Dog Bad Breath Treatment, Cause, Home Remedies & Cures
There are really not many smells that are worse than when your dog has bad breath. While your dog may love to give you kisses and think that you appreciate them, if they have bad breath, getting anywhere near them is the absolute last thing that you probably want to be doing. When your dog has bad breath, it is not just gross, but it can also be a sign that they are actually having certain health problems as well. So before you simply pop a dog breath mint to your four-legged friend, be sure that you take a second and do a little bit of research into what the real reason why they may have bad breath, and then what you can do to help cure and prevent it.
Causes of Stinky Dog Breath
While there are actually many different reasons why your dog can start to have bad breath, most dog owners are too quick to simply dismiss it as just being a ‘dog thing’. With that being said, there is normally a particular reason why your dog has the bad breath that they seem to always have.
Periodontal Disease and Oral Hygiene
One of the most common causes of bad breath when it comes to dogs, periodontal disease and oral hygiene are going to need to seriously be considered. Very similar to humans, your dog is going to build up a bunch of tartar and plaque that will eventually lead to bacteria development that will result in very stinky breath. If you do not regularly brush your dog’s teeth or they are not a big chewer, their bad breath is more than likely going to be due to an excess of plaque build-up.
Poor Dietary Habits
There is no doubting that dogs can be very gross. In fact, often times your dog will develop habits that can translate directly into their bad breath. For example, if your dog is regularly digging through the garbage or has any type of access to some sort of decomposing animal remains from dinner, then their bad breath can potentially be due to unsupervised snacking. Another one of the main reasons that dogs have bad breath is because they simply love cat poop.
If you also have a pet cat, your dog may give in to the temptation of exploring the cat’s litterbox. If this does happen, it will not only give your dog bad breath, but it will also be very messy for you to clean up once you are fortunate enough to stumble upon it. As if that weren’t bad enough, there are actually some dogs who enjoy eating their own poop as well or even the poo of other dogs. This is definitely one of the ways that your dog will get bad breath and should be corrected as quickly as possible.
Some of the other ways that your dog will come down with a case of bad breath can include:
- Diabetes
- Kidney Disease
- Liver Disease
Top Ways to Eliminate Bad Breath
Now that you are familiar with some of the more popular ways that your dog can come down with a case of bad breath, here are some of the best ways that you can help eliminate it.
Brush Your Dog’s Teeth Correctly
If you notice that your dog does have bad breath, you should start to brush their teeth on a regular basis. You will want to use a doggie toothpaste such as Petsmile, which is the only doggie toothpaste that has been awarded the Veterinary Oral Health Council approval, partnered with a doggie toothbrush that has been approved by the ADA. If you are unable to get your dog to let you brush their teeth, be sure to take them to the groomers who will be able to get the job done easy-peasy.
Allow Them to Chew and Chomp
There are some rubber toys like the Kong Extreme, which allow your dog to try and get a cleaning treat or dog toothpaste from the inside of it. Your dog is going to chew on the toy, meaning that their teeth are going to become cleaner, and once they get the treat inside, their breath is going to become much fresher.
Visit Your Veterinarian
Recent studies have revealed that over 80% of dogs will have some sort of dental disease by the time they reach 3 years old. Many of these dogs will have the signs and symptoms of inflammation, one of the early warning signs of periodontal disease as soon as 3 months old. When you visit your veterinarian, they will be able to clean your dog’s mouth, as well as give you the tips that you need to help prevent this from happening.
Get Some Yogurt
Another lesser known remedy for your dog’s bad breath is actually something that you probably already have in your refrigerator, yogurt. When you add a little bit of plain yogurt to your dog’s daily diet, it can actually help to get rid of their bad breath. Just be sure that you don’t use any type of flavored yogurt or anything that has added sugars in it. Some of the sugar substitutes that are used in some brands of flavored yogurt will contain Xylitol, which can be very deadly to your dog if they eat it. And if you are going to use the yogurt to fix bad breath method, be sure that you are not giving them anymore than about a teaspoon or two at most. Just be sure that you watch how your dog reacts and that they aren’t lactose intolerant.
Use Special Teeth Treats
If you have ever been to a pet store, you have seen a ton of special dental dog treats. Simply give them one of these and they will be able to help your dog eliminate any type of breath odor.
If you have noticed that your dog has bad breath, the best thing that you can do is to visit your veterinarian so that they are able to properly assess your dog and let you know how to fix the problem. In the meantime, the tips mentioned above are great ways to help combat your dog’s bad breath.
