Bad Dog Breath

Let’s face it; no one likes the smell of dog breath, not even dogs. But knowing what causes bad breath in your dog will help you understand how to control it.

  • Dog Oral Hygiene

The most common causes of bad breath in dogs are bad oral hygiene and periodontal disease. As in humans, the build-up of plaque and tartar in a dog’s mouth can lead to bacteria development that can cause bad breath. If your dog doesn’t chew on thins and you do not brush its teeth or have his teeth cleaned, then chances are the build-up of plaque is the culprit. Poor Dog oral hygiene can lead to periodontal or gum disease, and too much plaque and tartar build-up can pull the gums away from teeth, exposing areas for bacteria to grow. This bacteria can harm your dog’s gums and lead to cavities, tooth decay, infection, and tissue damage. It also leads to an unpleasantly lousy dog breath.

  • Dodgy Dog Diet

Some dogs are lovely, well-behaved dogs, but others have bad habits, and those bad habits can translate directly into bad breath. Dogs that regularly get into the garbage or eat dead animal remains will be more prone to developing bad breath. Dogs also like to eat cat poop, so if you also have cats in your home, you might have a different systemic problem. Not only is this unhealthy, but it is also unhygienic. And, if cat poop weren’t bad enough, some dogs eat their poop or the poop of other dogs, a condition called coprophagia. Coprophagia obviously will contribute to bad breath problems and can make your life very unpleasant.

Treating Bad Dog Breath

It is essential to understand the underlying causes behind bad dog breath; we want to know how to get rid of it. Curing bad dog breath depends on the cause, but luckily there are quite a few treatment options.

  • If plaque, tartar, and periodontal disease are behind your dog’s bad breath, the best thing you can do is take your dog to a veterinarian to get their teeth cleaned. Your veterinarian will run bloodwork to make sure your dog can handle anesthesia, and this appointment is also a great time to rule out any other potential causes for your dog’s bad breath. During the cleaning, your veterinarian may have to remove loose or damaged teeth, depending on the periodontal disease’s scope. 
  • When it comes to unsupervised snacking, securing the trash and limiting your dog’s access to unpleasant outdoor finds, like roadkill, will resolve this issue.  
  • Placing the litter box outside of your dog’s reach is a simple solution that eliminates cat feces consumption unless the cats are also pooping outside.  
  • Cleaning up directly after your dog can help prevent coprophagia.
  • Diabetes, kidney, and liver disease are all conditions that require treatment from a veterinarian. 

Once the underlying issue is resolved, your dog’s bad breath should go away, too.

Article written by Authors: Rose SpringerDarcy Lockman, and Steve Jortsman

How Do I Manage My Dog's Oral Health thedogdaily.com

Our oral health posts below include facts and information from qualified professionals that will hopefully assist you with caring for your dog’s oral health.