATH
1. AVOID BAD DOG BREATH BY SIMPLY BRUSHING YOUR PET’S TEETH REGULARLY.
Really bad breath is not normal for dogs as it’s an indication of bad oral health. If left untreated, diseased gums and teeth can become life-threatening infections. That’s why you should brush your pet’s teeth at least once each week.
For brachycephalic dogs, like Shih Tzus and pugs, you have to clean their teeth every day as their small mouths make them extra-vulnerable to infections. Placate your pets with snacks to make them conducive to the procedure and use toothpaste made specifically for dogs.
2. DENTAL CHEWS HELP GET RID OF BAD DOG BREATH.
A tasty dental chew can help your pet stave off bad breath. Of course, not all pet dental chews are the same. These Oravet Dental Hygiene Chews will help you keep your fur baby’s teeth clean and bad odor-free! It is the only dental hygiene product for dogs that contains delmopinol, which is a surface active anti-plaque agent. When your dog chews on one of these each day, it loosens and dislodges the plaque right off of their teeth. It also helps with preventing gingivitis, which makes sure your dog’s teeth and gums stay healthy. One pack comes with 30 chews, which should be good for a whole month!
3. WHEATGRASS IS ANOTHER FANTASTIC HOME REMEDY FOR BAD DOG BREATH.
You should also try wheatgrass for your dog. Clip a few tips from a patch of fresh wheatgrass and put some into the dog’s food. That raw supply of chlorophyll can certainly help with poor dog breath.
4. DOGS MAY ALSO DRINK BAD DOG BREATH AWAY.
Chewing is not the only way for pets to clean their mouths and polish their teeth. Dogs may also drink a solution with Oxyfresh Dental Care Water Additive, a natural mixture of enzymes, chlorophyll, and other ingredients designed to stave off bad dog breath. It is 100% non-toxic, odorless, and tasteless, so your dog will not even notice it in the water. This water additive has no masking agents like mint or tea tree oil, which can be harmful to dogs and cats. All you will notice is your dog’s breath becoming fresher by the day with Oxyfresh in their water.
Mix your puppy’s regular drinking water with some Oxyfresh and you’ll notice a difference in days as the active ingredients work to kill bad bacteria in the mouth.
But do check he’s drinking it, and not avoiding the water bowl if he doesn’t like the taste.
5. PROBIOTICS ARE ANOTHER LINE OF PROTECTION AGAINST POOR DOG BREATH.
Speaking of germs, your pet’s mouth area is populated with beneficial bacteria that should outnumber the damaging, halitosis-causing type. Probiotics can help restore that balance. Use a probiotic made especially for puppies and you will see a big difference not only in freshening your dog’s breath, but also enhance your dog’s general well-being.
6. COCONUT OIL CAN ASSIST WITH BAD DOG BREATH.
It doesn’t just enhance the immune and digestive systems, as well as maintain metabolic functions, but also fight bad dog breath.
A teaspoon of coconut oil added to your dog’s meals every day should help sweeten that dog breath. Dogs also happen to love the flavor of coconut oil. Some dog owners even brush their pets’ teeth with coconut oil, which makes the chore easier on even the most ornery of canines.
7. CINNAMON IS ANOTHER COMMON INGREDIENT THAT CAN FRESHEN UP DOG BREATH.
Put in a dab of cinnamon into the dog dish with every feeding and you’ll immediately notice the difference. Not only is cinnamon a sweet-smelling ingredient, but it has some antiseptic properties as well.
However, make sure he’s not avoiding his water bowl, and actually enjoys the taste.
Check out this video on the best ways to brush your dog’s teeth:
