Being a pretty common condition, bad breath in dogs is known for its repelling quality. We all love coming home after a long day to our pets only to have them lick all over our face, but if that act of love comes with stinky breath, it is natural to hesitate from getting closer to them.
But the bad breath of your dog shouldn’t hold such a beautiful gesture from you, right? Well,then, stop it right there. In this article, we will enlighten you about the reason that causes this problem with your pets, along with some effective prevention methods. And just to be safe, in case our prevention plan falls out, we are going to list some effective home remedies.
The American Veterinary Medical Association has assigned February as National Pet Dental Health Month. That means February is all dedicated to creating awareness about your pet’s dental health.
It is no surprise that some people remain oblivious of the problems that their dog’s poor
dental health can cause and to send a strong message to all the pet owners, the medical
association has taken a thoughtful initiative.
Keep reading to ensure the good dental health of your dog and save them from many potential infections that it could cause.
Causes of Bad Breath in Dogs
Bad breath in dogs could be the result of numerous reasons ranging from mild harmless
condition to some serious underlying problem. You can solve half of the mystery just by
determining the type of the dog as smaller breeds, old dogs, and dogs with short snouts are considered to be more prone to stinky breath.
For better evaluation, you must consult the veterinarian. Till then let’s find out all the
potential causes of bad bread in dogs.
1. Health Condition or Diseases
We are definitely not assuming the worst, but if we want to check all the potential causes, it is our job to point out all of them. There are numerous diseases that are concerned with bad breath in dogs. The disease could be serious or mild, but definitely something that is worth your attention.
If your dog has any of the following mentioned diseases, then chances are, the bad breath could be a hand-in-hand result of that. And in case, you are not sure, you can always take them to the veterinary hospital.
Liver Disease
Liver Disease has the ability to bring out the worst possible smell from your dog’s mouth. It can cause the breath to smell like a dead animal or musty. The reason why it smells so bad is that your dog’s liver is unable to filter the toxins out completely.
It can also cause the sulfur compounds to stay unfiltered such as thiols. And all of this could result in the bad breath of your dog that is released into the lungs.
Kidney Disease
A kidney that is also responsible for the filtration process in the body can also cause the bad breath to happen. If you dog has a kidney condition, then it means that his body is unable to excrete the urea which causes the level of urea to raise high.
This will conclude in your dog’s breath to smell like urine or fishy. This may not seem serious at first, but it will require medical attention immediately. Kidneys are responsible for filtering out the toxins and their failure can cause some serious damage.
Diabetes
Diabetic dogs’ breath can smell sweet, fruity, or sometimes like the smell of nail polish
remover. This happens because the ketones start building up in the body as the body starts breaking down fat instead of glucose.
Due to diabetes, the blood sugar level in your dog’s body will naturally increase. And the
sugar level will automatically get present in their saliva, which only just means, more food for bacteria and more opportunity for them to produce bad-odor.
2. Gum Diseases
Gum Disease is one of the most common causes of bad breath in dogs that could be result of prolonged stays of bacterias in your dog’s teeth, also known as plaque. Plaque is known for promoting bad breath and unpleasant odors in dogs, and the more it stays, the more harm it is going to cause to your dog’s oral health.
Plaque can also result in gingivitis that is inflammation of gums, as well as irritation. All these symptoms hint towards the periodontal disease, which causes the signs of having a gum disease appear. If this problem is left untreated, it can do much harm to your pet’s health.According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, almost 80% of dogs have plaque by the age of three. So chances are highly fair that your dog could have it.
3. Gut Microbiome or An Imbalanced Oral
Oral health and gut health share a fair amount of connection to consider it guilty in your
dog’s bad breath condition. Due to the presence of bad bacteria in your pet’s gut, the
microbiome could become imbalanced. After overpowering the beneficial bacteria, they
could end up living in your dog’s gut.
The bad bacteria can produce smelly gas in the intestine that could get absorbed in the
bloodstream and also end up in the breath of your dog. Causing them to experience bad
breath as a result.
Apart from this, other gut problems can also cause them to have bad breath, however, they are less common. They are acid reflux, indigestion, bowel obstruction, etc.
Prevention of Bad Breath in Dogs
Bad Breath in dogs can be prevented by taking some effective measures. And to help you
with that, we are here presenting some good oral hygiene practices. Because let’s face it,
keeping their oral hygiene in check is the first line of defense for the prevention of bad
breath.
1. Brushing your dog’s teeth regularly is mandatory, regardless of if he has a plaque or not, because even if he doesn’t have it now, chances are, it could happen in the future.
And if he already has a plaque, then no doubt, brushing is going to help with that. It can help you remove the plaque buildup around the gumline.
2. If he doesn’t let you brush his teeth, then you can give him a chewy. The chew toys have proved to be an effective method for treating their oral health. They are also known for an increased saliva production that will wash away the bacteria.
3. Give them a healthy and balanced diet. Making them eat the food that has been sitting in the open for a long amount of time, can also make the bad breath to happen. Also, always check for the contents of their food when buying from the market, because certain
ingredients can result in causing stinky breath.
4. Nutrient and vitamin deficiency can also cause the gum diseases to appear. Generally,
the deficiency of Vitamin A, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B9, etc are
concerned with causing the early symptoms of gum diseases.
If any of these preventive methods are not helping with alleviating your pet’s bad breath,
then it is time for you to visit the veterinary hospital with your dog. It may not be some
serious condition, but it is always better to gain expert assurance first.
5 Home Remedies to Treat Bad Breath in Dogs
Let’s not hurt your dog’s feelings again by refusing those sloppy smooches. The home
remedies mentioned below will help render some effective methods to gain their good oral
health back.
1. Raw Source of Chlorophyll
Don’t get intimidated by the scientific name, we are just talking about some wheatgrass. All you have to do is collect some fresh wheatgrass an add it to their food. The raw source of chlorophyll is a known remedy for getting rid of bad breath in dogs.
2. Water and Lot’s of It
Water is a great way that helps with polishing up your dog’s teeth. It can also help by
washing away the bad bacteria collection of their gums or mouth and providing them with
fresh oral health.
3. Probiotics
Probiotics are another savior for treating bad dental condition in dogs. When the bad
bacteria outnumber the good bacteria disturbing your pet’s microbiome, you can use a
probiotic made especially for dogs and gradually you will start noticing the difference.
4. Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil is to the rescue again. Apart from helping with boosting digestion, metabolism
function, and immunity, it can also help with getting rid of bad breath. All you have to do is, add a spoonful of it with your dog’s food and you will witness the difference soon.
5. Cinnamon
Other than adding some sweet flavor to your food, cinnamon can also freshen up your dog’s breath. To use Cinnamon as a home remedy for the treatment of poor oral hygiene of your dog, just sprinkle some cinnamon power on your dog’s food every time and viola.
The Bottom Line
Being concerned with your dog’s health is the most important step of being a good dog-
parent. What seems like a small problem now, could be an underlying serious issue, or even if it’s not, that doesn’t mean that you could leave it untreated. If any of our listed preventive methods or home remedies, don’t seem to work out, it is highly advised to consult your vet.
We hope you find this article helpful. Do let us know in the comment section, if you have any queries, suggestions, or feedback, we will make sure to get back to you.