Dogs
Dogs love to come over and lick their owners and receive plenty of kisses in return. This is their way of showing affection to their dear owner. Bad breath is an ugly put off when it comes to either human interaction or dog affection. This condition in dogs is known as halitosis. Do you get a whiff of bad breath every time your pet comes near? What causes this to happen? And how do you get rid of it? All your queries will be answered in the following paragraphs.
Causes
As a worried pet owner, it is important to understand the various causes behind this problem. Most of the time, it indicates serious dental problems. Let us go through the most likely causes.
Periodontal Disease
One of the common causes of bad breath in dogs is gingivitis or periodontal disease. Just pull up the upper lip flap of your dog and observe the gums. If the gums are pink in color there is not much to worry about. But, if you find brownish deposits on the teeth or a thin red line along the gums, it may indicate dental problems due to poor oral hygiene. If you do not seek veterinarian help and give your dog the necessary treatment, the condition will worsen. It will lead to a lot of pain, gum bleeding and loss of teeth.
Dog Food
One of the major causes is low-quality food given to them. These food brands contain ingredients like corn, wheat, meat by-products, etc., that cause plaque buildup and stinky breath. Thus, you should seriously think about changing the food and use more of dry kibbles than wet or semi-wet food.
Other Causes
Poor oral health may indicate many serious health problems. These include dental problems like a tooth abscess, bone or hair stuck between teeth, oral ulceration, oral tumor, lung cancer and severe kidney diseases. If your dog is weak, suffering from lack of appetite and is drooling excessively, it is time for an immediate visit to the veterinarian's clinic.
Treatment
Now that we know the general causes, it is important to know about the treatments available. You need to start brushing your dog's teeth and take good care of its oral health. Let us have a look at some home remedies for the same.
Brush the Dog's Teeth
Brushing is the basic oral hygiene procedure that will ensure your dog has strong teeth and does not suffer from stinky breath. You can purchase finger brushes and toothpaste especially made for canine teeth. Speak to your veterinarian for more details on toothpaste suitable for use. Regular cleaning and brushing of teeth will reduce the problem. There are many toothpastes available that come in different flavors like beef, chicken, mint, etc. You can choose a flavor you feel your dog will love. Never ever use human toothpaste. This is because it is not possible to rinse out all the toothpaste from their mouth. Also, you cannot prevent the dog from swallowing some foam. Dog toothpastes are specially made so that swallowing them won't cause health problems in the animal.
Change in Diet
You should feed your pet dry food as it helps keep the teeth clean. When he nibbles on the dry food, the hard food particles help remove any plaque sticking to the teeth. Wet food, on the other hand, sticks to the teeth and may lead to decay and bad breath. Feed the dog more of raw food like meaty bones, baby carrots, etc. Carrots are crunchy, yummy, nutritious meal that helps in removing plaque. You can also feed him hard dog biscuits and treats that contain no sugar.
Mints and Mouth Fresheners
There are many mints and mouth fresheners available that help reduce the bad mouth odor. Mouthwash helps in prevention of tartar. These are available in the form of sprays, that you need to spray in the mouth of the dog.
Take action soon as bad breath indicates palpable dental problems that can aggravate into a serious dental complication. Hope the above home remedies help you give your dog a fresh, minty breath again.
- Periodontal (dental) Disease In Dogs And Cats
By Linda Cole Like us, dogs and cats have a variety of diseases and conditions we need to be on the lookout for. The American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS) says 80% of dogs and 70% of cats will show signs of periodontal disease by the time they turn...
- February Is National Pet Dental Health Month
By Julia Williams To raise awareness of how essential it is for pets to receive regular oral care, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and several other veterinary groups sponsor National Pet Dental Health Month in February. Which means,...
- Teeth Cleaning For Dogs
Teeth cleaning for dogs is very important to help maintain the dog's dental hygiene. Home dog teeth cleaning care will help minimize the need to visit the vet for professional teeth cleaning. Dental health problems of dogs is a serious health...
- Bad Dog Breath Causes
I remember the first time my uncle brought a 3 month old, white Spitz home. He was the cutest thing in the world (at age 6, he still is the most adorable dog, for me) and I have watched him grow. Over the years, he's had his share of bad spells,...
- Dog Breath Spray
Needless to say that dogs are the most faithful creatures on this planet. The loyalty they show towards their master, is boundless. With so much love, obedience and care a dog shows to a human, in turn it is man's responsibility too, to take...
Dogs
Stinky Dog Breath
Dogs love to come over and lick their owners and receive plenty of kisses in return. This is their way of showing affection to their dear owner. Bad breath is an ugly put off when it comes to either human interaction or dog affection. This condition in dogs is known as halitosis. Do you get a whiff of bad breath every time your pet comes near? What causes this to happen? And how do you get rid of it? All your queries will be answered in the following paragraphs.
Causes
As a worried pet owner, it is important to understand the various causes behind this problem. Most of the time, it indicates serious dental problems. Let us go through the most likely causes.
Periodontal Disease
One of the common causes of bad breath in dogs is gingivitis or periodontal disease. Just pull up the upper lip flap of your dog and observe the gums. If the gums are pink in color there is not much to worry about. But, if you find brownish deposits on the teeth or a thin red line along the gums, it may indicate dental problems due to poor oral hygiene. If you do not seek veterinarian help and give your dog the necessary treatment, the condition will worsen. It will lead to a lot of pain, gum bleeding and loss of teeth.
Dog Food
One of the major causes is low-quality food given to them. These food brands contain ingredients like corn, wheat, meat by-products, etc., that cause plaque buildup and stinky breath. Thus, you should seriously think about changing the food and use more of dry kibbles than wet or semi-wet food.
Other Causes
Poor oral health may indicate many serious health problems. These include dental problems like a tooth abscess, bone or hair stuck between teeth, oral ulceration, oral tumor, lung cancer and severe kidney diseases. If your dog is weak, suffering from lack of appetite and is drooling excessively, it is time for an immediate visit to the veterinarian's clinic.
Treatment
Now that we know the general causes, it is important to know about the treatments available. You need to start brushing your dog's teeth and take good care of its oral health. Let us have a look at some home remedies for the same.
Brush the Dog's Teeth
Brushing is the basic oral hygiene procedure that will ensure your dog has strong teeth and does not suffer from stinky breath. You can purchase finger brushes and toothpaste especially made for canine teeth. Speak to your veterinarian for more details on toothpaste suitable for use. Regular cleaning and brushing of teeth will reduce the problem. There are many toothpastes available that come in different flavors like beef, chicken, mint, etc. You can choose a flavor you feel your dog will love. Never ever use human toothpaste. This is because it is not possible to rinse out all the toothpaste from their mouth. Also, you cannot prevent the dog from swallowing some foam. Dog toothpastes are specially made so that swallowing them won't cause health problems in the animal.
Change in Diet
You should feed your pet dry food as it helps keep the teeth clean. When he nibbles on the dry food, the hard food particles help remove any plaque sticking to the teeth. Wet food, on the other hand, sticks to the teeth and may lead to decay and bad breath. Feed the dog more of raw food like meaty bones, baby carrots, etc. Carrots are crunchy, yummy, nutritious meal that helps in removing plaque. You can also feed him hard dog biscuits and treats that contain no sugar.
Mints and Mouth Fresheners
There are many mints and mouth fresheners available that help reduce the bad mouth odor. Mouthwash helps in prevention of tartar. These are available in the form of sprays, that you need to spray in the mouth of the dog.
Take action soon as bad breath indicates palpable dental problems that can aggravate into a serious dental complication. Hope the above home remedies help you give your dog a fresh, minty breath again.
- Periodontal (dental) Disease In Dogs And Cats
By Linda Cole Like us, dogs and cats have a variety of diseases and conditions we need to be on the lookout for. The American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS) says 80% of dogs and 70% of cats will show signs of periodontal disease by the time they turn...
- February Is National Pet Dental Health Month
By Julia Williams To raise awareness of how essential it is for pets to receive regular oral care, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and several other veterinary groups sponsor National Pet Dental Health Month in February. Which means,...
- Teeth Cleaning For Dogs
Teeth cleaning for dogs is very important to help maintain the dog's dental hygiene. Home dog teeth cleaning care will help minimize the need to visit the vet for professional teeth cleaning. Dental health problems of dogs is a serious health...
- Bad Dog Breath Causes
I remember the first time my uncle brought a 3 month old, white Spitz home. He was the cutest thing in the world (at age 6, he still is the most adorable dog, for me) and I have watched him grow. Over the years, he's had his share of bad spells,...
- Dog Breath Spray
Needless to say that dogs are the most faithful creatures on this planet. The loyalty they show towards their master, is boundless. With so much love, obedience and care a dog shows to a human, in turn it is man's responsibility too, to take...