Cure Your Dog's Bad Breath
Few things are as sweet as puppy breath, but it doesn’t last. Here’s what you can do to relish rather than repel your grown-up dog’s kisses.
Just like people, dogs can suffer from bad breath — and it can make them as unpopular as their human counterparts until the condition is remedied. Before you can address it, understand what causes it.
Tooth and gum problems are the typical culprits. A buildup of odor-producing bacteria in your dog’s mouth makes you want to point his muzzle in the opposite direction each time he comes near. But it’s not a condition to be ignored.
A mild gum disease, gingivitis initially causes redness and swelling of the gums — but it can lead to tooth abscesses and even heart problems.
Your Veterinarian is Also Your Dog’s Dentist
A regular veterinarian can take care of your pet’s teeth as well as the rest of their needs. However, there are also veterinary dentist practices all across the county.
If your dog has nasty breath, make an appointment for a check up. In addition to tooth and gum disease, disturbances in other organs including the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract can create bad breath in a dog. Many conditions, including diabetes, can also cause it.
Attending to the symptom quickly can improve a pup’s prognosis. Your veterinarian will likely examine your dog’s mouth to see if a problem is visible. If not, further tests may be necessary.
In cases of significant dental decay, oral surgery and a full cleaning may be warranted. For this, your dog will need to be anaesthetized while the dentist scales the teeth, cleans the mouth, and extracts badly cracked, decayed and damaged teeth. Some dentists may perform root canal to save a tooth. Oral surgery is costly — so if you can keep your dog’s teeth and gums healthy, you may not have to incur the expense.
Keeping a Clean Mouth
You can prevent plaque and tartar buildup and gingivitis by brushing your dog’s teeth at least twice a week. You’ll need to use toothpaste especially made for dogs (human toothpaste is toxic to pups) and brush all surfaces front and back, top and bottom. If you haven’t done this before, speak to your veterinarian and ask for a demonstration of the easiest way to clean your dog’s mouth.
Other products designed to help keep your dog’s teeth clean and breath fresh include hard, crunchy biscuits; snacks that contain chlorophyll, a natural odor destroyer, and chew toys. These items all work by scraping your dog’s teeth as he chews. Some dog food manufacturers make dental diets that do the same thing.
There are even doggie breath mints on the market, but whether these really clear up bad breath is questionable, since they don’t address the underlying cause.
Some dogs are naturally prone to having bad teeth. If your dog is cursed with tartar-prone canines, you’re probably in for more trips to the veterinarian than either of you would like. Brushing his teeth frequently may make the trips less frequent, but probably won’t eliminate them.
Yuck!
There’s one more cause for bad breath to consider: coprophagy, or the habit of eating stools. You can stop this distasteful tendency by keeping your dog on the leash and watching where he pauses as you walk. If you live in a house with a yard and let him loose there, clean up afterwards and discard the feces. You can also purchase a powder to mix into food that gives the snack a taste he won’t like. Ask your veterinarian about this product.
If your dog’s breath still smells bad after you’ve been brushing his teeth and you’ve broken him of the coprophagy habit (and you’re not feeding him limburger cheese), have your pet examined by a veterinarian. Remember, you should be enjoying your dog’s kisses, not running away from them.