Dog bad breath can come between you and your dog. But, more importantly, it can be a sign of serious illness, not just unclean teeth.
Let’s face it! All dogs—even puppies—have dog breath at times. It is normal for your pet’s breath to smell rank, if he has tasted garbage, eaten feces or found a dead animal. Those aren’t the most pleasant activities, but dogs will be dogs!
Bad dog breath can isolate your dog from others!
Bad dog breath after those activities is raunchy, but normal. However, there are occasions when canine bad breath is more serious…
Your dog’s breath should not be so putrid that you can’t get near him. And he shouldn’t have doggie breath all the time!
When Dog Bad Breath is Serious
If you notice that your dog has canine halitosis constantly, your pet may have a more serious illness like diabetes, kidney disease, gum disease or he may have tartar on his teeth. It’s even possible that an object that is trapped in his teeth, mouth or throat.
In addition to causing bad breath in dogs, kidney disease and diabetes will also cause your dog to drink more water and urinate more frequently. So, if you suspect one of these conditions, keep an eye on whether your dog is drinking and peeing a lot.
If you think that your dog may have a serious health problem because he has dog bad breath all the time, your veterinarian can help you to confirm or rule out the possibility of a serious illness.
Good Dental Care Helps Prevent Serious Illness
Keeping your dog’s teeth clean is the best thing you can do to prevent dog bad breath. In addition to brushing your dog’s teeth, you can also provide him with dental dog toys and hard, crisp dog treats. You can make your own, using this recipe for homemade dog dental treats.
Most dogs don’t get cavities, but they are prone to tartar buildup on their teeth and gums. This leads to a buildup of bacteria in their mouth, and it can lead to gum disease.
If your dog’s teeth are neglected, and your dog develops periodontal disease, his mouth problems can lead to heart or kidney disease.
Here’s how that happens. Bacteria from the tartar in his mouth can get into the bloodstream through his swollen and infected gums (also known as gingivitis). The bacteria then travels to his heart or kidneys, where it does the damage.
Dog gum disease is one of the most common problems that vets see in dogs. So please don’t neglect your pet’s dental health!
Professional Teeth Cleaning for Dog Bad Breath
Many veterinarians recommend having your dog’s teeth cleaned professionally, once a year, usually at your dog’s annual physical checkup.
I’ve seen dental picks advertised on the internet, for dog dental care. However, I don’t advise trying to clean the tartar off your dog’s teeth, at home yourself. I cringe when I think of the damage that you could do to your dog, if he moved quickly while you were scraping tartar off his teeth!
Please don’t try it yourself! Vets often put a dog to sleep (with anesthesia) to do this. Have your veterinarian clean your dog’s teeth to get the built-up tartar.
Keeping your Dog’s Breath Fresh
Canine halitosis, for most dogs, will just be an occasional occurrence. If your dog only has dog breath once in a while, you can easily freshen your pet’s breath by giving him homemade dog treats for breath freshening.
Try these Charcoal Dog Biscuits for simple and occasional canine bad breath. One or two biscuits should do the trick. I use them when Skipper has eaten something nasty, and they do work!
Or, if you prefer, there are commercial biscuits available that also will clean your dog’s breath.
To keep dog teeth and dog gums healthy, look for dog biscuits that are hard and crisp. And make sure that they are made from healthy, natural ingredients, of course!
In addition, you might try Arm & Hammer Mouth Spray Freshener for those little emergencies that crop up…
Follow these simple tips, and you will be able to say goodbye to dog bad breath!
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