Any ideas on how to get rid of my dogs bad breath?

Question

My dog has the worst breath ever. I've taken him to the vet about it but she feels theres nothing wrong with him. I have brushed his teeth, gave him doggie mints, and milk bone dog biscuits but nothing helps. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Dog breath is NOT NORMAL. Bad breath is caused by the bacterica that is growing below the gumline, indicating tartar. If your dog has tartar build up then I would recomend a professional veterinary dental prophylaxis (dental cleaning). You can ask your vet if they do their cleaning with an ultrasonic scaler (this scaler works the best for cleaning but can only be used while your pet is under anesthesia.)Yes Greenies do help but it does not remove the tartar on their teeth that already exsits. Also keep in mind that Greenies are not a low calorie treat, so if your pet is overweight it wouldn't be a great treat for them. Brush your pet's teeth at least once a day and don't use human toothpaste (the reason is because human toothpaste is meant to be spit out VS animal toothpaste does not). Try CET toothpaste, poultry flavor seems to be the all time favorite with dogs. Brushing your pet's teeth once a day will GREATLY reduce the plaque reduction therefore getting rid of doggy breath. I hope that helps some. Also keep in mind bad with bad doggy breath it can also be a sign of dental disease. You said you brought your dog to the vet and she said nothing is wrong. If I were you I would bring your pet to a veterinary practice that specializes in veterinary dentistry. Some vets do NOT like dentistry and you as the pet owner noticed the problem and I would recomend that you bring it to a veterinary dentist. It's also possible your dog could have an abcessed tooth (this too can cause bad breath). Dogs eat as a survial skill, so even if they have soreness in their mouth & are in pain they eat to survive.

Answer 2

Bad breath in dogs generally indicate bad teeth. Did the vet check your dogs teeth? Bad dental care can also cause other health problems, including heart disease. Bad breath can also come from stomach problems. Bad breath is almost always a symptom od an underlying problem. Then again it could simply be the food you are feeding. Poor quality pet food can cause bad breath, gas and really stinky waste. Our pets need quality pet food. Read the ingredients list and learn what the stuff on there is and what it does (or does not do) to/for our pets. A quick pet food 101. If the pet food contains corn/corn products or by products it is a poor quality food. Do not pay attention to advertising, they all say there food is great. Corn is a filler that can trigger skin problems. (allergies, skin problems, itching and excessive shedding) By products is anything from an animal not fit for human consumption, including cancerous tissue. Quality foods have meat as the first ingredient. California Natural, Solid Gold, Innova and Merrick are a few of the best brands available. If you want to learn more check out: http://www.sagekeep.com/petfood.htm www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359& more=1 http://animalark.eapps.com/animal/PetFoods.nsf/$$PetFoodsByRating?OpenForm

Answer 3

Take the dog to the vet. If you feed your dogs canned or wet type food, they can get tartar build up rapidly, EVEN WITH BRUSHING. Some dogs naturally build tartar up faster than other dogs. A really bad buildup can cause the gums to become infected, which can cause horrific breath. Also, there could be a tooth or teeth with decay under the gums called neck lesions. These can cause bad breath also. All the treats and Greenies will only mask a symptom. Take the dog to the vet and have his mouth checked and schedule a dental cleaning.

Answer 4

Your dog can have bad breath for many reasons. As long as he is otherwise healthy it may just be basic dog breath. If your dog is older (>8-9 yrs) bad breath can indicate internal problems, but it sounds like your vet has also ruled this out.
I would recommend continuing to brush his teeth, feed him a good, well-balanced diet (note: Old Roy doesn't count!). I would also recommend trying Greenies brand chews or CET Hextra brand chews. Greenies are available at most any pet store, and CET Hextra chews are available through your veterinarian. The Hextra chews are treated with a special ingredient which helps to 1) break down the bacteria and tartar in your dogs mouth, and 2) prevent plaque from forming on the teeth.
Note: as with all treats it is important to monitor your dog to make sure he chews the treats rather than attempting to swallow them whole as this can cause choking.
It is also important to discourage your dog from eating things he may find outside. You would be surprised how many dogs have bad breath because they sneak into the cat litter box - whether it be inside or if the cat is using a flower bed outside.

Answer 5

My dog had the same bad breath! All dogs have bad breath after eating, but if you have ruled out oral/dental hygiene, tooth tarter, and Trench Mouth, but it's still always really bad? Then it has to be from something else, like one of the Infectious Stomatitis...Have your Vet check for these. If they aren't it, there are products that can be added to drinking water, or sprayed into the mouth, and medicated chew bones. Try different brands until you find one that works...but check first for an infection.

Answer 6

I also recommend greenies. If you try those and your dog still has bad breath, I would take him back to the vet and see if they can recommend anything.

Are you feeding the dog anything particular that could cause such bad breath? For example, if you're feeding him tunafish, he's likely to have some pretty wretched breath for a time.

Answer 7

Your dogs teeth definitely need a good cleaning by a vet, then you should keep them brushed. PetSmart will brush them for a reasonable fee if it's something you don't want to do yourself.
I'd be careful of the Greenies, it's been in the news that some dogs have choked on the pieces bitten off of them. They do have 'doggie breath mints' you can find them at the registers in PetSmart! My dog loves them!

Answer 8

Keep trying different mints and toothpastes. As long as your vet says that he does not have tatar build up, it may just simply be bad breath.

Another cause of bad breath is not enough water intake. Make sure that he has plenty of water all the time. Buying a water bowl that refills itself if a little $$ but worth it.

Answer 9

This can be a built of up tartar on the teeth, I've gotten my animals teeth cleaned before and it has cleared up bad breath.

Answer 10

we give my dog chews for his teeth. if you get dental chews for him you will in turn get rid of his bad breath. the bad breath probably comes from tarter on his teeth.