Worried About Your Dog’s Bad Breath?
Who on earth doesn’t admire the scent of Lily of the valley? But there are certain odors that don’t please anyone, and your canine’s smelly breath is certainly one of them. Forget about kisses, you may not want to get even closer to your best animal friend when it is not at the best of its hygiene. Bad breath is not only unsavory but also an indication that your dog might be having a health issue you should pay attention to.
This article provides information about what gives rise to this abnormal oral health condition in dogs and ways to get your dog over it. Let’s start with the causes.
Obnoxious Eating Habits
Dog’s distressing eating practices directly relate to their oral hygiene. If your dog is habitual of getting into degraded, left-over food or carcass, then this is an obvious reason for their bad breath. Moreover, dogs like cat dung. So if there’s a cat in the house, surely your dog may fancy the smelly thing. What is more, there are dogs who like their own feces or the feces of other canines resulting in unhealthy breath and a terribly nauseous experience for their human companions.
Poor Oral Hygiene & Dental Diseases
Compromised oral hygiene and not taking a proper oral care results in bad breath in dogs. When you don’t brush your dog’s teeth on a regular basis, food molecules stay in your dog’s oral cavity causing smelly breath. Another major reason for what is also known as Halitosis in dogs is dental diseases. Resembling humans, dogs too, get plaque and tartar growth to their teeth, causing unpleasant breath. Plaque then creates calculus that leads to more plaque build-up, resulting in the swelling of gums known as gingivitis. This abnormal dental condition advances into periodontitis and loss of tooth in the end.
Liver and/or Kidney Diseases
When your dog’s breath starts smelling like urine or animal dung, it might be an indication of an underlying kidney problem. At the time when your dog’s kidneys are not functioning as they should, the unwanted wastes or toxins are not excreted and they gather in your pet’s body causing bad breath. Moreover, if your dog’s bad breath is accompanied by symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, or weight loss, you may want to consider whether the animal is suffering from abnormal liver function.
Other Causes
- Diabetes
- Oral bleeding
- Bacterial growth in the oral cavity
- Tissue gangrene in periodontal region
Getting rid of bad breath is not so complicated if you do it the right way.
#First, Consult a Vet
To start proceedings, consult a veterinarian to ensure whether the smelly breath has anything to do with an unnoticed illness underneath. If that’s the case, the vet will prescribe appropriate remedies which may include antibiotics and other health supplements to treat and cure the dental ailment. In case, the root cause is plaque and tartar build-up, the veterinarian can suggest a complete dental cleaning.
#Brush Their Teeth Daily
A very simple but effective way of eradicating foul breath is brushing your canine’s teeth regularly, on a daily basis; just the way you take care of your teeth. This is how you minimize or eliminate the possibility of plaque or tartar build-up by removing the food particles away from their teeth.
#Use Oral Care Products
Pet Dent Toothbrush for dogs and Pet Dent Finger Brush are the useful tools that help you maintain your canine’s oral hygiene. Instead of sharing your toothpaste, use Pet Dent Toothpaste to keep their teeth clean.
If your dog is not good with brushing its teeth, Orovet oral rinse is the perfect alternative to his non-brushing habits. Another useful product in the same category is Pet Dent Oral Rinse. Both these products help remove plaque and tartar formation in their teeth and unpleasant breath as a result.
#Other Hygiene Supplies
Dental treats or chews are good options to remove smelly breath. The best thing about these dental treats/chews is they are available in different flavors so you can opt for the flavor your doggie likes the most. Moreover, your vet can prescribe a diet that supports oral hygiene and promotes oral health.
Home Remedies
- Coconut oil has a lot to offer. It not just improves the skin and coat condition of your canine friend, but also aids in controlling smelly breath. Dogs like the sweet texture of coconut oil; so just a spoonful of coconut oil on a daily basis can do the job. Coconut oil can also be used for brushing their teeth; something that your dog surely won’t resist.
- Neem is a great herbal remedy which offers many benefits to both humans and to our four-legged companions, and eliminating unpleasant breath is one of it.
- Another familiar home remedy for helping your dog with bad breath is Cinnamon. Just a sprinkle of cinnamon to your dog’s food improves your dog’s breath with every meal.
- Parsley and peppermint promote healthier breathing thanks to their refreshing attributes.